Surgeons used pre-surgical planning software to develop transplant guides for the donor (left) and recipient (right). [Image courtesy of NYU Lagone Health]
Surgeons used DePuy Synthes technology for the world’s first whole-eye and partial-face transplant.The 21-hour procedure was performed by a 16-person surgical team and 80-person operating room team on Aaron James, a military vet who lost his left eye and much of his face in a high-voltage power accident while working as a utility lineman.
Led by NYU Langone Health’s Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, the team gave James a donor’s eye and part of their face, including the orbital bones, surrounding eye tissues and the optical nerve, left upper and lower eyelids, left eyebrow, nose, upper and lower lips, and underlying skull, cheek, nasal and chin bone segments, including muscles, blood vessels and nerves.
James spent 17 days in the intens…