Yeditepe University Eye Center Ophthalmologist Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlke Bahçeci Şimşek stated that there are centers that apply laser eye color change procedures for cosmetic purposes and that these procedures can lead to many problems including blindness.

It Can Lead To Blindness

Yeditepe University Eye Center Ophthalmologist Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlke Bahçeci Şimşek stated that there are centers that apply laser eye color change procedures for cosmetic purposes and that these procedures can lead to many problems including blindness.

Expressing that it is possible to change eye color with 2 methods other than the use of colored contact lenses, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şimşek said, “The first is iris implant surgery. The iris is the layer inside the eye that gives the eye its color. It is applied after trauma or in cases where the iris is completely or partially absented congenitally. During this surgery, an artificial iris is placed in the area of the eye called the anterior chamber, in front of the iris, in harmony with the eye color of the person. The second is eye color change with laser. This is a controversial practice. By using a low-energy laser, the pigment cells that give the eye its color are shed in the layer of the iris called the stroma. In this way, the dark color decreases, and the color of the eye changes. With this procedure, it is not possible to predict exactly what the eye color will be.”

Not FDA Approved

Şimşek stated that the cosmetic eye color change procedure is not scientifically approved, and used the following statements: “Devices used to change eye color with iris laser are not approved by European CE and US FDA. Human testing has not yet been completed. The Ministry of Health and the Turkish Ophthalmological Association do not approve of these procedures.”

Noting that there are centers that perform the aforementioned procedures for cosmetic purposes, however, these procedures are not approved by the Ministry of Health, Şimşek said, “In addition, these procedures have very serious complications. These include permanent vision loss leading to blindness, eye pressure, cataract, corneal damage, eye pain, intraocular inflammation that causes blurred vision, and uveitis. Changing eye color for cosmetic purposes is a practice that has very serious irreversible complications and is not accepted by the Ministry of Health and the Turkish Ophthalmological Association.

"Unacceptable"

Şimşek emphasized that the process of changing the eye color of a sighted person by transferring dye into the iris for cosmetic purposes is "unacceptable" and made the following statements: “In a person who is completely blind and, in a situation, where the front layer of the eye is whitened, the cornea can be tattooed for cosmetic purposes. In this procedure, the front layer of the eye can be made to resemble the color of the other eye by applying a special dye to the cornea. This is one of the applications that we have done for cosmetic purposes for a patient who is completely blind, to whom prosthesis can be applied in our clinic.".”