Korean opthalmologist Dr. Bong-Hyun Kim is the pioneer of Cosmetic Eye
-Whitening™ surgery.
An email from the Editor of Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty dropped into my mailbox one afternoon. It read:
“Julie, do you think you could look into a 2-pager for an eye whitening story and get in touch with this Korean doctor? This sounds interesting!”
All I had to start with was an Internet link to a website that contained some information about an eye-whitening procedure that gives hope to people suffering from chronic red eyes. There is surgery for this kind of stuff, too? I asked myself. I was intrigued.
Prior to writing the article, it didn’t occur to me that having super-bright white eyes contributed to a person’s “glow”. I always thought that having good skin did that enough. But then I spotted a statement on the website that claims the Editor of Sports Illustrated had said that “Elle Macpherson looks stunning because of her super-bright whites” – and he wasn’t talking about her teeth.
So I did a Google search, found an email address, sent an introductory email out, and hoped that it would lead me somewhere. Within a day, I received a reply from Julie Jun, the Personal Relations Officer for ophthalmologist, Dr. Bong-Hyun Kim, pioneer of the Cosmetic Eye-Whitening™ surgery. Just the man I needed to speak to. And so, the education on eye whitening surgery began.
Most of us have heard about Lasik and how special lasers are used to accurately and precisely slice open the cornea before it is sculpted for better vision. After speaking to Dr. Kim, I learned that in the case of Cosmetic Eye-Whitening™ surgery, the procedure is conducted manually. Yes, you read it right – manually.
According to Dr. Kim, after the eyes are anaesthetised, tiny surgical scissors are used to remove tissue on the white part of the eyeball, called the conjunctival tissue. Since the procedure is quite delicate, a magnifier is used to help see the eye in larger detail to ensure precise removal of the affected tissue by the surgeon.
Dr. Kim goes on to explain, “This 10-minute surgery is based on the principal of normal wound healing, so when the conjunctival tissue is removed, this allows cells to regenerate and fresh tissue to develop, which in the end, will reveal brighter and whiter eyes.”
After the procedure, the eyes are bandaged for a day and patients are monitored by Dr. Kim to make sure they are healing well. Results can be seen within two weeks of the procedure, and the effects will improve in the following months.
A bright start
Pictures courtesy of Dr. Bong-Hyun Kim
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
Dr. Kim started developing this technique back in 1996 during his military service in a small rural city in Korea called Mokpo.
Whilst serving the community there, Dr. Kim noticed that many people had bloodshot eyes and most of them had degenerative changes on their conjunctiva.
“This 10-minute surgery is based on the principal of normal wound healing, so when the conjunctival tissue is removed, this allows cells to regenerate and fresh tissue to develop, which in the end, will reveal brighter and whiter eyes.” – Korean ophthalmologist, Dr. Bong-Hyun Kim.
He said that since most degenerative changes can be found on the area of the eyeball that is exposed to the environment, this suggested that the degeneration is caused by external stimuli such as UV rays, dry climate, strong winds, dusty air and pollution.
Initially, Dr. Kim prescribed eye drops to his patients. But that only offered a temporary solution for the burning and itching that is usually associated with this type of problem.
“It was then that I started to think of alternative ways to help these people. I found that people are relieved to find out that there is a permanent solution to dry, itchy, burning bloodshot eyes,” says Dr. Kim, who pursued his medical degree and doctorate at the Chung-Ang University Medical School in Seoul, Korea. He was also a Research Fellow at the Massachusetts Ear and Eye Infirmary at the Harvard Medical School near Boston.
While whiter eyes can be achieved after Cosmetic Eye-Whitening™ surgery, there is still a probability of the problem recurring, despite the patient following the doctor’s post-surgery recommendations – which include wearing sunglasses when outdoors, avoiding smoky places and alcohol consumption, and preventing wind and dust from getting into the eyes.
Based on Dr. Kim’s records, roughly five percent of patients experience recurrence and 10 percent undergo repeated surgery. If a patient needs to have surgery again, Dr. Kim will gladly do it until the desired results are achieved. However, if recurrence does not occur within the first year of the initial surgery, then it will almost never occur. According to Dr. Kim, the exact cause of these recurrences is unknown.
So, brighter eyes anyone? Be prepared to fork out US$3000 (about RM9653) or half that if you want the procedure done on just one eye.
To date, Dr. Kim has performed over 13,000 Cosmetic Eye-Whitening™ surgery procedures with a success rate of over 95 percent. Since the procedure is only available at Dr. Kim’s clinic in Seoul, patients fly in from Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan and the United States for surgery.
Dr. Kim’s patients range from 20-year-old college students to 60-year-old ladies, though most of his patients are individuals in their 30s and 40s. The number of female patients is also double that of males. These patients come from various backgrounds – businesspeople, professionals, students and people who are actively working in social situations.
It is still possible to have other eye surgeries like Lasik if you are keen on the Cosmetic Eye-Whitening™ surgery, but it is important to have it performed either three or four months before or after your treatment for brighter, whiter eyes.
So there you have it. Dr. Kim has found a way to whiten your eyes. Whether you do it for aesthetic reasons or otherwise, a pair of super bright eyes will definitely make a difference to your appearance, just like Elle Macpherson. Well, let’s hope so anyway!