Blind Man Can See Again Thanks To Pioneering Surgery Using Tooth
A British man can see again after surgeons carried out a pioneering procedure using one of his teeth; surgeon, Christopher Liu, from Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton, is the only surgeon qualified to perform the procedure, which is known as Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis.
Ian Tibbetts was afflicted with blindness in 1999 and had never sons, Callum and Ryan; now, he can see again thanks to the innovative procedure, which involves drilling a hole through the tooth and placing a lens, which is later implanted into the eye.
Mr Tibbetts lost his sight after a piece of metal from an oven hit him in the eye; his sight gradually faded and within a year, he had virtually no sight at all and could only make out shadowy outlines when he looked at his children.
In December, Mr Tibbetts decided to have surgery after other treatments had failed and he now has 40 per cent vision and can see his son’s faces properly.
Mr Tibbetts lives with his wife, Alex in Shropshire and is delighted with the results of the operation.
It is strange to think that a tooth could help to restore sight, but the body does not reject the tooth because it belongs to the individual. The procedure only works with certain blindness types because the retina must still be functioning in order for the new lens to work.
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