An 83-year-old man who had been blind was able to partially regain his vision following a groundbreaking surgery. The unique operation involved transplanting the entire surface of his left eye, which was blind, into his right eye, which was also blind.
The operation took place at the Molinette hospital in Turin, Italy, two weeks ago, and the man can now see and recognize people and objects around him, as well as move around without assistance. The reconstruction of his left eye was achieved using donor tissue.
According to the doctors who performed the operation, the procedure was the first of its kind in the world and is known as corneal autotransplantation. They explained that the real innovation in the procedure was the expansion of corneal transplantation to include the entire eye surface, including the conjunctivo-scleral tissues, which play a crucial role in successful transplantation under special conditions.
Professor Vincenzo Sarnicola, President of the Italian Cornea and Stem Cell Society, praised the surgery as a significant advancement in transplantation, with Italy playing a leading global role in the field.
The patient had lost sight in his left eye 30 years ago due to irreversible retinal blindness, and he became fully blind 10 years ago due to a rare medical condition.
The four-hour-long surgery was performed by a medical team led by Michael Reibaldi, director of the Molinette University Eye Clinic, and Vincent Sarnicola, president of the Italian Society of Cornea and Stemness.
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