Eye transplantation is the
transplantation of the
globe of the human eye from a donor to a recipient.
Research directions
Research efforts in whole eye transplantation (WET) are focused on its application in living human recipients, still some obstacles need to be addressed. Apart from the surgical and neurological considerations, there are key ethical concerns such as patients' perceptions and desires for both nonvision-restoring WET and vision-restoring WET, risks and benefits compared to
prosthetic alternatives, psychosocial considerations for potential recipients regarding personal identity related to the donor's eyes, public perceptions of whole-eye donation, implications for
corneal transplantation
Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft). When the entire cornea is replaced it is known as penetrating keratoplasty a ...
eligibility of the donor's eyes, consent for whole-eye donation, and establishment of ethical mechanisms for allocation and distribution of WET. With limited studies available on this topic since the first vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA)
took place in 1998, the understanding of WET is informed by a few studies with limitations. For example,
amphibian
Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...
regeneration cannot directly apply to humans. Ocular transplants may offer a viable option for restoring form in patients undergoing facial transplantation with enucleated orbits.
History
In 1885, the ''Revue générale d'ophtalmologie'' reported that the
staphylomatous and
buphthalmic eye of a 17-year-old girl had been replaced by the eye of a
rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
by a Dr. Chibret.
The operation failed after 15 days due to a lack of effective
immunosuppression.
In 1969, Conrad Moore of the
Texas Medical Center claimed that he had carried out the transplantation of a whole eye, but he subsequently
retracted his claim.
In November 2023, surgeons at
NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health is an academic medical center located in New York City, New York, United States. The health system consists of NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Long Island School of Medicine, both part of New York University (NYU), and m ...
announced the first successful eye transplantation,
which was carried out as part of a partial
face transplant in an operation that took 21 hours.
[ The recipient, Aaron James, had lost the left side of his face with his eye, nose and mouth in a ]high-voltage power line
Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a power generation, generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission net ...
accident.[ Reuters reported that the transplanted eye has "well-functioning blood vessels and a promising-looking retina".][ The eye is not using the optic nerve to communicate with the brain, and James has not regained sight through the eye.][ ]Adult stem cell
Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found throughout the body after development, that multiply by cell division to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues. Also known as somatic stem cells (from Greek σωματικóς, ...
s have been harvested from his bone marrow and been injected into the optic nerve.[ The lead surgeon, Eduardo D. Rodriguez, said that "If some form of vision restoration occurred, it would be wonderful, but ... the goal was for us to perform the technical operation".][
]
See also
* Corneal transplantation
Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft). When the entire cornea is replaced it is known as penetrating keratoplasty a ...
References
{{Eye procedures
Eye surgery
Organ transplantation