Increasing numbers of people worldwide are opting for cosmetic surgery to enhance their looks. What prospective patients may not know is that procedures to change the colour of one's eyes are the riskiest. Research conducted by the online eyewear store Overnight Glasses asserts that eye colour surgery comes with a 92 per cent likelihood of complications. Eye colour change tops the researchers' list of riskiest cosmetic procedures. Such operations include iris implants and laser pigment removal. There is also a procedure called keratopigmentation. This is a permanent eye colour change in which a special colourant is inserted into the eyes using precision laser technology.

Earlier this year, the American Academy of Ophthalmology released a warning against eye colour change procedures. Dr Ashley Brissette highlighted things that could go wrong. These include dye leakage, allergic reactions, infections, sensitivity to light, damage to the cornea that can lead to cloudiness or vision loss, and ultimately blindness. She said: "Anything that we do with the eyes, we have to be very, very cautious." The researchers said recovery time can be up to two months, and the average cost of surgery is $12,000. Ophthalmologist Nicole Bajic advised getting coloured contact lenses instead of going under the knife. She said this, "can give you the look you want without putting your eye health at risk".