Damascus, Syria — A procedure done to change the color of a Syrian woman’s eyes has raised concern about the safety of cosmetic surgery in the country, news source GlobalArabNetwork.com reports.
In a press conference held here, the surgeon who performed the operation said the procedure that replaced the brown irises with artificial green ones could be performed not only for cosmetic purposes but also to repair irises damaged by an accident, birth defect or tumor.
GlobalArabNetwork.com reports that according to the surgeon, the procedure involves removing the iris and implanting a new one made of synthetic fibers. Similar, more-common iris procedures involve either a partial implant or placement of a new iris above the old one.
Syrian health minister Rida Said responded to news of the procedure by proclaiming it to be very risky and suspending the surgeon’s license to practice. According to GlobalArabNetwork.com, Mr. Said told news reporters that although the procedure was known in the Western world, it was not performed on patients because of high risk to the eyesight.
He said he would assign a team of eye surgeons to determine whether the operation had damaged the patient’s eyes, adding that the surgeon and the facility where the surgery was carried out would be punished as a deterrent.
At press time, GlobalArabNetwork reported that no conclusions had been reached regarding the surgery, because the patient had refused to be examined by the ministry-appointed medical team.
