Is Eye Color Change Surgery Successful or Harmful – and Why?

There are two main surgical procedures used to change eye color. One involves placing an artificial iris implant that covers your natural iris, making your eyes appear lighter or a different color. Many ophthalmology specialists consider this surgery dangerous because of its side effects. 

The second type is still in clinical trials: a laser-based eye color procedure that theoretically uses low‑energy laser to remove brown pigment so the eye appears blue. While both procedures can change how your eye color looks, they carry serious risks, whether through implants or laser, including vision loss and long‑term eye diseases such as glaucoma. 

Instead of going through a very expensive cosmetic surgery that can potentially cause blindness, it is safer to explore non‑surgical options.

What Is Eye Color Change Surgery?

Eye color has always been determined by genetics, but over the past few decades, new cosmetic methods have been developed to alter how the eyes look. Some options are temporary, while others involve surgery and can be permanent or semi‑permanent.

For example, many women use different shades of eye shadow and makeup to complement and enhance their natural eye color. Accentuating the eyes with cosmetics has been a common practice across cultures for thousands of years.

More recently, different types of colored contact lenses have made it possible to change eye color. This can be done subtly, with brightening features or slight color tints in a soft prescription lens, or more dramatically with fully opaque lenses that completely transform the visible eye color.

Because of this, many people are interested in permanently changing their eye color. There are now surgical methods, including iris implants and laser procedures, that can lighten dark eyes. However, these procedures carry significant risk. Vision loss is among the most serious potential complications of these cosmetic surgeries.

Types of Cosmetic Eye Color Surgery

There are two main surgical approaches to changing eye color. However, these procedures are generally not offered by reputable ophthalmologists because they are considered highly unsafe. Patients who want a permanent color change often have to travel abroad to undergo these risky operations, which can result in partial or total blindness.

The two procedures that may change your eye color are:

Iris Implant Surgery

Artificial iris implantation surgery was originally developed to treat severe eye injuries and certain medical conditions, such as:

– **Aniridia** – when most or all of the iris is missing.

– **Coloboma** – when part of the iris tissue is absent.

In these conditions, vision is often already significantly impaired.

The goal of the surgery in such medical cases is to improve quality of life by reducing visual discomfort and the social impact of the visible defect. During iris implant surgery, the surgeon makes a small incision in the cornea and then inserts a thin, silicone artificial iris over the natural iris. The silicone device is then unfolded inside the eye to cover the iris area beneath the cornea, where it is held in place. 

Similar to other minor eye surgeries such as LASIK, you receive local anesthesia, so you are awake but should not feel pain during the procedure.

Research has shown that people who already have a healthy, functioning iris but choose cosmetic iris implants are at greater risk of complications, including partial blindness related to the surgery. Other potential risks include:

Glaucoma

An abnormal increase in intraocular pressure (eye pressure) that can damage the optic nerve and lead to vision loss.

Cataracts

Clouding of the eye’s natural lens due to damage and changes in lens proteins, leading to blurred or decreased vision.

Uveitis (Iritis)

Inflammation in the eye that can cause redness, pain, light sensitivity, and blurred vision. If not treated promptly, it can lead to permanent vision loss.

Corneal Problems

These include corneal injury, swelling (corneal edema), and other structural damage that can significantly affect vision and may require corneal transplantation in severe cases.

There is very limited evidence that iris implant surgery is safe or effective as a purely cosmetic procedure to change eye color. No major regulatory authority has approved it for this purpose, and it has not undergone rigorous safety evaluation. For this reason, licensed optometrists and ophthalmic surgeons do not routinely offer it for cosmetic eye color change.

Laser Eye Color Surgery

This controversial procedure has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is still being studied in clinical trials by Stroma Medical Corporation, which patented a laser‑based iris procedure in 2009.

In theory, a low‑energy laser is applied to the iris to remove brown pigment, lightening the eye color—typically changing brown eyes to blue. In Stroma’s experimental procedure, a low‑intensity laser is directed at the iris for about 20 seconds to disrupt the stroma, the fine fibers in the iris that help absorb light. Once this tissue is broken down, the body gradually clears it away.

Although the laser exposure is brief, it takes several weeks for the eye to remove the disrupted pigment and for the final eye color to become apparent.

The side effects and long‑term risks of this procedure have not been well studied or documented. Many ophthalmologists are critical of the surgery because it may significantly increase the risk of developing glaucoma by altering how fluid drains from the eye or by releasing excess pigment into the eye’s drainage system.

Moreover, this procedure is limited: it can only convert brown eyes to blue. It cannot darken light eyes or change non‑brown eye colors to other shades.

Do These Surgeries Really Change Your Eye Color?

It is normal for eye color to shift slightly and gradually over a lifetime. However, if the iris color changes suddenly or noticeably over a short period, it may reflect an underlying medical emergency. In such cases, you should see an eye specialist as soon as possible.

Laser‑based eye color surgery, if effective, results in a permanent change to blue, because it removes brown pigment rather than adding new color. 

Iris implant surgery does not actually change the pigment of your natural iris. Instead, it places an artificial colored device in front of it, usually a lighter color, which is what others see when they look at your eyes. So technically, your biological eye color remains the same, but your visible eye color appears different.

Unlike the laser procedure, iris implants can interfere with how your pupils dilate in the dark. This can limit your ability to adapt to low‑light environments, potentially causing significant night vision problems and other issues, in addition to the serious risks already mentioned.

Advice and Recommendations

Surgical eye color change is not a safe or practical option. The likelihood of serious eye damage and permanent vision loss is far greater than the chance of safely achieving the eye color you want.

Instead of undergoing a high‑risk cosmetic surgery, you should consult a qualified eye care professional to be properly fitted with colored contact lenses. It is crucial to do this under medical supervision rather than ordering lenses online or purchasing them from cosmetic or beauty outlets. 

A licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist will ensure the lenses fit correctly and will monitor your eyes for complications such as corneal scratches, inflammation, or infections that can permanently harm your vision.

Finally, visit us directly so that you can receive appropriate and timely care and treatment for your specific condition. Make your eye health a priority and protect your vision for the long term.