http://tattoo.about.com/od/implantsa...balljewels.htm
Quote:
Pushing the Envelope Too Far?
Henry David Thoreau once said, “The eye is the jewel of the body”. That may be true, but some people seem to be taking that quote literally, and a new wave of body art fashion is gaining attention – eyeball jewelry.
The Concept
The Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS) has devised a decorative platinum implant (JewelEye) that can be inserted under a thin membrane in the eye, which holds the implant in place. Since the membrane is clear, the implant can be seen clearly against the white of the eye. The jewels currently come in just a few shapes, but the Institute says other shapes can be requested.
That is the concept. It’s innovative, it’s edgy, it’s attractive and it was developed by ophthalmologic experts. What more could you ask for? If it’s endorsed by medical experts, it must be safe, right? Well, let’s see...how many drugs have been developed by medical experts and even approved by the FDA that were later discovered to be dangerous? How many products are recalled every year for hazards that previously passed inspection by company experts? Don’t assume something is safe just because it was developed or endorsed by “professionals”.
Clinical Trial Results
The next line of defense would be clinical trials. The NIIOS website says, “Patient satisfaction is high and no side effects of the treatment have been noticed with a follow-up of more than one year.” Well, that must mean it’s OK! If people can have no side effects or problems for over a year, then that proves it’s not dangerous, right? Tell that to the people suffering from asbestos-related illnesses – how long did it take scientists to figure out how dangerous asbestos is? Or how about lead? How many millions of homes were painted with leaded paint before they realized it was making people sick? Just because a product appears safe for a year does not necessarily make it so.
Already in Demand
Is it popular? Oh, yeah. It just came out in 2002 and already “there's a waiting list in the Netherlands of people anxious to receive the implants. And that's at a cost in U.S. dollars of up to $1,200”, according to About.com’s Vision expert, Marilyn Haddrill.
Legislators Stepping In
JewelEyes haven’t even officially hit the U.S. yet and the state of Illinois is already on the defensive, attempting to ban the procedure. As of March 6, 2005, an Illinois state committee already approved a bill to ban it, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Joyce, and is now before the House. If it passes, it could come with a penalty of up to three years in prison. Some would say this is the government sticking its Bureaucratic nose where it doesn’t belong, which may be true. Kevin Joyce serves as a perfect example of how government likes to interfere in matters of personal choice simply because it can. Is Kevin Joyce an ophthalmologic expert? Or has he researched this procedure in depth and come to a scientific conclusion that this procedure would definitely be harmful to his citizens? No. Kevin Joyce was quoted as calling the procedure “gross” and saying, "I don't think anybody should be messing with the eyeball.” Well, that sounds like a good enough reason to pass a bill that will affect over 12 million people, now doesn’t it?
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After I passed the half a second of 'ew' (the same reaction I at finding out how Lasik works) I thought about how cool this could be. You'd stand out, but more subtly than with visible piercings or tattoos. They'd pretty much assure that people would look you in the eyes while speaking to you and pay attention.
Would I like some? You're damn right I would.
New, trendy procedures come out all the time. While this one is particularly interesting to me, I think the bigger issues posed by the article are the safety and legal issues. I don't think the safety one bothers me that much (though I do have a mental image of a couple of stars floating around the outside of somebody's eyeball like a morbid snowglobe) but it could make for an interesting discussion.
The political issue here is strong too. Can Illinoisans like Mr. Joyce dictate cosmetic procedures like this to be outlawed because he's got an issue with people messing with their eyes? Personally, I think people like Joyce can keep their noses out of what I do with my eyes. It's an interesting form of self-expression like piercings or tattoos. It should be regulated as such (though piercing has a way to go as well) but not banned.