A 34-year-old man blinded by Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) two decades ago has regained functional vision following a rare osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP), or “tooth-in-eye” surgery. The patient developed SJS at age 13 after taking ibuprofen, resulting in severe mucocutaneous damage, limbal stem cell loss, and progressive corneal scarring. Over the next 20 years, he underwent nearly 50 ocular surgeries, including multiple corneal transplants, all of which failed to provide lasting vision. Dr.
Greg Moloney from the University of British Columbia performed OOKP, a complex, staged procedure reserved for cases where conventional corneal grafts are ineffective. The process involves: Extracting a canine tooth with surrounding bone and shaping it to hold a plastic optical cylinder. Implanting the tooth-lens complex in the cheek or eyelid for vascularization. Transferring the construct to…
