A middle-aged man in the UK has become the first in the world to have a 3D-printed eye fitted as part of a trial, media reports said. Doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London fitted the first ever 3D-printed eye on Steve Verze, 40, the Daily Mail reported. Verze from Hackney in London lost his left eye in his 20s and has since been using prosthetics -- which need to be replaced every five years, the Daily Mail reported.

An engineer by profesion, Verze said the plastic acrylic versions have left him feeling "self-conscious". While the 3D printed version will not restore vision in his left eye, Verze said the new 3D eye will look far more like a real eye. "I've needed a prosthetic since I was 20, and I've always felt self-conscious about it. When I leave my home, I often take a second glance in the mirror, and I've not liked what I've seen. This new eye looks fantastic and, being based on 3D digital printing technology, it is only going to be better and better," Verze was quoted as saying.