Expert warns against eye colour changing surgeries following surge

There's been a surge in people undergoing surgery to alter the colour of their eyes – but it's not without risks, including blindness.

The procedure itself can be carried out in a number of ways. Some have their irises tattooed, others undergo laser depigmentation and more are getting implants.

Adam Taylor, Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre at Lancaster University, explained the eye is made up of two layers of muscle responsible for the size of the pupil and controlling how much light goes into the eye.

Two pigmented layers filled with melanin determine the colour of the eye.

A few years ago, influencer Nadinne Bruna underwent a procedure to have silicone implants inserted into her eyes in hopes of changing the colour from brown to light grey. In doing so, she encountered some serious problems.

She claimed her eyes were red and painful for months with vision that was constantly blurry due to the pressure placed on her optic nerve. A team of medics removed the implants and performed an emergency sight-saving surgery.

Unfortunately, Bruna was left with permanent damage, losing 80 per cent of vision in her right eye and 50 per cent in her left eye.

In response to the eye-altering procedure, Dr Tsai, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, previously stated: "Some online discussions say the procedure is safe, claiming that 'the technology used is similar to that used to treat cataracts'.

"This is inaccurate as well as misleading. We strongly caution people against having cosmetic iris implant surgery."

In a recent piece for Science Alert, Adam Taylor added: "There isn't sufficient evidence to support the use of any of these procedures cosmetically.

"As with so many things that are done for cosmetic reasons, a short-term gain sets you up for potential longer-term pain. Even when these procedures are used to treat medical conditions, complications are reported."

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