Operation to change eye color

 

Changing eye color, from dark to light, or vice versa, has gone from being a dream for some to becoming a reality thanks to various techniques currently available, an aesthetic desire that the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology (SEO) advises against due to the consequences irreversible effects that may have for vision.

What determines the color of the eyes?

The color of a person's eyes is determined by the iris, a ring of muscle fibers located behind the transparent cornea and in front of the lens.

What techniques exist to change the color of the eyes?

Currently, the two most popular techniques available to change eye color are:

Keratopigmentation (KP) or tattooing of the cornea

Progressive depigmentation of the iris with laser or laser iridoplasty (DL)

Both procedures began to be performed a decade ago for cosmetic purposes.

Both techniques were developed in the field of Ophthalmology to treat specific ocular pathologies such as the repair of corneal leukomas or congenital or traumatic defects of the iris in the case of keratopigmentation; and for the treatment of heterochromia (eyes of different color in the same person) or congenital iris nevus, or for chromatic alterations secondary to iatrogenesis, metabolic diseases, trauma and complicated intraocular surgeries, in the case of laser depigmentation.

What is keratopigmentation (KP) or corneal tattoo?

KP is a complex surgery performed in a sterile operating room that consists of changing the color of the eyes (pigmentation) permanently using a laser. This technique consists of introducing a dye into the most superficial layers of the cornea; For this, a small incision is made in the eyeball with the help of the laser to create a sheet in the cornea tissue, a sheet that will be filled with the appropriate pigments according to each patient.

What are your risks?

The main surgical risks are:

Infection

poor healing

Foreign body sensation due to pigment rejection

Chronic dry eye.

KP opacifies part of the cornea, which limits the peripheral visual field and can cause difficulty in vision for walking, driving during the day and especially at night, in addition to being contraindicated in patients who have undergone LASIK or cornea surgery. In the long term, KP can hinder a correct ophthalmological examination of the eyeball, making it difficult to diagnose serious ocular pathology in people who have undergone this intervention; as well as performing refractive, cataract, corneal, glaucoma, and/or retinal operations in the future.

What is progressive depigmentation of the iris with laser or laser iridoplasty?

LD is an office-based procedure that uses a low-energy laser beam that passes through the clear cornea of ​​the eye and slightly heats the brown pigment on the front surface of the iris, the colored part of the eye. This heat begins a process that removes the brown/black pigment and reveals the underlying blue or green eye. Due to how the eye is structured, the patient cannot choose the desired final eye color as it is predetermined. The color change is permanent.

What are your risks?

The main risks associated with this technique are:

Inflammatory reaction of the iris

Sensitivity to light and/or elevation of intraocular pressure due to pigment dispersion inside the eye with visual impairment.

Laser depigmentation does not generate functional limitations, since the cornea remains transparent and the pupil is reactive to light. The LD does not limit the ocular exploration nor the performance of eye interventions in the future.

Contraindications of both techniques

Not everyone can undergo these treatments.

KP is contraindicated in people who suffer from corneal diseases, have undergone refractive surgery, or are diagnosed with serious ocular pathology.

Laser depigmentation is contraindicated in a history of glaucoma and/or uveitis.

aesthetic results

The aesthetic results of both techniques are similar at long distance, but different at medium and short.

The KP generates a very artificial, “robot or doll” eye look, because it uses chemical dyes and the pupil is irregular, large and does not react to light.

The DL gives a more natural appearance, the pupil maintains its size and is reactive to light.

What is iris implant surgery and what are its risks?

Another option to change the color of the eye is to place an intraocular lens (implant) inside the iris. During iris implant surgery, an artificial iris made of silicone is folded and inserted into a slot that is cut into the cornea. The iris is then unfolded and adjusted to cover the natural iris.

Cosmetic iris implant surgery can cause serious eye damage, vision loss, or blindness.

In conclusion…

Although the techniques described are widely known and developed in the field of Ophthalmology for therapeutic purposes in selected patients, in view of the possible dangers of eye color change techniques, the American Academy and the Spanish Academy of Ophthalmology advise against this type of technique for aesthetic purposes. The reason is that more studies are still needed on the safety of these techniques in the medium and long term.

As a safe and economical alternative for those people who want to show off another color of eyes, the use of colored cosmetic lenses used occasionally and dispensed by an accredited ophthalmological center is recommended.