US Veteran Recovering from Historic Eye Transplant

Aaron James, a 47-year-old US Army veteran, has shown remarkable progress a year after undergoing the world's first whole-eye transplant and a partial face transplant. Despite not yet regaining sight in his new eye, tests indicate that the light-sensitive nerve cells have survived, raising hopes for future vision restoration. His donor eye has maintained normal pressure, blood flow, and size, contrary to past animal transplant studies where donor eyes often shrank. James, who lost most of his face and his left arm due to an electrical accident in 2021, described his recovery as life-transforming, stating he feels 'pretty much back to being a normal guy.' Medical experts from NYU Langone Health expressed optimism that James's case could inspire further research into complex transplants involving critical sensory organs. The progress observed in his recovery could pave the way for new clinical protocols and enhance understanding of whole-eye transplants.