Swiss Clinic Offers Eye Color Surgery, But It Comes with Risks

There’s a clinic in Lausanne, Switzerland, that’s been getting attention for a procedure that can change your eye color for 9,000 francs. It’s called keratopigmentation, and while it’s not illegal in Switzerland, doctors are warning people about its risks.

The Procedure: Keratopigmentation

According to a report from Watson, a clinic in Lausanne and Nice offers a surgery that permanently changes your eye color. They use a laser to tattoo your cornea, which is the colored part of your eye. This surgery is called keratopigmentation. People who have had it done say it has changed their lives for the better.

What You Need to Know

This surgery is done with a special laser that can make tiny cavities in your cornea. These cavities are filled with pigment to change the color of your eyes. Most people who get this surgery have brown eyes and want blue ones. The clinic says they can do this surgery in Switzerland, but it’s expensive – about 9,000 francs. And it’s not covered by health insurance, so you have to pay for it yourself.

Doctors Are Worried

Doctors, like Christoph Kniestedt, the president of the Swiss Ophthalmological Society, say this surgery is risky. It can cause scars on your cornea, make your vision worse, or even make you go blind. Sometimes, the results aren’t even what you expected – your eye color might look dull or faded, especially in sunlight. Instead of getting this surgery, Dr. Kniestedt suggests just using colored contact lenses to change your eye color. It’s safer and less risky.