Key Takeaways
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A man who received the world’s first combined whole-eye and partial face transplant is doing well
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His body has not rejected either his new face of his new left eye
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However, vision has not returned in the donated eye
MONDAY, Sept. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The recipient of the world’s first combined whole-eye and partial face transplant is doing well more than a year out from his groundbreaking surgery, NYU Langone doctors report.
Aaron James, a 46-year-old military veteran from Arkansas, says over the past year his new face has allowed him to enjoy things others take for granted.
No more stares from strangers. The ability to taste and enjoy solid foods again. The simple pleasure of smelling. Trading in his old driver’s license, which displayed his injured face, for a new one.
James is now back to daily life in Arkansas and focused on sending his daughter, Allie, off to college.
“I’m pretty much back to being a normal guy, doing normal things,” James said in an NYU Langone news release. “All in all, though, 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.