9 hours ago
Last Updated:March 03, 2025, 15:56 IST
The rare “tooth in eye” surgery has been done multiple times across the world for decades to restore sight, but this was Canada's first reported case.
The complex procedure is performed in two stages (Image: Facebook)
In a first in Canada, surgeons implanted a blind patient’s tooth in her eye in a bid to regain her lost eyesight. The rare “tooth in eye" surgery has been done multiple times across the world for decades to restore sight, but this was Canada’s first reported case.
The patient, identified as Gail Lane, had lost her eyesight a decade ago. She underwent the surgery a week ago at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver, the hospital said in a post on Facebook.
Dr Greg Moloney, an ophthalmologist and surgeon at the hospital in conversation with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), described the procedure as unfamiliar even to many eye surgeons, which involves implanting a lens within the patient’s tooth to create a new, functional cornea.
The complex procedure involves two steps. The doctors first removed one of Lane’s teeth, shaved it down into a rectangle, drilled a hole, and popped a plastic optical lens inside. It was then placed in Lane’s cheek where it will stay for about three months, allowing it to develop the necessary supporting tissue.
“(The tooth) doesn’t have any connective tissue that I can actually pass a suture through to connect it to the eyeball. So, the point of implanting it for three months is for it to gain the layer of supporting tissue," Moloney told CTV News.
He further said that the patient’s eye was prepared for the implant by removing the top layer of its surface and replacing it with a soft tissue graft from inside his cheek. This graft would heal in a few months before the “tooth" can be implanted.
Dr Moloney emphasised that the surgery isn’t a universal solution for all vision-related issues. It is specifically designed for individuals with severe corneal blindness caused by conjunctival scarring.
“I haven’t seen myself for 10 years," Gail said with a nervous chuckle. “If I’m fortunate enough to get some sight back, there will be wonderful things to see."
Location :Canada
First Published:March 03, 2025, 15:56 IST
News world In A First In Canada, Surgeons Put Tooth In Patient's Eyes To Restore Sight
