Man burned from the inside out in 7,200-volt electrocution gets world’s first eye transplant
A DAD has become the world’s first person to receive a whole-eye transplant.
Aaron James, 46, from Arkansas, lost his left eye, dominant left arm, nose and lips after suffering a 7,200-volt electric shock when his face touched a live wire in June 2021.
The high-voltage lineman was left disfigured by the horrific accident but was the “perfect patient”, according to his surgeon Dr Eduardo Rodriguez of NYU Langone.
The medical team preserved as much of his optic nerve as they could when they first removed it and planned a partial facial reconstruction in June last year.
After a donor’s eye and face became available, 140 surgeons, nurses and other health workers operated on him for 21 hours on May 27.
Aaron said: “I’m grateful beyond words for the donor and his family, who have given me a second chance at life during their own time of great difficulty.
“I hope the family finds solace in knowing that part of the donor lives on with me.
“I will also forever be thankful to Dr. Rodriguez and his team for changing my life.
“My family and I wouldn’t have been able to navigate this difficult journey without their expertise and support.
“Our hope is that my story can serve as inspiration for those facing severe facial and ocular injuries.”
Around 1,000 accidents involving electric shocks or burns are reported to the Health and Safety Executive in Britain every year.
If someone suffers an electric shock, the NHS recommends you switch off the current at the mains to break the contact between them and the electrical supply.
Do not approach them until this is the case, and if they’re not breathing dial 999 for an ambulance.
Electric shocks can cause severe burns, as the body’s tissues heat up from the current, and also cause painful muscle spasms that can be strong enough to break bones or dislocate joints.
Aaron suffered his shock when he was transferring wires to a new electrical pole while standing on an elevated bucket near Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Army National Guard veteran hit his face on the wire while holding a neutral wire and the shock blew his thumb off and burned him extensively.
The shock caused him to suffer strokes, kidney failure, gum burns and doctors had to remove seven teeth and amputate his arm.
We’ve made one major step forward and have paved the way for the next chapter to restore vision
Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, NYU Langone
His face was left scarred across the cheek, with a smooth bump where nose had been, a small hole for a mouth and an empty socket where his left eye was.
Aaron said the heartbreaking injuries left him in fits of tears and he had to wear an eye patch and mask in public to avoid attracting attention.
He could only eat pureed food through a straw and was breathing through a tube in his throat.
His injuries made him a candidate for the surgery at NYU Langone and after clearing they attached the new face and eye.
While it is still unknown if he will regain sight, the eye has shown signs of health and there is direct blood flow to the retina — the part of the eye that send images to the brain.
He can also now open his mouth, taste and eat.
Dr Rodriguez said: “The mere fact that we’ve accomplished the first successful whole-eye transplant with a face is a tremendous feat many have long thought was not possible.
“We’ve made one major step forward and have paved the way for the next chapter to restore vision.
“This achievement demonstrates our capacity to embrace the most difficult challenges and drive continuous advancements in the field of transplantation and beyond.”