What are the possibilities of getting back your vision after getting a tooth implant in your eye? Very slim, one would say. What if one tells you it’s not only possible but also based on a real incident?
Brent Chapman, a 34-year-old man, had reportedly lost his vision at the age of 13 after experiencing a rare allergic reaction due to his vulnerability to a medication known as the Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The illness left him blind, and even after seeking treatments, nothing could fix it.
However, after 20 years, he was able to restore his vision again, thanks to rare ‘tooth-in-eye’ surgery. Chapman, who was still searching for a good treatment option for his eyes, finally met Dr. Greg Moloney, an ophthalmologist at Providence Health Care’s Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver.
It was Moloney himself who suggested the rare surgery for Chapman’s treatment on the right eye. Originally, the treatment came into being in 1960 and has been performed on several other individuals globally.
The surgery usually begins with the extraction of a tooth, which is flattened further. A small hole is then drilled in the tooth’s center to fit in a prosthetic lens. Later, the tooth is placed at the front of the patient’s eye, and as a result, they can see easily through the lens. However, the surgery is specifically suitable for people who have a healthy back of the eye, meaning they have suffered severe damage only to the front of the eye or the cornea. The damage can be due to an accident, a burn, a chemical reaction, fire, or even an explosion.
The fact that a tooth can help someone regain vision is still news for many people today. However, the procedure is possible, as Dr. Moloney confirms while speaking to Today.com. “Usually, the reaction is shock and surprise and frank disbelief that it [the procedure] even exists,” the doctor said.
However, Moloney had his share of skepticism regarding the treatment. He said, “It kind of sounded a little science fictiony. I was like, ‘Who thought of this? Like, this is so crazy.”
In Chapman’s case, the surgery was a success, and he was able to regain 20/40 or 20/30 vision in the eye. Speaking about his excitement regarding the regained vision, the 34-year-old told WABC, “Vision comes back, and it’s a whole new world.”
He also recalled how he and Dr. Moloney burst into tears after they came face-to-face post-surgery. “I hadn’t really made eye contact in 20 years,” Chapman said.