Aaron James He was 43 years old when he suffered a severe electric shock while working as an electrical cable fitter. The accident left him with the loss of his left eye and eyelid, his nose, lips and much of his facial tissue. Initially, he underwent traditional reconstruction, removing what was left of his eye. However, due to the discomfort that followed, he was deemed eligible to become the first person to receive face and eye transplant.
He is not the first person to have a face transplant, it is important to clarify that. But she is the only one who has received an eye transplant as well. This was the biggest complication and the main problem for the surgeons who performed the operation. However, a year later they published a study showing that everything went well and that the results were even better than expected.
To begin with, there was no transplant rejectionto the patient’s delight. But that’s not all. And although James cannot see with his transplanted eye, your retina reacts to lightso it shows much more functionality than originally expected.
History of face transplantation
The first face transplant in history has been performed in 2005The recipient was Frenchwoman Isabelle Dinoire, a 38-year-old woman whose face was disfigured by a dog when she tried to revive it after a suicide attempt.
A face transplant that involved nose and lips, It was a success. There was no rejection, and his facial appearance improved over the years. Unfortunately, the drugs immunosuppressants which she had to take for the rest of her life, weakened her so much that they caused cancer, which eventually caused her death 11 years later.
Since the first face transplant, more than 40 similar interventions have been carried out with varying degrees of success. Among the countries where they have been carried out are: Spain, USA, Poland, Türkiye and ChinaSome of the patients died from transplant rejection or, like Dinoire, from immunosuppressive treatment. But it has had success in other countries.
There were really complex interventions, like the other Frenchman, Jerome Hamonwho has had two face transplants. The first was in 2010 after a disease called neurofibromatosis type 1 left his face disfigured by multiple tumors. It went well. However, in 2015, antibiotic treatment Treatment for a respiratory infection negated the effects of the immunosuppressants and caused a resentment of his new face. Another transplant had to be performed, the results of which were apparently better than the first.
It should be noted that, contrary to popular belief, a face transplant does not involve transferring the face of a deceased person to a living recipient who has lost their own face. Only the skin and sometimes some facial structures are transplanted. However, 3D model and facial expressions They are individual for each person.
The Aaron James Case
After the accident, Aaron James suffered facial reconstruction with one’s own skin, from other parts of your body. However, the scars were very painful. Moreover, the absence of the eye caused him both physical and psychological pain.
That’s why his doctors contacted the vascularized composite allogeneic transplant (VCA) team at NYU Langone Health. VCA refers to a large tissue transplant that adds parts of the three germ layers, corresponding to skin, nerves, and blood vessels, among other structures. One of the main characteristics of this type of transplant is that it is usually necessary. restore blood vessels and nerves. The most common are face and hand transplants, although there are others also considered VCAs, such as penis transplants.
At the same time, the NYU scientists believed that James, for the first time, met the requirements for an attempt at a face and eye transplant. This is something that has never been done before, and which was very clearly given to the patient. This would be a treatment experimental. However, his suffering did not allow him to refuse the offer.
As with any face transplant, the main risk will be immunological rejection. However, in this case there were some additional dangers, such as loss of a healthy eye. But none of this happened. The healthy eye remained healthy after the face transplant, and the new one did not suffer any rejection. It was known that he could not see it. Therefore, the goal was only to ensure that he received a sufficient supply of blood so that he did not lose it again. This task was also successful, but it remains to be seen what will happen over time.
Face and eye transplant a year later
Those responsible for Aaron James’ face and eye transplant recently published a study showing how it evolved. There are no signs of failure. The blood supply to the eye remains good, and, even better, the retina responds to light. It is important to note that the patient does not see this light. However, the simple fact that the retina responds suggests that in the future it may be possible to transplant a functional eye that will allow patients to see without problems.
We’ll have to wait and see. One thing is clear: this is a graphic example of how many face transplants have taken place since Isabelle Dinoire received hers in 2005.
Source: Hiper Textual
