Dean Ouano, MD, a surgeon with CarolinaEast Surgery Center in New Bern, N.C., performed the state's first iris transplant, the center said in a Nov. 2 news release.
The patient, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Kamil Szmyglewski, lost his lens and 90 percent of his iris in July 2020 when the rusty end of a flagpole struck his eye. The surgery restored his injured eye from legal blindness to 20/40 vision.
"To be honest, this saved me from being separated from the Marine Corps," Mr. Szmyglewski said. He suffered from severe light sensitivity, headaches and loss of equilibrium due to the injury.
Dr. Ouano is one of four North Carolina surgeons certified to perform the procedure, according to the release.