Credit: Gail Lane

A Canadian woman, who was blind for a decade, can now see again after having one of her teeth implanted in her eye socket.

Gail Lane, a 75-year-old from Victoria, British Columbia, underwent osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis in February and is one of only three people in Canada to have had the surgery.

While her eyesight is still far from perfect, Lane is now able to see her dog’s tail wagging and many other everyday activities which were beyond her comprehension for ten years. She lost her eyesight due to an autoimmune disorder that impacted her corneas.

Lane joyfully shared to CBC in a recent interview: “I can see lots of colour and I can see outside now. The trees and the grass and flowers, it’s a wonderful feeling to be able to see some of those things again.”

She continued: “I’m starting to see facial features on other people as well, which is also pretty exciting.”

The two-part surgery didn’t fix her eyesight overnight, and it took six months for her to see her partner’s face for the first time. The couple met after Lane went blind.

Ophthalmologist Dr Greg Moloney from Vancouver’s Mount Saint Joseph Hospital is responsible for bringing the procedure to Canada. He explained to CBC: “It’s a complex and strange operation, but it basically involves replacing the cornea.”

Thanks to the pioneering surgery, Lane is now able to pick out her own clothes again without relying on blind-assistance apps, and is looking forward to regaining more control over her life, adding, “I’m hoping to have more mobility and independence in terms of short trips and walks here and there where I don’t always have to have someone’s arm for me to grab onto.”

As it stands, this surgery has not been rolled out across the globe, but Lane’s glowing testimony suggests this may change in the future.