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CTV News
4 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. woman regains sight thanks to rare tooth-in-eye surgery
A woman who has been blind for more than a decade can see again – thanks to a successful surgery. A woman who has been blind for more than a decade can see again – thanks to a successful surgery. Over a decade after going blind, a Victoria, B.C., woman's vision has been restored by an operation rarely performed in Canada. Gail Lane was the first of three people in the province — and all of Canada — to receive tooth-in-eye surgery. During the highly specialized procedure, surgeons attached a tooth fitted with a lens to the front of Lane's eye to replace her damaged cornea. 'What a feeling to be able to get any amount of sight back,' Lane told CTV News Vancouver Island. 'The more the better, of course, but after having been blind, to be able to see anything is a wonderful thing.' In February, the 75-year-old underwent the first of two surgeries at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver. At that time, one of her teeth was removed and fitted with a lens. From there, it was implanted in her cheek, where it grew connective tissue for three months. 'It's very science-fictiony,' Lane said after the first operation. The procedure is suitable for certain patients who have corneal damage, but doesn't work for those without functional retinas and optic nerves. On May 26th, the surgical team removed the tooth from Lane's cheek and attached it to her eye. Soon after, she started seeing light and movement. 'I just felt full of gratitude and looking forward to how it would unfold because it was a gradual process for me,' she said. Now, Lane's vision has improved to the point that she can see her loved ones' faces.. 'They've seen me age, but they were kind of frozen in time for the last decade for me, so they were more afraid of me seeing them than I am of seeing myself,' she laughed. For the first time, she has laid eyes on her partner, Phil, who is blind. They met after Lane lost her sight in 2014 due to an autoimmune disorder. 'He still hasn't seen me, and I had never seen him when we met,' she said. 'It's got to be a huge adjustment for him.' 'One of the best feelings in medicine' Ophthalmologist Dr. Greg Maloney said all three Canadians who received tooth-in-eye surgery have regained their vision. 'To see them go from total dependence back into independence, it's highly emotional for all of the staff who are looking after them and it's thrilling for us,' Moloney said. 'It's one of the best feelings in medicine that you can have as a surgeon.' The operations are part of a pilot project, which he hopes to expand. 'We're still working to establish the program as a funded, ongoing service in Canada,' he said. Lane is deeply grateful for Moloney and the rest of the surgical team. 'What a gift,' she said. 'It was only until the past three or four years that I believed it would ever be possible for me to see because of what he could do.'
CTV News
6 hours ago
- Science
- CTV News
Study looks at highways' impact on bees
Edmonton Watch CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson talks to an Edmonton university student who is spending her summer examining how highway corridors affect bee populations.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
Police say shooting that injured man doesn't appear random
Edmonton police responded to a shooting in the McCauley neighbourhood on July 30, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton/Dave Mitchell) Police say a shooting northeast of downtown Edmonton that injured a man does not appear to be a random attack. An email from Edmonton police said officers responded to a report of a 48-year-old man who had been shot around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Officers located the injured man in a suite in the area of 96 Street and 106 Avenue and he was taken to hospital with serious injuries. There was no update on his condition as of Thursday afternoon. Edmonton police are investigating the shooting.
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Fatal crash in north Regina claims life of 13-year-old passenger
The wrecked vehicle appeared to have sheered a power pole off at its base before colliding with another. (Gareth Dillistone/CTV News) A 13-year-old is dead following a serious crash in north Regina, police say. In an update issued just after 2 p.m. Thursday, the Regina Police Service (RPS) revealed that the collision that had shut down the area surrounding 6th Avenue North and Smith Street was fatal. The 13-year-old victim, who had been a passenger in the vehicle, was declared dead at the scene. Photos from the scene show a convertible sedan lying on its passenger side. Behind it, a power pole appears to have been sheered in half by the vehicle – as a large section of the pole could be seen under the car. According to RPS, officers responded to the scene around 5:30 a.m. When officers arrived, they found a vehicle that appeared to have collided with a power pole and then rolled. The service's investigative collision analysis reconstruction team were called to the scene and began investigating. Police say the investigation is ongoing and charges are expected. 'The road is once again open and motorists can resume their regular activities,' the update read. RPS concluded by saying more information will be released at 'a later time.' Regina crash 6th Avenue N, Smith Street The wrecked vehicle appeared to have sheered a power pole off at its base before colliding with another. (Gareth Dillistone/CTV News)
CTV News
9 hours ago
- Science
- CTV News
University of Waterloo study finds female pilots outperform their male counterparts under pressure
Preksha Shah, an aviation student at the University of Waterloo, in a flight simulator with eye-tracking glasses. (Heather Senoran/CTV News) A new study from researchers at the University of Waterloo is challenging the gender biases in aviation. Using eye-tracking technology and a high-fidelity flight simulator, the study found that female pilots performed better under pressure when put in a mock-emergency situation. Ten men and ten women participated in the study, and all were general aviation pilots with the same experience. Researchers recorded where each participant looked and how they responded. 'We have data that challenges traditional assumptions in aviation these days, and that's kind of groundbreaking to have this evidence to support the fact that women belong in this industry,' said Naila Ayala, lead author of the UW study. She said the women appeared to be better at keeping control and making decisions in stressful flight situations. In one scenario, participants had to complete standard flight tasks but with a twist – unexpected and total engine failure. 'Female participants were able to manage that much better in these high stress scenarios versus those male pilots who ended up having a little bit more error, with respect to things like the airspeed they're trying to control, while coming down from engine failure and safely landing the plane,' Ayala said. The simulator definitely put participants in the hot seat. 'They had to identify the emergency, understand where they were located with respect to the runway or the closest field they could possibly land, and then maneuver the plane to said space where they could land the plane and let the air traffic controllers know that there was a mayday and there's an emergency onboard,' explained Ayala. Aviation student Preksha Shah was one of the study participants. She said she didn't feel too stressed when the engine suddenly failed in the simulation. 'I was immediately like, 'Okay, we had an engine failure, and the runway is right there. Now I just need to land.'' Shah said she always wanted to be a pilot. Her goal is to one day be a commercial pilot. 'For me personally, I'm an adrenaline junkie, so I love flying,' she explained. 'And it's also just really cool.' The study highlighted the importance of looking beyond surface-level indicators when measuring pilot performance. Especially since the aviation field has long been dominated by men. 'Only six or seven per cent of airline pilots are women,' said Suzanne Kearns, an aviation professor and founder of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics. 'That's a tremendous challenge when you think about there not being enough pilots in the system and how do we attract and retain the workforce to support the future.' As for why female pilots did better in the study – the answer isn't clear cut. 'There's no clear tie to very distinct gender differences that have been shown in the neurocognitive research, just because it's too complex of a task to tie to one specific type of mental capability,' said Ayala. The team hopes their findings will help shape what the industry looks like for all future pilots.
