Torino doctors perform world's first full eye autotransplant

Surgeons at the University Eye Clinic of Molinette Hospital in Torino have completed the first complete autotransplant of an eye, moving tissue from one eye to the other of the same patient. The 67‑year‑old patient, Elena, had been totally blind for more than five years after a road accident that destroyed the optic nerve of her left eye while leaving the ocular structures intact. The right eye had suffered irreversible damage to the retina, cornea and macula.

The surgical team, led by Professor Michele Reibaldi, harvested a full anatomical block—including cornea, sclera, conjunctiva and, for the first time, the central retina (macula)—from the non‑functional left eye and transplanted it into the damaged right eye. The operation lasted nearly six hours and involved ophthalmologists, anesthetists and nursing staff. Early postoperative checks show good tissue integration and a progressive return of visual function, allowing Elena to recognize her son and her guide dog.

Doctors will continue monitoring the transplanted retina to determine the long‑term functionality of the macula, but the procedure is hailed as a novel frontier in ophthalmic surgery with potential implications for future treatments of severe eye injuries.