A 14-year-old boy from Jiangxi, China, is able to see normally again after undergoing a successful cornea transplant operation in Guangzhou.

Doctors from Zhongshan University carried out the operation on the boy last month using part of a pig's eye to save his sight.

The boy's condition is stable and he's expected to have a full recovery. His vision improved with further supervised treatment.

According to South China Morning Post, the boy lost sight in his right eye when he was injured by a firecracker. The accident took place during the Chinese New Year period, when firecrackers are commonly set off as part of the annual celebrations.

The surgery of transplanting a pig's cornea onto a human eye is the first of its kind in southern China, reported Southern Metropolis Daily.

Human cornea transplants are rare in China as hospitals can't keep up with the demand, especially since donations are limited.

A professor from Zhongshan University's ophthalmic centre told Chinese reporters that now that humans are able to accept pigs' corneas, one-third to half of Chinese people suffering from corneal blindness can now regain their sight.

In China, there are around five million patients affected by the disease.