A Canadian man who lost his sight 20 years ago can now see again after undergoing a rare “tooth-in-eye” surgery.
Blind Man Sees Again After 20 Years Thanks to His Tooth
A man from North Vancouver, Canada, who lost his sight more than 20 years ago, can now see again—thanks to his tooth.
At just 13 years old, Brent Chapman lost his vision after a severe allergic reaction to the painkiller Ibuprofen caused a rare illness called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The reaction left him completely blind in both eyes.
For two decades, Brent searched for treatments, but nothing worked long-term—until he met Dr. Greg Moloney, an ophthalmologist at Providence Health Care’s Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver.
The Rare “Tooth-in-Eye” Surgery
Dr. Moloney suggested a groundbreaking but little-known surgery called osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis, often referred to as “tooth-in-eye” surgery.
The procedure, first developed in the 1960s, has only been performed on a few hundred people worldwide. It involves:
Removing a patient’s tooth
Flattening it and drilling a small hole in the center
Inserting a prosthetic lens into the tooth
Placing the tooth in front of the patient’s eye, allowing them to see through the lens
Using the patient’s own tooth reduces the risk of the body rejecting the implant.
A Life-Changing Result
When Brent woke up from surgery, he immediately noticed movement in front of his face. Once fully healed, his vision measured 20/30–20/40—a dramatic transformation after 20 years of blindness.
“I feel fantastic. Vision comes back, and it’s a whole new world,” he told ABC News.
“When Dr. Moloney and I made eye contact, we both just burst into tears. I hadn’t made eye contact in 20 years.”
A Breakthrough in Canada
Earlier this year, Canada celebrated its first successful “tooth-in-eye” surgeries, performed by Dr. Moloney on three patients, including 75-year-old Gail Lane, who regained the ability to see colors and nature after years of corneal scarring.
Brent admitted that when he first heard about the surgery, it sounded like something out of science fiction.
“I was like, who thought of this? This is so crazy,” he said.
Dr. Moloney agreed, adding: “The usual reaction is shock and disbelief that this surgery even exists.”
A New Beginning
For Brent, the surgery has given him more than just sight—it has given him hope and freedom. After two decades in darkness, he is finally able to see the world again.
