After more than a decade in darkness, a 75-year-old woman has regained her sight thanks to a groundbreaking procedure that allows her to see through one of her teeth.
For the first time in over a decade, 75-year-old Gail Lane from Victoria, B.C., can see her partner’s face – and the wagging tail of their dog – thanks to a groundbreaking procedure that involves implanting a tooth into the eye.
Lane is one of just three Canadians to undergo the rare surgery, formally known as osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis, which was performed in February by ophthalmologist Dr. Greg Moloney at Vancouver’s Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.
Moloney was the first to bring the complex operation to Canada, though it has been performed in other countries.
‘Complex and strange’
“It’s a complex and strange operation, but it basically involves replacing the cornea,” Dr. Moloney told CBC.
Explaining the procedure, the doctor said the surgery begins with the removal of a tooth from the patient’s mouth. The tooth is then implanted into the cheek for several months until it becomes surrounded by strong connective tissue.
Once ready, surgeons remove both the tooth and its surrounding tissue, insert a plastic focusing telescope or lens into it, and then suture the tooth-lens structure into the patient’s eye socket.
“We need a structure strong enough to hold onto the plastic focusing telescope, but not one that the body will reject,” Moloney explained.
From darkness to detail
Lane, who lost her sight 11 years ago due to an autoimmune disorder that scarred her corneas, described the surgery and recovery as “uncomfortable but not painful.”
“It’s been a long, it’s been a long wait, but well, well worth it,” she told CBC.
In the weeks after the procedure, her vision slowly returned. First came light, then movement – like the flick of her partner’s service dog Piper’s tail. Eventually, Piper – a black Labrador – came into focus, followed by glimpses of grass, flowers, and the world around her.
“I can see lots of colour and I can see outside now. The trees and the grass and flowers, it’s a wonderful feeling to be able to see some of those things again,” Lane said.
Seeing Phil for the first time
Perhaps one of the most exciting things for her to see was her partner Phil, who she met after she had already lost her vision.
Nearly six months post-surgery, she saw his face for the first time.
“I’m starting to see facial features on other people as well, which is also pretty exciting,” she said.
She still hasn’t clearly seen her own reflection but hopes new glasses will change that.
Independence
Before the surgery, Lane relied on a volunteer app called Be My Eyes to match her clothing, but now she can pick her outfits herself.
And, more importantly, she is regaining independence: “I’m hoping to have more mobility and independence in terms of short trips and walks here and there where I don’t always have to have someone’s arm for me to grab onto,” the BC woman said.
