Army veteran’s ‘gift of a second chance’ after world’s first whole-eye transplant

An army veteran who received the world’s first whole-eye transplant has said he has been given “the gift of a second chance”.

Aaron James, 47, from Arkansas in the US, lost his left eye and most of his face after an electrical cable touched the left side three years ago.

He also lost his left arm in the accident and now wears a prosthetic.

In May 2023, he underwent 21 hours of surgery involving more than 140 healthcare professionals to replace his face – which included receiving a new eye and has been hailed by doctors as a “monumental achievement”.

More than a year later, his donor eye continues to maintain normal pressure and blood flow – despite surgeries on animals showing a different outcome where the eye often shrank significantly, doctors said.

Despite not being able to see with his left eye, Mr James said he “felt honoured to be patient zero” – and doctors said his progress could help transform future eye surgery.

Mr James said: “This has been the most transformative year of my life.

“I’ve been given the gift of a second chance, and I don’t take a single moment for granted.”

Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, chair of the Hansjorg Wyss Department Of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Health in the US, said: “We are truly amazed by Aaron’s recovery, with no episodes of rejection.”

Dr Daniel Ceradini added: “The whole thing has been a monumental achievement, considering how Aaron has done post operatively and how good he functions and looks.”

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Mr James, who served in the Army National Guard for 10 years, said being able to smell, taste and eat solid food after surviving on purees for two years was a “shining moment”.

He added: “I knew getting back to normal would be [on track] if I could eat pizza.

“The very first thing that I can remember when I woke up from surgery is being able to smell, because before that, I didn’t have a nose, so I couldn’t smell, and that also meant I could not taste anything.

“The only way I could eat was through a straw because my mouth was locked – I couldn’t open or close my mouth.”