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Impossible-sounding surgery cures blindness by implanting a patient's own tooth in their eye

"Tooth-in-eye" surgery sounds like something out of science fiction, but it permanently restores vision in 94% of patients.

Canva Photos

You have to see it to believe it.

About 12 million people in the United States live with significant visual impairment. About a million of those people live with blindness. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for blindness. Therapies exist to slow vision loss, and some vision loss can be improved with treatment, but complete vision loss has proved to be a very tough nut for scientists to crack, in part because there are so many different potential causes of blindness.

Medical researchers have and continue to look into lots of diverse options, including stem cell therapies, gene therapies, bionic eyes, and now...teeth. Yes, you read that right. Teeth.

A 33-year-old man recently became the first person in Canada to have their sight restored by a rare and outrageous-sounding procedure: Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis, or OOKP.

OOKP has been around since the 1960s and has been performed around the globe, but is still relatively rare overall. Invented by Professor Benedetto Strampelli, the procedure is better known by its easy-to-remember, and fairly gross, nickname: "Tooth-in-eye surgery." Why in God's name is it called that? Buckle up if you're squeamish. Here's how it works:

gif of man buckling seatbeltBuckle up; this is going to be wild. Giphy

First, a tooth is removed from the patient. A small rectangular section of the tooth is shaved off and a hole is drilled in the middle of it. Imagine cutting a small circle out of the middle of a sheet of paper.

Then, a small plastic lens is inserted into the hole, almost like a window covering or a makeshift camera lens. The section of tooth acts like a frame to hold the new lens.

OK, now for the really wild part: The rectangular shaving of tooth, complete with plastic lens, is then embedded into the patient's cheek in order to grow new tissue and blood vessels. It will stay there for around two months while the new tissue develops.

The tooth is then removed from the cheek and surgically embedded into the patient's eyeball, effectively replacing the damaged cornea. The new eye is pink and bloodshot in appearance, and a little bulbous, with only a small block hole as an iris. But, miraculously, it works!

The patient's own teeth are used to prevent the body rejecting foreign tissue or materials. Tooth-in-eye surgery only works for vision loss caused by corneal damage, or damage to the surface of the eyes. It won't heal or replace the optic nerve or retina, so it's not a miracle cure for all forms of blindness. It also comes with some risks, but when it works, it works. One study showed that 94% of successful cases still had good eyesight almost 30 years later, with some formerly blind patients seeing well enough to drive cars.

The Canadian man became blind at the age of 13 after a terrible autoimmune reaction to ibuprofen. After dozens of surgeries and therapies, OOKP was his last-ditch effort to permanently restore his sight. Other treatments had helped but his sight would fade away over time. For now, his story is a massive success that doctors are hoping will inspire others to give the controversial procedure a try.

The video below shows the procedure and its aftermath:


@garcidltth1

#popularscience #knowledge #fyp #tiktok

We have to keep funding bizarre, off-the-beaten-path scientific research.

This sounds like one of those wacky things you'd see in the news and say, "Why are we spending millions of dollars trying to see if we can grow new eyeballs from teeth?!" But without critical and creative research like this, we'd be no further in treating conditions like blindness. A version of OOKP was performed successfully in the United States at The University of Miami in 2009.

Amazing medical breakthroughs can come from the strangest places. Fascinating discoveries have been made by making people drink their own blood and monitoring the effects, studying the chemical makeup of goose poop, and looking for answers in tree bark, snake venom, and rat poison.

Cheers to Professor Benedetto Strampelli, and his weird but effective stroke of inspiration.

Welcome to Day 6 of Upworthy's 31 Days of Happiness Countdown! If this is your first visit, here's the gist: Each day between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, we're sharing stories specifically designed to bring joy, smiles, and laughter into our lives and yours. It's been a challenging year, so why not end it on a high note with a bit of laughter? Check back tomorrow (or click the links at the bottom) for another installment!

Almost everyone loves fireworks — except pets, who generally aren't fans. But, assuming you're not a dog on the internet, I'm willing to bet you're probably in the "YES! FIREWORKS ARE AWESOME!" camp. What if I told you there was a way to love them even more?


That's exactly what Disney is up to with its new inclusive project: "Fireworks you can feel." It takes the multisensory awesomeness of this:

All GIFs from Disney/YouTube.

And turns it into a totally unique experience that uses sight, hearing, and touch to create a bit of magic beyond the bright colors and thundering booms of your average fireworks display.

Traditional fireworks are great, but some people — like those with hearing or visual impairments — can't fully enjoy them. Fireworks are cool and should be able to be enjoyed by all, and that's Disney's goal.

To simulate the touch effect of an explosion, water jets are shot onto the back of a screen. The person watching the fireworks then puts their hand on the screen as they take in the show, feeling the explosions against their hands in real time with the rest of the audience.

BAM! It's a whole new fireworks experience, more accessible than ever and sure to bring smiles to people around the world. So take a break from whatever's getting you down today, and watch this cool demonstration of the new fireworks, complete with laughter, smiles, and lots of joy!

More days of happiness here: DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / [DAY 6 ] / DAY 7 / DAY 8 / DAY 9 / DAY 10 / DAY 11 / DAY 12 / DAY 13 / DAY 14 / DAY 15 / DAY 16 / DAY 17 / DAY 18 / DAY 19 / DAY 20 / DAY 21 / DAY 22 / DAY 23 / DAY 24 / DAY 25 / DAY 26 / DAY 27 / DAY 28 / DAY 29 / DAY 30 / DAY 31

You may have heard: There's a total solar eclipse coming!

