Canadian surgeons have successfully carried out the first operation in the country to restore vision using the patient’s own tooth. The method, osteo-odonto-keratoprosthetics, also known as the “tooth in the eye,” is used in extremely rare cases when other treatment options fail.
The procedure has two stages: a tooth is used to create an implant with a lens. First, it is allowed to integrate in the cheek, and then it is transplanted into the eye to replace the damaged cornea. The technology was developed in Italy in the 1960s and is used in only a few countries.
Now, Canada has joined that small group, opening new possibilities for treating people with severe eye injuries.
