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Blind woman regains sight with tooth for an eye

Thursday, 17 September 2009

Sharron Kay Thornton speaks during a press conference to discuss the procedure used during surgery for her to regain sight in her left eye at the University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Sharron Kay Thornton speaks during a press conference to discuss the procedure used during surgery for her to regain sight in her left eye at the University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Doctors in the United States have performed a vision-restoring operation that used the 60-year-old patient's tooth.

A rare condition that destroys cells on the eye's surface left Sharron 'Kay' Thornton blind for nearly a decade.

Earlier this month, doctors used a tooth and part of the lining from her cheek to create a 'window' that allows light into the eye.

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Thornton who was blind for nine years underwent a first of its kind procedure, known as modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (MOOKP), at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The procedure implants one of her teeth in her eye, as a base to hold a prosthetic lens.

Thornton was blinded in 2000 by a reaction to a drug she was taking, which damaged her cornea.

"I`m looking forward to seeing my seven youngest grandchildren for the first time," said Thornton.

"We take sight for granted, not realizing that it can be lost at any moment," she said.

"This truly is a miracle."

* Source: Belfast Telegraph.

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(no subject) - [info]thomas_66 - Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 09:03 am (UTC) Expand
Miracles
[info]had_it wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 10:43 am (UTC)
Even as an atheist, I don't mind the use of miracle in this instance. Science that is sufficiently advanced to be beyond my understanding is indistinguishable from magic. (Yes, yes, I COULD understand it, with a little study, but until I do it stays miraculous. Ain't science wonderful?)
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Re: Miracles
[info]chanch5 wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 12:33 pm (UTC)
Einstein said something to the effect that there are two types of people: those who see everything as a miracle, and those who see nothing as a miracle. He counted himself as one of the former, and I prefer that outlook too!
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[info]fallenpedant wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 12:58 pm (UTC)
Scientists cause the problem using science and Doctors fixed the problem using technology
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[info]frwilliams wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 02:25 pm (UTC)
If you don't mind me saying so, you are talking boll**ks. First of all, what makes you think "science" caused this problem? And secondly, technology is the practical application of science - the scientist comes before the technologist.
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[info]eiranea wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 03:18 pm (UTC)
Science caused the problem since it was an adverse reaction to a drug she was taking that caused the blindness.
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[info]frwilliams wrote:
Saturday, 19 September 2009 at 10:37 am (UTC)
Thanks eiranea - fallenpedant, please accept my apologies, it was me who was talking boll**ks. I missed the sentence that explained that it was an adverse reaction to adrug - despite having specifically looked for a reference after reading your comment. I'll get my coat...
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A biblical phenomenon?
[info]frwilliams wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 09:38 am (UTC)
It must be a miracle, after all it says in the Bible something about an eye for a tooth and a tooth for an ... ah...no, hang on a minute....
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[info]mat_jagger wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 09:55 am (UTC)
its doctors and scientists performing a miracle for an eye wiv a tooth
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Some emphasis on big-pharma
[info]wtfusheep wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 10:11 am (UTC)
Another story of how big-pharma is doing their job well. NOT
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Re: Some emphasis on big-pharma
[info]frwilliams wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 02:34 pm (UTC)
What's Big-pharma, the pharmaceutical industry? Where does it say there was any involvement from the pharmaceutical industry, other than the antibiotics the doctors used? And even if there was, so what? OK, I don't like some of the influences the pharmaceutical industry have on medicine, but this doesn't seem like a very good story to hang a protest on!
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Re: Some emphasis on big-pharma
[info]frwilliams wrote:
Saturday, 19 September 2009 at 10:42 am (UTC)
Please accept my apologies for my comment. As you will see from my apology to fallenpedant above, I had missed the sentence explaining that the problem was a reaction to adrug. I've already got my coat on and I'm halfway out the door....
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been done before
[info]corbyboy wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 10:16 am (UTC)
im sure I read about this type of procedure performed on the NHS some years ago.the patient was an asian briton in his fifties.I think it was supposed to be temporary,an imuneneutral stop gap whilst skin grew over his wound or somthing like that.can anybody else remember this?
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a miracle
[info]tufsoft wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 11:13 am (UTC)
It's a miracle for the medics who got paid twice, once for making her blind and once for making her see again. Truly something for nothing!
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Re: a miracle
[info]frwilliams wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 02:21 pm (UTC)
What boll**ks! How do you know medics made her blind in the first place?
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A Miracle!
[info]freethinkin wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 11:35 am (UTC)
Thank God for Science!
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Re: A Miracle!
[info]corporeal_v002 wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 12:23 pm (UTC)

Aye (eye :-).
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A miracle from a thankful perspective.
[info]wpaulino wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 12:22 pm (UTC)
Even a glass of water for someone who is desperately thirsty becomes a miracle. It depends on the level of gratitude. For instance, a person who is in the eminence of passing away any time due to a mortal disease, each new day is truly a miracle. I suppose Patrick Swayze experienced something like that.
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Whatever
[info]anothername3 wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 01:42 pm (UTC)
Great story but take that horrific photo off the front page!
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Re: Whatever
[info]dogsolitude_v2 wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 08:51 pm (UTC)
+1

It made me feel quite ill!
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Science have good and bad aspects.
[info]dastu11 wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 04:03 pm (UTC)
The good and bad aspects of science are visible in this case.One caused her blindness and the other helped to regain it.Anyway it must be a relief for her.KUDOS to the doctors.
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I'd give my eye teeth for this operation.....
[info]nuzenight wrote:
Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 11:09 pm (UTC)
Eye believe that anything is possible and that believing is seeing, and this is the tooth ! Remember, God made doctors to correct His mistakes !
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