On occasion, our science initiatives seem to be really taking us to a place that used to only be imagined in a science fiction movie. Laser surgery can do quite a bit of good these days. Of course we all know that there are the kinds of laser surgeries that can remove a blemish from our skin. There are also the kinds of laser eye surgeries that can actually help us see better.
Somewhere right in the middle there is a laser eye surgery that can actually turn brown eyes blue. Using a laser that is tuned to a specific frequency, Laguna Beach, California doctor Gregg Homer can perform a procedure that will gradually get rid of the brown pigment in the cornea. Over a short period of time, brown eyes will actually turn blue and according to most people familiar with the procedure, will stay that way indefinitely.
While Lasik surgery was once thought to be something that would eventually self-correct (meaning people having undergone the procedure would need reading glasses as they got older) it doesn't appear that there is any indication that the blue eyes will revert to brown.
Those with eye color other than brown will be disappointed, as Homer says that the procedure only works with that particular eye color. Brown eyes already have certain shades of blue in them and the laser treatment simply brings those hues forward.
The procedure isn't expected to be cheap either. Homer and his partners have been developing the procedure for over a decade, and while it isn't ready for consumers just yet, it soon will be. Homer says that within the next three years his group will be able to start using the procedure on paying customers with a price tag around $5,000 a pop.
This particular procedure does not actually improve eyesight. Homer's laser treatment is cosmetic only so you better be willing to shell out some big bucks for what amounts to a surface treatment. While the price is high, expect for there to be plenty of demand for this procedure when it finally is available.
Edited by
Jennifer Russell