After going blind nearly 21 years ago, Brent Chapman can see again. The 34-year-old is one of three people who underwent “tooth-in-eye” surgery performed by ophthalmologist Dr. Greg Moloney (above, left) and his team at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. The two-part surgery, developed in the 1960s, is a last resort for people with severe corneal blindness. It involves removing a patient’s tooth, inserting a plastic lens into it, and then stitching the whole thing into the patient’s eye socket. Why a tooth? Teeth consist of the hardest substance humans produce, making them the ideal casing to bridge the lens, and using part of the patient’s own body ensures that it won’t be rejected. Chapman says he’s now appreciating the little things in life and looks forward to traveling.
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| Chapman can now take his dog for a walk |