Maybe it's the pseudo-apocalyptic vibe we're all getting every time we turn on the news these days, but everyone seems to be especially jazzed for this eclipse, set to take place on Aug. 21.

Convenience stores, hardware stories, big box stores, and even online retailers are selling (and selling out) of the special glasses you'll need to see it.


But what about those people who aren't able to "see" it at all?

NASA recently announced a guidebook that helps the visually impaired experience this and other eclipses.

Photo by NASA Ames Research Center

The tactile book, called "Getting a Feel for Eclipses" uses braille, patterns, and other textured graphics to help people who won't be able to see the eclipse chart its path, understand the moving parts, and take part in the experience.

[rebelmouse-image 19528483 dam="1" original_size="528x294" caption="GIF via NASA/YouTube" expand=1]GIF via NASA/YouTube

This isn't just the "next best thing" to seeing the eclipse; it provides a totally unique perspective on it.

"We've been finding that it's extremely helpful for those who are sighted as well, to grasp the concept," said Cassandra Runyon, director of the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium in a video released by NASA.

Photo by NASA Ames Research Center

NASA created the guide on the heels of other braille space books about craters and Mars. Making space and exploration more accessible has been a big push for the agency lately.

"It's the perfect opportunity for NASA to engage the public, including the visually impaired, in our missions, in our understanding of the natural world around us," said Joe Minafra, innovation and tech partnerships lead at NASA. "It's their space agency. We want to include them as well."

Over 5,000 copies of the book have been sent around the country, to schools, libraries, museums, and science centers.

Runyon told The College Today that thank-you letters have been pouring in from organizations who've received the book.

Call your local science center or library for the visually impaired to find out if they have a copy (or get more information straight from NASA here), then get ready to experience the solar eclipse in a totally new and exciting way.

More

There are blind doctors, lawyers, and athletes. It's time more workplaces caught up.

If the first thing you think of when you hear 'blind person' is all the things they can't do, this campaign is for you.

True
Perkins School for the Blind

There are more than 23 million people who are blind or have experienced vision loss in the United States and Canada.

They are doctors, lawyers, and professional athletes. They're actors, writers, and daredevils. They love skiing, dancing, and watching movies.

Check out this moving video about ways that blind or visually-impaired people are challenging misconceptions:


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There's also an audio-described version of the video here.

While being blind or vision-impaired has little bearing on people's ability to do many jobs, it does affect their ability to get a job in the first place.

Fred LeBlanc knows this all too well.

LeBlanc is the star of a PSA created by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). After 29 years working as a firefighter, he began to lose his sight in 2011. A diagnosis of legal blindness followed soon after. In an interview with the CNIB, he talked about how his diagnosis made him doubt his abilities to remain in the workforce:

"I questioned myself. If I struggled with everyday tasks, how was I going to lead a fulfilling career?”

With the support of the CNIB and other blind workers, LeBlanc found his confidence. He decided to run for the position of 13th District vice president with the International Association of Fire Fighters, a job he still holds.

"I thought 'why can’t I do what I set out to do?' I had to tell myself 'don’t be silly, this is not your fault, there’s nothing to be ashamed of,'" he told CNIB.

‌There's plenty of room at the table for blind workers — as long as we give them the chance. Image via iStock. ‌

In Canada, about 60% of people of working age are employed. That number drops to just 32% for the visually-impaired. Similarly, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, only about a third of working-age Americans with visual impairments or blindness were employed in September 2016.

Diane Bergeron, the executive director of CNIB, says that's not for lack of trying. In an interview with the Toronto Star last month, she relayed her frustrations, saying, "We go out, we get an education and then we come out of education and when we want a job there’s no job to be had."

According to the CNIB, creating a workplace that is inclusive and welcoming for blind and sighted workers isn't as daunting as it might seem.

‌A man reads on his tablet. Substituting printed correspondence for digital is one easy way to make a workplace more accommodating for people who are visually-impaired. Image via iStock. ‌

Jim Lee, Chief of Staff to the General President, International Association of Fire Fighters, is Fred LeBlanc's boss at the IAFF. For him, working with Fred is a mind-opening experience.

Prior to working with LeBlanc, Lee had no experience interacting with someone who is blind or partially sighted. Lee quickly saw firsthand that LeBlanc's abilities didn't change, even though his vision did. "Unless he tells you, you wouldn't know that Fred has vision loss," Lee told the CNIB. "His abilities didn't change at all."

To accommodate his colleague's vision loss, Lee and his team made minor adjustments to their workplace. Rather than printing hard copies, they focus on email correspondence. Documents use an off-white background to provide easier visual contrast.

Realizing how little things needed to change helped Lee understand that vision impairment doesn't mean workers needed to exit or stay out of the workforce.

"People with visual impairments have a lot to offer," said LeBlanc. "They just need the opportunity to prove that. Employers have to give them a chance to come in and show what they can do. A lot of employers would be amazed."

It would be easy to tell a story about blindness that focuses on depressing statistics around working or employment. After all, there are a lot.

‌A doctor and a patient look at a computer screen. A more inclusive workplace benefits everyone. Image via iStock. ‌

But the real power is in flipping that story to one of empowerment. Whether they choose to become athletes, artists, or professionals, individuals who are blind can and do lead rich, fulfilling lives, like anyone else. It's time to elevate the work experiences of people like Fred LeBlanc and remind everyone that blind workers can thrive in whatever career they desire — when employers give them the chance.