London, July 05: A SUSSEX surgeon has helped a blind man see his wife for the first time after implanting a tooth into his eye.
Consultant ophthalmic surgeon Christopher Liu, based at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton, fixed Martin Jones’ sight with the scifi style operation, meaning he could see wife for the very first time.
Patients travel from around the world for Mr Liu and his team’s pioneering surgery.
Mr Liu has performed about 60 of the procedures since 2001, but said Mr Jones was one of the most successful patients.
The 42-year-old former builder was blinded 12 years ago when a tub of molten aluminium exploded in his face in a scrapyard.
His left eye had to be removed because it was so badly damaged and he was told he would never see out of his right eye again.
Having exhausted all other treatments possible, Mr Jones travelled to Brighton to the UK’s only osteo-odonto-keraprosthesis centre, where a piece of tooth was inserted into his eye to restore his vision, and give him his first glimpse of wife Gill, 50. Mr Liu said: “The tooth acts like a picture frame for the optical cylinder. The dentene on the tooth root helps it interact with the plastic.
“Stage one is a six-hour operation under general anaesthetic removing the tooth root. If that goes well and they recover well then stage two is about two to four months later.
“Martin had a really good outcome, but he’s not the only one. I’m glad he’s pleased. It is a very difficult process.
“Sometimes it can go successfully but then the retina or optic nerve doesn’t work properly, but between two thirds and three quarters are successful.
“For people without their own suitable teeth they can go to a relative for a donation or a piece of bone can be taken from the shin, but it is not nearly as good as teeth.”
Mr Jones, of Rotherham South Yorkshire, said: “I met my wife when I was blind and when I found out there was a chance I would get my sight back the first person I wanted to see was her.
‘The doctors took the bandages off and it was like looking through water and then I saw this figure and it was her. It was unbelievable.
“If felt fantastic getting my sight back. I can’t describe it, it is beyond words.
“My friends just don’t believe me.
They think I am pulling their leg or have made it up.
“But when I take my glasses off they say “Oh my God” because it looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. They are just amazed by it.”
–Agencies–