A man blinded in an industrial explosion has regained partial sight after surgeons used his son's tooth in a osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP), operation.
Robert McNicol, 57, from Co Sligo, Ireland turned to surgeons at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton to undergo the pioneering procedure after doctors at the University College Hospital in Galway, Ireland said nothing more could be done for him.
His son's tooth was removed, chiselled through and a lens placed in its core before being inserted into the right eye.
'I do believe I look like the Terminator,' said McNicol.
'My son was over the moon that he was able to do it. He said you can have all my teeth if it can make you see.'
The operation was preceded by several months of treatment to achieve the final result. Doctors said they could not replicate the procedure for his left eye because it was too badly damaged.
The father of eight only has partial vision, but he is confident that his sight will gradually improve.
