Extraocular implant
Encyclopedia
An extraocular implant is a cosmetic implant involving a tiny piece of decorative jewelry which is implanted within the superficial, interpalpebral conjunctiva
of the human eye
.
in 2002. It was first designed at the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery
and is marketed there under the name JewelEye. The procedure is completely legal in the Netherlands
, as long as it is performed by a licensed ophthalmologist under sterile conditions. The current cost is approximately €
750 .
Its legality outside of the Netherlands is currently untested. However, several jurisdictions in the US have already supported bills to ban the procedure even though it hasn’t become available in the US yet. On March 6, 2005, an Illinois
state committee approved a bill banning the procedure. Infraction could result in a penalty of up to three years in prison.
s and other new body modification procedures, the extraocular implant is currently only being performed in a medical clinic environment. The procedure is relatively quick, but it does require that both eyes be immobilized with anesthetic drops, and that the layers of the eyeball where the implant is situated must be separated by the injection of liquid. As very few people have undergone this procedure, and it is relatively new, the long term health effects are currently unknown.
However, the Website of the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery
states that the implant does not interfere with the ocular functions, i.e. the visual performance and mobility. As well, patient satisfaction remains high and no side effects of the treatment have been noticed with a follow-up of more than one year.
, The Netherlands. The implant is manufactured from a platinum
alloy and is available in several basic shapes, including the Euro
sign, heart
, music note
, clover
or star
shapes, with other shapes custom made by the company upon request. The size of the jewellery is about 1/8" (3 mm) across.
Conjunctiva
The conjunctiva covers the sclera and lines the inside of the eyelids. It is composed of rare stratified columnar epithelium.-Function:...
of the human eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
.
History and culture
Eyeball jewelry was developed first in the Netherlands as a radical new form of body modificationBody modification
Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
in 2002. It was first designed at the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery
Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery
The Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery is an institute providing products for extraocular implants and extraocular cosmetic surgery.-External links:*...
and is marketed there under the name JewelEye. The procedure is completely legal in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, as long as it is performed by a licensed ophthalmologist under sterile conditions. The current cost is approximately €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
750 .
Its legality outside of the Netherlands is currently untested. However, several jurisdictions in the US have already supported bills to ban the procedure even though it hasn’t become available in the US yet. On March 6, 2005, an Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
state committee approved a bill banning the procedure. Infraction could result in a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Procedure
Unlike subdermal implantSubdermal implant
A subdermal implant refers to a kind of body jewelry that is placed underneath the skin, therefore allowing the body to heal over the implant and creating a raised design. These kinds of implants fall under the broad category of body modification. Many people who have these implants use them in...
s and other new body modification procedures, the extraocular implant is currently only being performed in a medical clinic environment. The procedure is relatively quick, but it does require that both eyes be immobilized with anesthetic drops, and that the layers of the eyeball where the implant is situated must be separated by the injection of liquid. As very few people have undergone this procedure, and it is relatively new, the long term health effects are currently unknown.
However, the Website of the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery
Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery
The Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery is an institute providing products for extraocular implants and extraocular cosmetic surgery.-External links:*...
states that the implant does not interfere with the ocular functions, i.e. the visual performance and mobility. As well, patient satisfaction remains high and no side effects of the treatment have been noticed with a follow-up of more than one year.
Jewelry
Currently, the only supplier of jewelry for this implant is Hippocratech b.v., a company in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, The Netherlands. The implant is manufactured from a platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
alloy and is available in several basic shapes, including the Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
sign, heart
Heart (symbol)
The heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past, also intellectual core of a human being...
, music note
Note
In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....
, clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
or star
Star (symbol)
A star is an ideograph whose outer edge forms a symmetrical polygon whose vertices alternate between joining outward- and inward-pointing pairs of edges. The figure may be the border or interior of the polygon, or one or more closed polygonal paths that include all of the border and also have some...
shapes, with other shapes custom made by the company upon request. The size of the jewellery is about 1/8" (3 mm) across.