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    Don't It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue?
    By Bobby Knight | November 3rd 2011 06:17 AM | 6 comments | Print | E-mail | Track Comments
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    Physician scientist in drug development. Also interested in the stars. Bobby Knight on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SunnyNeutrino...

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    (Dr.) Greg Homer (real name), a representative of Stroma Medical, a California equipment company, claims his new "Lumineyes" treatment could be an alternative to colored contact lenses. The treatment uses a laser to remove melanin from the upper layer of the iris, leaving the blue color free to replace it within two to three weeks of the procedure. But the process is irreversible. In brown eyes, melanin is located at the front of their eye. whereas in blue eyes it is concentrated at the back of the iris, resulting in reflection of shorter wavelengths of light.

    Earlier in the day, Dr. Homer 'tweeted' that he wanted to replace Dan Castellaneta on the popular TV show "The Simpsons", but his tweet went unread by anyone. "I have had it with the Twitter", he noted.

    Comments

    Bobby Knight
    Further news from Mr. Homer: He uses "15 ranges of sophisticated tests" to make sure there is no eye tissue damage during or after the procedure. Homer also sees his technique as more than a surgical procedure. “The eyes are the windows to the soul. A blue eye is not opaque; you can see deeply into it. A brown eye is very opaque, and I think that there is something meaningful about this idea of having open windows to the soul”. Expert opthalmologists have noted that using a laser on the iris creates debris 'like ashes from a fire'. This is likely to cause clogging of the trabecular network and consequent glaucoma, which can lead to blindness. Inflammation can also cause corneal scarring and cataracts. Here's a picture of a half-baked iris: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2056646/California-doctor-Greg...
    Bobby Knight | 11/03/11 | 13:33 PM
    I'm a retired ophthalmic surgeon from Long Island, NY. I've looked carefully at this procedure, and while I agree that clinical testing needs to be (and is being) conducted to rule out pigmentary glaucoma, I don't agree that it is necessarily a serious risk.

    Pigmentary glaucoma comes from abrasion of the pigment of the iris epithelium, located at the back of the iris. This pigment is much thicker than the pigment on the front of the iris, and the abrasion causes the pigment to be dislodged in relatively large pieces. These pieces are then trapped in the trabecular meshwork, where they slow down acqueous outflow, raising intraocular pressure and potentially, over time, leading to glaucoma.

    The Stroma procedure treats only the stromal pigment on the front surface of the iris. Firstly, this pigment is 1/3 to 1/2 as thick as the epithelial pigment on the back of the iris. The Stroma laser photodisrupts the stromal pigment, initiating a macrophagic process whereby the pigment is broken down into tiny particles and removed gradually through the natural metabolic process. As a result, the risk of interference with the acqueous outflow is minimal.

    Moreover, it takes time for increased intraocular pressure to cause glaucoma. Regular eye exams would detect the increase in pressure and intervene with a variety of treatments to clear the trabecular meshwork--the most effective of which, ironically, is a laser.

    Finally, according to press reports, this procedure still has to go though regulatory studies, and the regulatory bodies will be looking closely for any increase in intraocular pressure or other adverse effects of the procedure. If this proves to be a problem, the procedure will not be released to the public.

    Jerry (not verified) | 11/24/11 | 11:28 AM
    Hi,

    I'm the founder of Stroma and the inventor of its laser eye color procedure. I just had to weigh in here. We appreciate (and share) the cautiousness of both physicians and the press regarding safety, but with that caution has come some misinformation about the risk of glaucoma associated with our procedure. To help clarify the issue, we've posted a paper at www.stromamedical.com/Public_Papers/Glaucoma.pdf. And rest assured, we will not release our product unless and until it has been extensively tested, and our internal board of physicians are satisfied that it is safe.

    Best,
    Gregg Homer, JSD (PhD)

    Gregg Homer (not verified) | 02/08/12 | 17:12 PM
    Dr. Homer,

    Will this procedure allow for future vision correction via Lasik? Can corrective contact lenses be worn after this procedure? Are the trials still open for subjects? Please advise, I would be interested to see if I qualify. I would do this procedure if it were possible but have concerns as I do wear corrective lenses.

    Regards,
    Erica

    Anonymous (not verified) | 03/05/12 | 14:29 PM
    Hi Erica,

    There should be no conflict between the LASIK and Stroma procedures. LASIK modifies the cornea, and Stroma modifies the iris pigment. These are entirely different part of the eye.

    Also, there should be no reason why corrective contact lenses could not be worn after the Stroma procedure, although you doctor might recommend suspending use of contact lenses for a short period immediately after the procedure

    With resepct to clinical trials, I suggest you send an e-mail to info@stromamedical.com. You will receive a FAQ by auto-response that will answer this and other questions you might have, as well as provide instructions for adding yourself to Stroma's clinical trials mailing list.

    Thank you for your interest in Stroma.

    --Jason, Team Stroma

    Jason (not verified) | 07/26/12 | 17:33 PM
    Dr. Homer,

    What would happen if someone with blue eyes got this procedure. Would it turn their eye(s) red? I ask this because I've always wanted one red eye & one blue eye. It's mainly for aesthetic reasons that I'd get this done, no different than a tattoo or a piercing really. Please respond, I'm VERY curious to know if my idea is possible without an eye transplant or surgical implantation of a contact.

    PS: If the patient had corneal dystrophy then would it prove to be problematic? I ask this because I recently found out that I had it.

    Anonymous (not verified) | 07/16/12 | 12:31 PM