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There are only so many shades of color your eyes can be, but your eye color makes you unique! So what happens if you have an eye injury or condition where the iris, the colored part of your eye, is damaged or missing?
The iris is the colored ring of tissue in the front of the eye that controls the pupil, the small round window that allows light to enter the eye. By dilating and contracting the pupil, the iris regulates how much light is let into the eye. This light regulation is vital for clear vision.
The color in the iris is due to the pigment melanin, and the amount of melanin determines the specific color, shade, and thickness of the iris tissue. Brown eyes, for example, have the most melanin while blue or grey eyes have the least.
Like other parts of the eye, the iris can be affected by diseases and conditions like:
If the iris is damaged from these or other conditions, it could disrupt how your eye manages light. As a result, light sensitivity and vision loss could follow along with eye color change.
Should the iris tissue become damaged and irreparable causing functional vision loss due to glare, light sensitivity, and/or poor vision that doesn’t resolve over time, an artificial iris implant can be a good option in the right situation. Dr. Lee Wiley, a CEENTA eye surgeon who practices out of our Pineville and Steele Creek offices, provides an additional overview of this unique procedure. “The artificial iris has such incredible anatomical detail. It is an artistic and medical masterpiece. It has been very rewarding to offer this life changing procedure to the Charlotte community because very few ophthalmologists in the country are doing iris cases due to their nuance and complexity.”
The preoperative assessment includes a complete eye exam and taking detailed photos of both eyes. The photos are approved by the patient and sent to the HumanOptics AG CustomFlexTM artificial iris manufacturer in Erlangen, Germany, where a customized, color matched silicone prosthesis is created just for you.
The microscopic details of the FDA approved implant are truly astonishing and look incredibly realistic. The prosthesis is inserted through a small incision in the side of the cornea (the clear window of the eye) and placed behind the residual natural iris tissue to block light from entering the defects and to create a nice cosmetic outcome.
Artificial iris surgery is an outpatient procedure and can be performed in approximately thirty minutes per eye. It can also be combined with cataract surgery in many cases.
An artificial iris is expected to last indefinitely after implantation with positive results for vision. With that said, it is important to continue routine checkups for any unrelated ocular conditions that may appear and consult with your eye doctor regularly.
Your iris is more than just a cosmetic feature; it is an important part of the eye that allows you to see clearly in light and dark environments. Damaging your iris from disease or injury does not mean having to look without light, as CEENTA offers artificial iris implants placed by our skilled anterior segment surgeon, Lee Wiley, MD. To schedule your consultation, use our online scheduling tool or myCEENTAchart.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your physician.
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