Modified Osteo-Odonto KeratoProsthesis (MOOKP)

My friend Winston almost immediately summarizes what you say with a quip of some sort. They are “off the wall” suggestions that he grabs from some where deep in his sense of humor. Well Winston I have one for you…

One lady now has her eye tooth seeing for her! No really Winston, you didn’t read it wrong. Her tooth is the means that she now can see. I don’t know what your quick witted brain will do with this one Winston?

Sharon “Kay” Thornton lost her eyesight because of reaction to medication.

Dr. Perez performed the operation on Kay. "The surgical technique -- modified osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis (MOOKP).”

The MOOKP has made it possible for her to see again.

What in heavens name is MOOKP?

Well its seems that they took out Kay’s eyetooth along with some bone from her jaw, shaved it down, mounted a prosthetic lens into the tooth, then placed it into her chest to allow the tooth and the lens to bond. Then later it is implanted into her eye to allow her to see again.

Now Winston’s brain will be whirling with that last paragraph… and some of you will be grossed out with what is written.

No I DID NOT MAKE IT UP – see the CNN link below.

My question today is simple… who in the dickens thought up this procedure and who would ever dreamed this might work? Why an “eye tooth”? Maybe it was because its the other English colloquial name for the canine or cusped tooth.

And there just must be some problem with the way a person looks after having a tooth planted where the eye normally is… wouldn’t you think?

The article quote…
“Dr. Ivan Schwab with the American Academy of Ophthalmology told CNN he believes the process is too difficult and the result too disfiguring. There are alternatives that are nearly as good, he added.

"We've known about the procedure since the '80s. It's been going on for a while," he said. "We've viewed it with some scepticism. It requires a sizable team and several operations. It seems to be reasonably successful on the small numbers that have been done," though it does bring some disfigurement. – end quote.

“Some disfigurement…?” I think maybe that is the way it happens.

Kay doesn’t really care from what I read. Now she can see again. And her greatest desire was to see her grandchild.

Winston – you and I live in a weird world that is changing every day. They have just placed new screws and a plate in our friend Terry’s neck as well as piece of his hip bone. There has been some side effects to this as I reported yesterday.

Winston my body is getting old – just like yours is – but you are in better shape. I am searching the Internet for new procedures that might help us both.

My body is giving me problems because I used it pretty hard over the years – I need a new one. Your head is giving you problems… and your body is not bad. Hmmm… do you think some day… that some one will be able to make that switch…?

Now Winston I am not suggesting that you “lose your head over it…” It is just that the eye tooth in the eye made me think about it.

Enough – time to start running again… too much to do.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/16/tooth.eye.vision/index.html