Eye Whitening is a relatively new trend that started in Asia to make eyes white with surgery. It should be approached with caution.
The common technique used overseas involves removing much of the Conjunctiva, the normal covering of the eye and then letting new tissue grow back, theoretically giving a whiter and cleaner look to the eye. The eye is also treated with a powerful anti-cancer medicine called Mitomycin. Mitomycin is commonly used in Ophthalmology but there’s a fine line when using it: it can be therapeutic as well as dangerous.
As a Cornea specialist, I will not remove normal tissue unless it is medically necessary and I will certainly not treat a healthy eye with Mitomycin. The risks are too high and I am a cautious surgeon.
I will perform Eye Whitening, but only if the redness is caused by a Pingueculum or Pterygium. One of the side effects that we get from Pingueculum and Pterygium surgery is white eyes. The technique I use is my standard Pterygium/Pingueculum surgery which I have performed thousands of times with an incredibly safe track record. In this setting, we are happy to perform Eye Whitening. We get many word-of-mouth referrals as patients like the white and quiet look we give to the eye after Pingueculum and Pterygium surgery.
Given my unique sub specialty niche, I am more than comfortable giving improved cosmetics in patients with a Pterygium or Pingueculum.
– Franz Michel MD
