Canadian Surgeon Implants Blind Man’s Tooth in His Eye to Restore Sight

Brent Chapman, a North Vancouver massage therapist, has been blind or partially blind since he experienced a rare auto-immune condition when he was 13 years old.

A blind Canadian man could soon regain his vision thanks to an unconventional source—his own tooth. Earlier this week, Brent Chapman underwent one of Canada’s first-ever osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis (OOKP) surgeries, commonly known as the "tooth-in-eye" procedure. Though it sounds like something out of science fiction, this complex surgery has been successfully restoring sight in other parts of the world for decades.

Dr. Greg Moloney, an ophthalmologist at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver, led the procedure, which involves using a patient’s tooth as the foundation for an artificial cornea. The first phase of the operation required removing one of Chapman’s teeth, reshaping it into a rectangular structure, drilling a hole for a plastic optical lens, and implanting the modified tooth into his cheek for three months. This step allows the tooth to develop a layer of connective tissue, making it suitable for integration with the eye.

Osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis — or as it’s more commonly known, tooth-in-eye surgery — involves removing a patient's tooth, drilling a hole in it, and using it as a casing for a small lens.

Simultaneously, Moloney prepared Chapman’s eye by replacing its damaged surface with a soft tissue graft from inside his cheek, which will heal over the coming months. In the second phase of the surgery, the tooth-lens structure will be removed from Chapman’s cheek and implanted into his eye, replacing the damaged iris and lens. The soft tissue graft will then be placed back over the eye, leaving a small hole for the lens, ultimately allowing Chapman to see again.

Despite its unusual approach, the OOKP procedure boasts a high success rate. Teeth are ideal for housing an optical lens as they provide a stable, non-rejectable structure for integration. A 2022 study from Italy found that 94% of patients retained vision up to 27 years post-surgery. However, risks remain, including potential infections and the possibility of vision loss.

Dr. Greg Moloney is an an ophthalmologist and surgeon at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver. (Providence Health Care)

Chapman, a 33-year-old massage therapist from North Vancouver, lost his sight due to Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare autoimmune reaction triggered by ibuprofen when he was 13. Over the past 20 years, he has undergone 50 unsuccessful surgeries in hopes of restoring his vision. Initially hesitant about the tooth-in-eye procedure, he was convinced after speaking with an Australian woman who regained her sight through the sa

me surgery and even took up skiing.

Chapman now dreams of playing basketball again and traveling the world. He is one of six patients in a pilot program at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, with hopes that a successful outcome will pave the way for Canada’s first OOKP clinic. If approved, it would become the only active center for the procedure in North America.

Doctors perform Canada's first tooth-in-eye surgery on Gail Lane of Victoria, B.C., on Feb. 25, 2025, in Vancouver. Lane and two other Canadians underwent the rare procedure this week. (Providence Health Care)