Australian-first surgery lets woman see her love for the first time in 15 years

The sight of a 60-year-old woman has been restored thanks to Australian-first surgery at Sydney Eye Hospital, allowing Marie Robinson to see her partner clearly for the first time in more than a decade.

Ms Robinson and Ray Kable are high school sweethearts who have spent the last 40 years together, however for the past 15 years Ms Robinson had not been able to see her partner.

She has a genetic condition called Aniridia, and while corneal transplants using tissue from human donors can help, Ms Robinson has been unlucky.

Surgeons then tried a new artificial device known as a Boston Keratoprosthesis, which is about the same size and shape as a collar button and is made up of a front plate, donor cornea, back plate and titanium ring.

"We felt that the rest of her eye was healthy enough that when we replaced the front part that she would have a chance of seeing a little better," said Dr Gregory Moloney from Sydney Eye Hospital.

As for Ms Robinson and Mr Kable, it's love at first sight all over again.

"When I had it done and I could see him, I said 'oh you're still as nice as I pictured'," she said.