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Artificial Iris Implants

CUSTOMFLEX® ARTIFICIALIRIS

The CUSTOMFLEX® ARTIFICIALIRIS is intended for use as an iris prosthesis for the treatment of iris defects. The CUSTOMFLEX® ARTIFICIALIRIS is indicated for use adults for the treatment of full or partial aniridia resulting from congenital aniridia, iris damage or acquired defects, or other conditions associated with full or partial aniridia. It is not intended for cosmetic purposes, or to change the color of one’s eye(s) for cosmetic reasons. 

When implanted, the CUSTOMFLEX® ARTIFICIALIRIS mimics the natural iris and can produce an improvement in certain visual symptoms that most affect your quality of life. 

These symptoms include:

  • Starburst
  • Glare and halos day and night
  • Light sensitivity day and night
  • Reading difficulty
  • Difficulty driving at night

INDICATIONS

The CUSTOMFLEX® ARTIFICIALIRIS acts as an iris prosthesis for the treatment of iris defects. The CUSTOMFLEX® ARTIFICIALIRIS is indicated for use in adults for the treatment of full or partial aniridia resulting from congenital aniridia, acquired defects, or other conditions associated with full or partial aniridia such as:

  • Traumatic Injury
  • Oculocutaneous Albinism

CUSTOM-COLOR MATCH TECHNOLOGY

Every CUSTOMFLEX® ARTIFICIALIRIS is custom-made to match your natural iris, addressing both symptomatic and cosmetic aspects of iris defects.

SightTrust Eye Institute

Artificial Iris Surgery Fee Sheet

Price Per Eye
Artificial Iris Package$11,600
Artificial Iris Implant$9,900
Premium Surgeon Fee$650
Facility Fee$800
Anesthesia Fee
(If performed without additional IOL surgery)
$250

ARTIFICIAL IRIS IN THE NEWS

Dr. Andrew Shatz performed the first Artificial Iris Implantation Surgery in the state of Florida and one of the very first in the country. This life-changing procedure significantly reduces glare, improves vision, and provides a natural-appearing iris! Performed at the time of or after cataract surgery, the ARTIFICIALIRIS implant can make a tremendous difference for those with traumatic iris loss or permanent dilation, or who were born without a normal iris (aniridia)!

South Florida Woman Becomes One Of First To Get Artificial Iris Transplant

First Artificial Iris

SUNRISE (CBSMiami) — A South Florida woman has a new outlook on life thanks to an innovative surgery. It is a change roughly 40 years in the making. Katheryn Mercer’s blue eyes shine bright now, but that was not always the case. Until a couple weeks ago, a childhood injury had her hiding her left eye.

“I was playing tennis,” she explained. “I was about 12 and I was having fun with my friend and I was done with my set. I went to sit down and someone screamed ‘look out!’ And I turned to look to see what I was looking out for and I got nailed right in the eye with a tennis ball.” The resulting injury left her with a noticeably damaged iris. “It was difficult. I went through my entire childhood being ‘different’,” she said. She says she tried every contact lens on the market to try to disguise the damage, but nothing worked, until now. She is one of the first recipients of an artificial iris transplant.

“It’s amazing,” Mercer said. “If you look at it, it looks natural. Nobody would know.”

“The technology for doing this is brand new. This is something that’s been around only in the last few years. And it just got approved by the FDA last summer,” explained Ophthalmologist Dr. Andrew Shatz. Shatz, the Medical Director and CEO of Sight Trust Eye Institute, performed Mercer’s surgery in his Sunrise office. With Mercer’s approval, he allowed our CBS4 cameras in the operating room take a peek. “She is the first patient in Florida and one of the first in the entire country to get this implant,” he said. “She’s doing terrific. She loves it. And I think this is going to be the wave of the future for people who’ve been so stigmatized by this type of a trauma and people who were born without irises in addition. This will be fantastic.”

Mercer agrees. She says it is not just her eye that has changed since the procedure. “I cannot begin to thank Dr. Shatz and his team for making this a reality. Because, it is life changing.” While her eye definitely looks different, Mercer says it feels different, too. She says she can now go out in the sun without squinting or feeling pain.

By Lauren Pastrana (CBSMIAMI)
March 5, 2019

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