A DAZZLING surgery to permanently change eye colors to electric blues and shimmering yellows could leave patients blind, experts have warned.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology said viral Instagram ads of the cutting-edge procedure are clouding at-risk patients’ vision.
On social media, the surgery seems harmless.
Doctors urge their hundreds of thousands of followers to join a growing list of clients who ditched their natural color for shades like grey, olive green, and honey brown.
Patients are happy to show off the results, too, and smile brightly into a camera just moments after going under the knife.
One client, Raquel Ballesteros, paid $12,000 to have the 40-minute procedure after wearing colored contacts for years.
She chose a light grey color, which is remarkably different from her natural dark brown shade.
She booked the appointment at Kerato in New York City, where Dr. Alexander Movshovich numbs his patients, uses a laser to remove part of the cornea, and injects new pigment.
In less than an hour, Ballesteros had a brand new eye color and a new lease on life.
The results were “very good,” and the surgery was “comfortable,” she told TODAY in an interview.
“I love my face with these eyes, so wonderful,” she said.
Dr. Movshovich said that after over 1,000 procedures, he has not had a single patient experience severe side effects.
But despite this, ophthalmology experts are urging people to embrace their natural shade, as the procedure can cause cloudy vision or even blindness.
According to the AAO, the surgery should only be performed for medical reasons and never on a fully healthy eye.
Dr. Christopher Star, a doctor and spokesperson for the academy, said the procedure is far too invasive for the level of risk.
The surgery can actually cause a “weakening of the cornea,” Dr. Star told TODAY.
What is the eye color-changing surgery?
OPTHALMOLOGISTS are offering a procedure to permanently change eye color.
Now, patients with money to burn can have gray, golden honey, or olive green colored eyes.
The surgeon first numbs the eyes with drops and then uses a laser to cut into the cornea.
Using a syringe, the doctor can inject pigment directly into the eye.
The results are instantaneous and, according to some surgeons, the procedure is completely harmless.
However, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has warned against the procedure and said it puts patients at risk of cloudy vision or blindness.
However, cosmetic ophthalmologists aren’t convinced by the academy’s data.
Dr. Brian Wachler, who also offers the procedure, said the surgery has been successfully performed in Europe for over 15 years.
He’s joined forces with Dr. Movshovich in writing a request for the academy to ditch their warning.
“I think we see this mindset even with other procedures such as LASIK,” Dr. Wachler said.
“In the beginning, so many doctors were saying, ‘Why would you operate on a perfectly healthy eye? They can just wear contacts and glasses.’
“There’s a mind shift that has to take place with a lot of doctors that aren’t used to working in a cosmetic space.”
