For years, colored contact lenses have provided people the option to change the color of their eyes into any color that they want from blue, green, ice gray, purple and even a rainbow color. Colored contact lenses, however, are only temporary.
For those who want to change their eye color permanently, a new procedure called cosmetic iris implant surgery is available. In an iris color surgery the surgeon makes a slit in the cornea and then inserts a folded silicon-based artificial iris into the incision. The iris is then unfolded and spread over the natural iris.
Is Cosmetic Iris Implantation Approved by the FDA?
Just in October of this year, Tiny Harris, the wife of rapper T.I., made headlines after undergoing the cosmetic procedure that permanently changed her eye color from brown to ice gray. For those who want their own choice of eye color, the question is: Is the procedure safe?
Tiny Harris, who had her procedure performed in Africa, called it a "dream come true," but it doesn’t tell the whole story of changing iris color surgery. There are risks and complications that the consumer must consider.
In fact, cosmetic iris surgery is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration because of safety issues associated with it. Three non-government bodies, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Glaucoma Society, and the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists also warn consumers against undergoing cosmetic iris implantation. James Tsai, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology poses the question for anyone considering iris color implantation: "What is more important – my eye color or my eyesight?" Dr. Tsai says that the procedure can alter not only your eye color, but also your vision for life.
In Panama and some other countries, however, cosmetic iris implantation is currently being practiced.
What are the Dangers of Artificial Iris Implantation?
Cosmetic iris implants carry a variety of vision-damaging complications, including:
*Reduced vision or blindness
*Increase in eye pressure, which puts you at risk for developing glaucoma
*Clouding of the lens or cataract
*Corneal injury
*Inflammation of the iris
To sum it up, iris implants put your eyes at risk for serious eye damage, vision loss, and blindness. One study shows that 9 out of 14 people who’ve had cosmetic iris implantation had to undergo implant removal surgery because of complications. The additional surgery puts the patient at further risk for:
*cataracts
*glaucoma
*hemorrhaging of the eye during implant removal surgery
If you want a safer way of changing the color of your eye, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that you consult your Houston eye doctor if you are eligible to wear colored contact lenses.
Can I have LASIK surgery if I’ve had iris implantation?
According to BrightOcular, one of the companies promoting iris color surgery, laser eye surgery may still be performed on patients who have had iris color surgery as long as it is done three months after the procedure. The best person to tell you if you are a suitable candidate for LASIK, however, is a LASIK specialist. Contact Sugarland Eye & Laser Center and they will schedule an appointment for you, or better yet, if you want to know more, check out the center’s one day LASIK event on January 16, 2015 at Sugarland Eye & Laser Clinic. You can check out details for the event here: www.sugarlandeye.com/newyear2015
Sources:
http://www.aao.org/newsroom/release/iris-implant-surgery-warning.cfm
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/tameka-tiny-harris-surgical-eye-color-change/story?id=26559053
Sugarland Eye & Laser Center leads in providing premium LASIK technologies to Houston, Sugar Land, and the surrounding region. The Center’s award-winning medical director introduced revolutionary technologies such as iLASIK to the region. This technology is used by NASA astronauts, Navy SEALS and Air Force fighter pilots. At Sugarland Eye & Laser Center, you can now receive the same treatment. For more information, please call (281) 240-0478 or visit us at www.houston-lasik.com.
About the Author
Amjad Khokhar, M.D. is Chief LASIK Surgeon at Sugarland Eye & Laser Center. Add Dr. Khokhar on Google+ here.
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