Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

The “Tooth-in-Eye” Surgery That Sounds Like Science Fiction

When 13-year-old Brent Chapman took ibuprofen for minor illness during a basketball tournament, he had no idea it would trigger Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a life-threatening autoimmune reaction that would leave him in a coma for 27 days and permanently blind in both eyes. After 20 years of failed treatments including 10 corneal transplants, Chapman became one of the first Canadians to undergo an extraordinary procedure called osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis, or “tooth-in-eye” surgery, where doctors extracted his upper canine tooth, shaped it into a rectangle, and implanted a plastic lens inside it. The complex two-stage surgery first involved placing the tooth-lens structure in his cheek for several months to grow new tissue, then transferring it into his eye socket where it now serves as a permanent artificial cornea. The result left Chapman with 20/30 vision and a pink eye with a dark center where the lens functions like a tiny window to the world.

The first thing Chapman saw after his surgery was the Denver skyline from his doctor’s 16th-floor office, an emotional moment that brought both patient and surgeon to tears as they made eye contact for the first time. Dr. Greg Moloney, who performed the procedure, explains that teeth are ideal for this surgery because they’re among the hardest biological substances humans produce, making them less likely to be rejected by the body and creating a stable foundation that can last decades. Studies show that 90% of patients who undergo this surgery retain functional vision after 30 years, offering hope where traditional corneal transplants have failed. Now Chapman looks forward to traveling the world, especially Japan, and reuniting with work as a massage therapist, but his favorite sight remains his 4-year-old niece and 2-year-old nephew, proving that sometimes the most miraculous medical breakthroughs happen when doctors think far outside the conventional treatment box.

PrevPreviousThe Nature Graduate Who Sparked a Beautiful Chain of Wildlife Heroes
NextWorld’s Longest Dinner Table Builds New FriendshipsNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

From Side Hustle To City-Wide Phenomenon

October 11, 2025

In 2009, Tim Bennett was a 27-year-old apartment dweller in Philadelphia with an inconvenient dream of composting his food waste in a city that doesn’t collect organic waste for that purpose, so he invested $100 in buckets and flyers to start collecting neighbors’ scraps. What began as an experiment he

Read More
Happy News

Man From A Meme On A Mission

October 11, 2025

Twelve years ago, Drew Scanlon blinked on camera during a live stream with video game review website Giant Bomb, and that single moment exploded into one of the internet’s most recognizable memes in 2017. The clip showing his subtle look of irritation became the go-to reaction image for millions of

Read More
Happy News

Sleeping On The Job… Good for you?!

October 11, 2025

A secret society exists within the American workforce of people who regularly nap during work hours, sneaking rest breaks in parking garages, side streets, nap pods, or even their home offices because they believe the practice improves their performance despite the stigma. Multiple studies have confirmed the benefits of short

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 HappyNews.