Monitoring outcomes of the first human whole eye allotransplant
Vaidehi S Dedania1, Alay R Shah2, Sachin R Chinta2
1Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Langone Health, 222 E 41St St 3Rd Floor, New York, NY, 10017, USA. Vaidehi.Dedania@NYULangone.org.
Purpose:
To describe the first successful whole eye transplantation (WET) in a human, performed with concurrent partial face transplantation, and to characterize postoperative outcomes.
Design:
Case report.
Participant:
A 46-year-old male with severe facial and ocular deficits following high-voltage electrical injury, including left eye enucleation and extensive soft tissue and aesthetic deformities.
Methods:
Comprehensive preoperative evaluation, precise microsurgical techniques including vascular anastomosis and optic nerve coaptation, and serial postoperative assessments with optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography (FA), electroretinography (ERG), and visual evoked potentials (VEP).
Main Outcome Measures:
Sustained globe viability, vascular perfusion, retinal structural integrity, and electrophysiological function.
Results:
The transplanted globe demonstrated robust vascular perfusion and structural preservation over 12 months. Outer retinal function was maintained, as indicated by ERG, despite retinal nerve fiber layer loss and optic nerve transection. VEP confirmed absence of visual perception. The procedure achieved substantial aesthetic restoration.
Conclusions:
This study establishes the feasibility of WET in humans, with sustained globe viability and preserved outer retinal function. These findings serve as a critical step toward future exploration of ocular transplantation.
