Artificial iris implantation may be a standalone procedure or combined with a procedure such as cataract surgery or corneal transplantation.
Iris tissue loss due to trauma, iatrogenic cause, or congenital absence such as aniridia or coloboma can result in photophobia, loss of depth perception, contrast sensitivity degradation, glare, decreased visual acuity and multiplopia. In aniridia cases, Wilms tumor should be investigated because the aniridia incidence is one in 70 children with Wilms tumor.
While smaller iris defects can be closed with sutures, large amounts of iris tissue loss often require a cosmetic colored contact lens with a pupil or an artificial iris. None of the cosmetic iris implants are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and implantation requires receiving a compassionate use exemption. For artificial iris implantation, the patient should be symptomatic and unable to become asymptomatic with tinted glasses or contact lenses. …… Follow the above link for the full story.