A man who is now able to see again after two decades has spoken out about his experience after having a 'miracle' operation involving a tooth.
Brent Chapman underwent 'tooth-in-eye' surgery, know in the medical world as 'osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis', earlier this year in Canada, making him one of three people to undergo the procedure.
The surgery, which was developed way back in the 1960s, starts with removing a tooth from the patient's mouth before implanting it into their cheek, where it will be covered by sturdy connective tissue over the space of a few months.
The tooth is then removed and a lens is carefully placed into it. The connective tissue is then used to hold it in place while both the tooth and the lens are stitched into the patient's eye socket.
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"We need a structure that is strong enough to hold onto the plastic focusing telescope, but is not going to be rejected by the body," said Dr Greg Moloney, of Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver.
Chapman had perfectly fine eyesight until the age of 13 when a reaction to ibuprofen after a school basketball game triggered a rare auto-immune reaction known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) ‘is a rare, serious disorder of the skin and mucous membranes’ which is usually caused by a reaction medication.
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It often ‘starts with flu-like symptoms, followed by a painful rash that spreads and blisters’. From there, the top layer of affected skin dies, ‘sheds and begins to heal after several days’.
Chapman suffered burns over his whole body after developing the disorder , including his eyes - and his eyesight never recovered.\
After having 50 unsuccessful procedures, the 'tooth-in-eye' surgery did the trick for Chapman.
"I feel fantastic. Vision comes back and ... it's a whole new world," he told ABC 7. Speaking further to CBS Chicago, Chapman explained how he burst into tears after he saw the surgeon who conducted the operation with his own eyes for the first time.
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"When Dr. Moloney and I made eye contact, we both just burst into tears ... I hadn't really made eye contact in 20 years," he said.
"I feel fantastic. Vision comes back and ... it's a whole new world," Chapman added to ABC 7. While his father, Phil Chapman, added: "We always said to Brent that we would go anywhere, do anything to keep his vision, and here we are."
Chapman is now looking forward to spending more time with family and seeing more of the world.
Callum Jones