NEED TO KNOW A blind man can now see out of one eye after undergoing “tooth-in-eye” surgeryBrent Chapman, 34, of Canada, lost his vision more than 20 years ago after a rare allergic reaction damaged his corneas The uncommon "tooth-in-eye" procedure was developed in the 1960s and has only been performed on several hundred people worldwide

A blind man can see for the first time in more than 20 years after undergoing a rare “tooth-in-eye” surgery.

Brent Chapman, 34, of North Vancouver, Canada, lost his vision when he was 13 years old after experiencing an extremely rare allergic reaction to ibuprofen, known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, per Today.com. The illness left him blind in both eyes, and he spent the next two decades seeking out treatments to restore his vision.

None of the treatments Chapman tried proved successful long-term, which is when he ultimately connected with Dr. Greg Moloney, an ophthalmologist at Providence Health Care’s Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver.

Moloney suggested the rare “tooth-in-eye” procedure on Chapman’s right eye. The surgery — which was developed in the 1960s and has only been performed on several hundred people worldwide — entails multiple steps.

The patient’s tooth is pulled and then flattened, and a small hole is then drilled in the center. A prosthetic lens is fitted over the hole, and the tooth is ultimately placed at the front of the patient’s eye, where they can see through the new lens.

Moloney explained to Today.com that a tooth from the patient is used because it decreases the chances that the body will perceive the object as a foreign body and reject it.

“Usually, the reaction is shock and surprise and frank disbelief that it [the procedure] even exists,” Moloney told the outlet while discussing the treatment.

Chapman said that he, too, initially thought the procedure sounded like something out of a movie.

Monitor in hospital (stock image). getty

“It kind of sounded a little science fictiony. I