Aaron James receives the first face transplant in history
Although the patient with the first face transplant has not yet recovered vision in the transplanted eye, he remains hopeful and states that, regardless of the visual result, he is willing to be “patient zero” which drives research in transplant medicine.
A team of more than 140 surgeons at NYU Langone Health in New York has successfully performed the first complete eye and face transplant in a living person. The astonishing odyssey began when Aaron James, a 46-year-old military veteran from Arkansas, suffered a devastating workplace accident that took away his left eye and significant portions of his face.
According to CNN‘s review, the incident occurred in June 2021, when Aaron, a high-voltage power lineman, suffered a 7,200-volt electrical shock while working in Mississippi. The accident left Aaron with extensive facial injuries, including the complete loss of his left eye, nose, lips and part of his left arm.
Aaron’s wife, Meagan, received the shocking news while driving home with their daughter Allie. Going through moments of uncertainty and anguish, Meagan embarked on a journey of more than four hours to reach the hospital where Aaron was being treated. During this time, Aaron was transferred to different medical centers to receive intensive care and reconstructive surgeries.
After several weeks in intensive care and a series of operations, Aaron found himself faced with the transformed reality of his own face. The unsettling prospect of his new appearance became evident when Meagan and his daughter visited him in a burn unit in Dallas.
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Allie, seeing her father for the first time after the accident, recalled, “Most of my worries were what he was going to be like when he was awake and conscious.”
The hope of a face transplant
That’s when the possibility of a face transplant arose. Dr. Eduardo Rodríguez, director of the Face Transplant Program at NYU Langone Health, and his team learned about Aaron’s case and considered the option of a facial transplant. However, the proposed surgical intervention was bolder than he had initially imagined: a complete eye transplant.
The surgery, which took place in late May of this year, lasted approximately 21 hours and marked a milestone in transplant medicine. Surgeons performed the transplant of the entire left eye and parts of the face from a single donor, making it the first successful procedure of its kind in the world.
After surgery, Aaron found a new reflection in the mirror. His face, which now included one brown eye instead of his signature ocean-blue eyes, was filled with gratitude and emotion.
Although the medical team emphasizes that Aaron has not yet recovered vision in the transplanted eye, he remains hopeful and states that, regardless of the visual result, he is willing to be “patient zero” which drives research in transplant medicine.
Aaron’s journey, from his life-changing accident to his historic transplant, is a testament to human resilience and continued advancement in medicine.
The future of their vision still remains uncertain, but the procedure marks a significant step in the field of facial and eye transplants, offering hope to those who have suffered similar losses due to trauma or illness.
