Formerly blind man shares emotional reaction to life-changing 'tooth-in-eye' surgery

VANCOUVER, Canada (WABC) -- After going blind nearly 21 years ago, Brent Chapman has had some of his vision restored, thanks to an extraordinary medical procedure known as "tooth-in-eye" surgery in Vancouver, Canada.

The two-part surgery, developed in the 1960s, is a last resort for those with severe corneal blindness.

The unusual procedure involves removing a patient's tooth, inserting a plastic lens into it, and then stitching the whole thing into the patient's eye socket.

So why does the surgery work?

Teeth are composed one of the hardest biological substances that humans produce, decreasing the chances of post-surgical rejection and making them an ideal casing to bridge the lens.

Brent went blind when he was only 13 and had around 50 procedures to try and restore his vision.

"I feel fantastic. Vision comes back and ... it's a whole new world," Brent reacted to his newly restored vision.

Brent is one of three people who have undergone the surgery. All three patients can now see to different degrees.

"To watch them come back into the world this is, it's an incredibly rewarding feeling," ophthalmologist Dr. Greg Moloney shared.

Brent and his family are enthusiastic about the outcome of the procedure.

"We always said to Brent that we would go anywhere, do anything to keep his vision, and here we are," said Brent's father, Phil Chapman.

As for Brent, he's looking forward to seeing more of the world, and spending time with family.

"When Dr. Moloney and I made eye contact, we both just burst into tears ... I hadn't really made eye contact in 20 years," Brent said.