A controversial surgical operation carried out in Damascus to change the colour of a Syrian woman’s eyes has raised public fears about the safety of cosmetic surgery in the country. The surgeon who performed the operation, Mohamad Shoujah, said the procedure that replaced the unidentified patient’s brown irises with artificial green ones was revolutionary. He told a packed news conference at a hotel in Damascus in December that the surgery could be used not only for cosmetic purposes but also for the restoration of irises damaged as a result of an accident, a birth defect or a tumour.

“The operation consists in removing the iris and doing an implant of a totally new iris. The new iris is made of synthetic fibres. The difference between similar operations that are performed around the world and this surgery is that it removed the entire iris and replaced it with a new one, while other operations do a partial implant or place a new iris above the old one,” he said at the news conference. But the operation, which reportedly costs 17,000 US dollars, quickly drew fire from the medical profession in Syria, which believes it to be very risky.

Following the news conference, Syrian health minister Rida Said suspended Shoujah’s licence to practice and expressed scepticism about the surgery. Although the surgical procedure was known in the western world, it was not performed on patients because of the high risks it involved to the eyesight, he told the official Tishreen newspaper. Said said he would investigate the case, setting up a team of eye surgeons to examine the condition of the patient and check whether the operation had damaged her eyes. He said that the doctor and the medical facility where the surgery was carried out would be punished as a deterrent. Shoujah has not commented since the news conference.

Medical experts criticised the surgery because they said it exposed a completely healthy patient to unnecessary risks. “I believe that this operation is a crime because it removed a perfectly good iris and not an infected one,” said Saker Saker, an eye surgeon and a member of the committee tasked with checking on the patient. “It is certain that the patient will be subject to many risks like higher blood pressure on the eye and acute infections,” he said, adding that it remained unclear whether an artificial iris would allow a person to have normal eyesight.

So far, no conclusions have been reached regarding the surgery because the patient refuses to be examined by the ministry-appointed medical team, Saker said. The patient originally told one news website that she wanted the operation simply because she was fed up with wearing green contact lenses for 15 years. But since the controversy, she has refused to speak to the media. Critics said that the incident typified Syrian society’s obsession with plastic surgery, which has grown considerably in popularity in recent years.

The health ministry says it receives more than 30 complaints a year about botched plastic surgery or medical complications arising from it. Critics accuse the authorities of turning a blind eye not only to the standard of plastic surgery in the country but also to the widespread sale of untested beauty products, such as for breast enlargement or skin bleaching. Health minister Said in his statement vowed that authorities will put an end to the promotion of beauty products and operations that are presented on TV in the guise of medical treatments and could pose health risks.

“We need to hold accountable all those who hide under a doctor’s cloak to make profit at the expense of citizens,” he said. Last year, the ministry banned the sale of many beauty products because they were associated with health hazards. One of these products, a cream for removing freckles, proved to contain high levels of mercury, an element harmful to the body’s nervous system. Nevertheless, many such products are still readily available on the Syrian market.



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Of all the senses to lose, sight is not one I think I could live without-especially if I knew that I caused it's loss. For me it is far too risky to even consider and the thought of coming around after the anaesthetic wondering whether everything was ok, just fills me with dread. Can you imagine living in darkness?

I know that on another board a young lady had it done in south America and was very pleased with her results, but as I told her, I am very very very happy for her but she is FAR braver than I could ever be !!!!



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The thought of voluntary surgery scares me, especially when it comes to the eyes. I have worn colored and clear prescription contacts before, I rather give color blends a try if I decide to switch to colored contacts again. But surgery...in South America..would if something goes wrong and your so far from home? or blindness is a probabilty. Although, I have seen some really nice photo results with some people.

I bought hazel contacts once.  Yeah, that phase didn't last very long...

lol..
Green colored prescription contacts in 12th grade and my first year in college. I was quite happy to flaunt them and took many photos with them in, then I became bored and went back to glasses. I like my brown eyes, but I wouldn't mind someday try grey temporarily just for fun. But surgery for it? nahh, I don't think I could ever handle getting laser corrective eye surgery.

I would'nt do surgery on my eyes too much risk.

Never. Not worth the risk of loosing your eye sight over or eyes becoming infected, having the ability to see is better.

Chris wrote:I bought hazel contacts once. Yeah, that phase didn't last very long...

Well at least you tried them. I bought hazel too, a few years back and have never plucked up the courage to use them. I just don't like the idea of putting something in my eye and then trying to fish them out later !! I have a real problem with eyes. Guess the operation is a definite No No for me !!

MAHARANI wrote:

Chris wrote:I bought hazel contacts once. Yeah, that phase didn't last very long...

Well at least you tried them. I bought hazel too, a few years back and have never plucked up the courage to use them. I just don't like the idea of putting something in my eye and then trying to fish them out later !! I have a real problem with eyes. Guess the operation is a definite No No for me !!

Did you throw them away? lol..
I remember trying on the different colored contacts at the optometrist's office and felt like I was at the candy store. Until I had difficulty learning to get the contacts in my eyes and it was difficult for me to really see how they looked on me because my eyes were soo watery like I was crying or something and they were so pink. At the same time the woman who was helping me would say "oh they look so pretty on you", and then I look in the mirror all I saw were pink watery eyes showing veins and all...lol. I was nervous putting them in my eye.

I do want to try the violet color blends. but no surgery for me, don't want to risk my eye falling out.

Golden Girl wrote:
Did you throw them away? lol..
I remember trying on the different colored contacts at the optometrist's office and felt like I was at the candy store. Until I had difficulty learning to get the contacts in my eyes and it was difficult for me to really see how they looked on me because my eyes were soo watery like I was crying or something and they were so pink. At the same time the woman who was helping me would say "oh they look so pretty on you", and then I look in the mirror all I saw were pink watery eyes showing veins and all...lol. I was nervous putting them in my eye.

No I still have them, still new in the box. I just could not picture digging at my eyes trying to get them in and out. It was a real impulse buy. A friend of mine was getting some and I thought it sounded like fun at the time.

I guess that with time, it would not have been a problem for you, cos at least you tried it and as they say, practice makes perfect.


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when i was a senior in high school i looked into a surgery that can permanently change the color of your eyes. i was truly intrigued and started to consider it after more research. but one thing before and after pictures don't show is the stories that go along with them.

a couple months later tyra banks had an episode were a girl had the surgery from the same place, and what she described was straight from a scary movie. she talked about being led to a big warehouse room with one bed in the center, the doctors were in a rush and the tools were dirty.

basically this girl is sitting on tyra's couch with a giant hole in here eye and could end up blind.

and with my own personal experience of wearing glasses, a couple months before the tyra show, i e mailed them to ask when would be the most appropriate time to wait get the surgery after lasik, they e mailed me back and said 3 months, 3 MONTHS
WHAAAT, it takes up to 6 months to make a full recovery and they advised that the most appropriate time is 3 months, tisk tisk

i think i'll stick with contacts

the tyra episode was called Black Market Plastic Surgery if you want to watch it

Wooooahhh! A hole in her eye ? And the possibilty of going blind ? That is truly sad and like I said before, eye operations are not to be taken lightly. She must be truly devastated but it is a wonderful & brave thing that she has decided to share her unfortunate story, to warn others.

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