Man's Fight to Save His Vision after Having Surgery to Change Eye Color
The following material contains graphic images of an actual surgery that may be disturbing. Parents are advised that these images may not be suitable for young children.
Mark first appeared on The Doctors during Season 1, to share about his experience traveling abroad to change his eye color from brown to blue. The Doctors and ophthalmologist Dr. Kerry Assil warned Mark about the potential dangers of this surgery, which included possibly going blind. Ten years later, Mark is back on the show and reveals he has completely gone blind in his right eye.
Mark says that a few years after the surgery his eye became red and irritated and then eventually his vision grew blurry. He ignored the symptoms and did not seek medical attention. If he were able to go back in time he would tell himself, "Do not do this surgery whatsoever! You will be blind 100 percent."
He might have lost the vision in one eye, but Dr. Assil -- the doctor who first warned Mark about the dangers of the surgery -- attempts to save his remaining vision.
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Dr. Assil explains that the material used to change his eye color has been doing "silent damage" and says it is comparable to sandpaper grinding on the surface of the eye. Luckily, the vision in Mark's left eye was saved.
Mark tells The Doctors that he is "feeling better" and he is very happy to have the blue removed from his eyes. He also explains that he was ignorant about the possible risks when he had the surgery and was asked to sign a consent form that was in another language.
More resources on what to look for in safe medical tourism can be found here and here and here.
