Aaron James, 46, miraculously survived a 7,200-volt electric shock when his face touched high-voltage wiring in 2021.

The accident left him with severe injuries to his left arm, nose, lips, front teeth, left cheek, and chin. His eye also had to be removed.

But in May, a team of 140 medics in New York City performed a 21-hour eye and partial face transplant, the first surgery of its kind. 

Up until this point, transplants had been thought impossible due to the complex network of nerves and blood vessels connecting the eye to the brain.

Doctors have now said it's possible the father of one will be able to see out of the transplanted eye eventually.

Experts told MailOnline it is an 'exciting development but warned it is 'too early to say' whether the procedure marks a step towards curing blindness.

What causes blindness?

Injuries, infections and many medical conditions can cause blindness, which can vary from severe sight impairment to total blindness. 

Globally, at least 2.2billion people have a vision impairment or blindness, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).