Woman blind for a decade undergoes rare 'tooth in the eye' surgery and regains vision
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So how did she pull off this comeback? Through a surgical makeover unlike anything you've heard—known as oste-o-odonto-keratoprosthesis, or more casually, the 'tooth-in-eye' procedure.
Oste-o-odonto-keratoprosthesis: The 'tooth-in-eye' surgery explained
At its core, it's a super rare eye surgery designed for people who are completely blind because their corneas are so damaged that normal transplants just won't work.
The wild part? This surgery actually uses one of your own teeth to help you see again.
Yep, it's often nicknamed the 'tooth-in-eye' surgery.
Here's how it works (and yes, it's as wild as it sounds): First, doctors removed one of Gail's own teeth—specifically a canine—and implanted it in her cheek. Let it hang out there for a few months to grow some connective tissue around it, like a personal biological scaffold. Then, after it's grown in, they popped it out, carved a hole in it for a tiny focusing lens, and surgically placed the whole tooth-lens combo into her eye socket to act as a new cornea.
Why go through all that? Because the tooth is made of your own tissue, your body is way less likely to reject it compared to synthetic implants. It gives people who thought they'd never see again, often after burns, severe eye disease, or autoimmune damage, a real chance at vision.
It's not a common surgery (only a handful of doctors worldwide perform it), but when it works, the results are mind-blowing. Imagine going from years of total blindness to recognizing faces, colors, and even reading again, all thanks to your own tooth.
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Gail walked out of darkness step by step, and yes, the recovery was a bit uncomfortable, but not outright painful. She first noticed light. Then movement. First up: Piper, her partner's service dog, wagging its tail. Fast-forward six months, and Gail's seeing her partner Phil's face—someone she met after she went blind, NY Post reported. Now, she's witnessing the world again—colors, trees, flowers—and even the faces of the people around her.
And she's not stopping there: she's getting new glasses that should sharpen things even more
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