Vision Restored: First-Ever Transplant of Eye Segment and Retina from One Eye to Another

In a world-first, surgeons have successfully transplanted the entire anterior segment of an eye, including the central retina, from one eye to another in a 67-year-old patient, restoring her sight after more than five years of total blindness. The groundbreaking procedure took place at the University Eye Clinic of the Molinette hospital.

The patient, Elena, had lost vision in her left eye due to a severe traffic accident that irreversibly damaged her optic nerve. While her right eye's ocular structures remained intact, it suffered trauma that severely compromised the retina and cornea. The destruction of the stem cell-containing portion of the retina made a conventional corneal transplant impossible, condemning her to blindness.

Overcoming what was considered an insurmountable obstacle, Professor Michele Reibaldi and his team utilized healthy but non-functional tissues from Elena's left eye. They successfully harvested and transferred a complete anatomical block, comprising the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, and, for the first time globally, the central retina (macula), into her right eye. This biological relocation effectively reconstructed a seeing eye from two compromised ones.

Remarkably, the hospital allowed Elena's guide dog, Joe, to stay with her throughout her hospitalization, recognizing the importance of their bond. Professor Reibaldi described the surgery as a "new frontier in ophthalmology," noting that while the transplanted retina's function is still being assessed, initial results are encouraging. The nearly six-hour "surgical marathon" required extraordinary collaboration among ophthalmologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, and hospital management. The greatest reward, Reibaldi shared, was witnessing Elena recognize her son and Joe upon regaining her sight.