Summary: The surgical team successfully performed the world’s first combined face transplant and whole eye transplant, marking a major advance in transplant surgery. The surgery was performed on a military veteran, involved more than 140 medical professionals, and demonstrated the potential for future eye transplant surgery.
Using innovative microvascular technology, the team restored blood flow to both the face and the transplanted eye, ensuring its viability. Although restoring vision was not the goal, this result opens new possibilities for complex transplants and future advances in vision restoration.
Important facts:
In 2023, the first successful combined facial and whole eye transplant was achieved, with innovative microvascular bypass technology restoring blood flow to the transplanted eye. This surgery represents a breakthrough in the possibility of future eye transplants and the restoration of vision.
Source: American College of Surgeons
A description of how a surgical team at NYU Langone Health performed the world’s first face and whole eye transplants will be presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Meeting 2024 in San Francisco, California.
Their results demonstrate the feasibility of whole eye transplantation in parallel with face transplantation.
The surgery, performed in 2023, shows the potential for future eye transplant surgery and represents a major advance in vascularized composite allografts (VCA).
Unlike organ transplants, which involve only one type of tissue, such as a kidney or heart, VCA involves transplanting a complex combination of different tissues, including skin, muscle, blood vessels, nerves, and sometimes bone. Transplantation is particularly difficult. In one piece.
Directed by Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, FACS, director of the face transplant program at NYU Langone Health, the surgery involved a multidisciplinary team of more than 140 medical professionals.
The transplant was performed on Aaron James, a 46-year-old Army veteran from Arkansas who suffered extensive damage to his face and eyes from a high-voltage electrical accident.
The researchers said their main goal was to ensure the survival of the transplanted eyes, and innovative techniques were essential to achieving that outcome. The research team focused on optimizing blood flow, a key element for the long-term success of such complex transplants.
The research team developed a microvascular bypass technique that maintains blood flow to the transplanted eye. The bypass used nearby blood vessels, specifically the superficial temporal artery and vein, and rotated them to connect them to the ophthalmic artery and vein of the transplanted eye.
This innovative approach minimized retinal ischemia (blood flow loss) while restoring blood flow to the face and eyes, addressing a major challenge in eye transplantation.
Main surgical outcomes
Reduced ischemia: Bypass techniques reduce the time without blood flow and protect the transplanted eye. Enhanced blood flow: Post-operative tests confirmed strong blood flow to the retina and other important areas. Surgical precision: Customized cutting guides ensure precise alignment and preserve the intricate structure of the eye and surrounding tissues.
“The success of the face and whole eye transplants demonstrates that with the proper surgical technique, whole eye transplants are possible and can maintain long-term viability,” said Bruce E. Gelb, MD, FACS, MD. Associate Professor of Science) said. , New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
“Patient Aaron James said that although restoring vision is not the goal, maintaining healthy, well-vascularized eyes is an important goal that can have a significant impact on the feasibility of similar procedures in the future. It made me realize that this is progress.”
Co-authors are Sachin Chinta, B.S.; Aley Shah, MD. David Tran, MD. Dr. Daniel J. Seradini.
The authors have no disclosures to report.
About this neurosurgery/transplant research news
Author: Sheila Evans
Source: American College of Surgeons
Contact: Sheila Evans – American College of Surgeons
Image: Image courtesy of Haley Ricciardi/NYU Langone Health
Original study: Results will be presented at ACS Clinical Congress 2024
