Blind For Two Decades, Canadian Man Sees Again After Tooth Implant Surgery

A Canadian man who lost his eyesight at 13 can see again after undergoing a rare medical procedure that uses a patient's tooth to implant a lens.

Brent Chapman, 34, of North Vancouver, went blind more than two decades ago after suffering an extremely rare allergic reaction to Ibuprofen, known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Today.com reported.

The illness left him without vision in both eyes, and he spent years pursuing treatments that offered little success.

Mr Chapman eventually connected with Dr Greg Moloney, an ophthalmologist at Providence Health Care's Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver.

Dr Moloney suggested a "tooth-in-eye" surgery, a complex procedure first developed in the 1960s and performed only a few hundred times in the world.

Tooth-in-Eye Surgery Explained

The tooth-in-eye surgery, known medically as Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis (OOKP), is a rare operation that can restore sight to people with severe damage to the cornea. It is usually done when regular corneal transplants do not work.

The surgery starts with preparing the eye. Doctors remove the damaged surface of the cornea and cover it with tissue taken from the inside of the patient's cheek. This creates a healthy base for the next steps.

A tooth, often a canine, is then removed along with a small piece of bone. The tooth is shaped, and a hole is drilled in it to hold a small plastic lens. This tooth-and-lens piece is placed under the skin of the cheek for several months so that it develops its own blood supply.

After it has healed, the implant is moved into the eye. The lens allows light to enter, while the tooth and bone hold it firmly in place. Because it comes from the patient's own body, the risk of rejection is very low.

This procedure is usually offered to people who are blind due to corneal scarring and have no other treatment options.

Brent Chapman's Surgery Experience

Chapman's journey has been filled with disbelief, wonder and overwhelming emotion. Dr Moloney explained to the publication, "Usually, the reaction is shock and surprise and frank disbelief that it [the procedure] even exists."

Chapman himself admitted that the surgery initially sounded surreal. He said, "It kind of sounded a little science fictiony. I was like, 'Who thought of this? Like, this is so crazy'. "

But the results changed everything. Speaking to WABC, he shared, "I feel fantastic. Vision comes back, and it's a whole new world."

The most touching moment came when he finally locked eyes with the doctor who made it possible. "When Dr Moloney and I made eye contact, we both just burst into tears. I hadn't really made eye contact in 20 years."