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Woman gets platinum 'eye jewelry' implanted in optic membrane | Daily Mail Online

Published: 10:35 EST, 20 November 2013 | Updated: 12:51 EST, 20 November 2013

A New York woman has told how she got a piece of platinum jewelry inserted in her eye to set herself apart from the crowd. Gel Material

Woman gets platinum

Lucy Luckayanko visited Dr Emil Chynn at Park Avenue Laser Vision to get a 'cute' heart-shaped sequin, measuring 3.5mm, placed on the white of her of right eye ball.

She told Fox5 before the $3,000, one minute-long procedure: 'It's going to be a conversation maker. I will be able to tell people. It will be unique. It will be sort of my unique factor.'

A permanent twinkle! Lucy Luckayanko got a piece of platinum jewelry inserted in her eye

According to Harvard and NYU-trained Dr Chynn the eye jewelry procedure has been done hundreds of times in Europe and in Los Angeles, but never before in New York. Ms Luckayanko was one of his first clients.

To start the process he injected anesthetic into her eye to numb the area. Then he made a small incision to make room for the piece of jewelry.

'I'm going to take scissors and make a little incision and try to divide a pocket in between the sclera - the white part of your eye - and conjunctiva clear part of your eye,' he explained.

Using forceps he positioned the tiny flat stud into position on Ms Luckayanko's eye membrane. She wanted it set pointing diagonally.

Minutes later she was handed a mirror to admire her new accessory and given the go-ahead to go home.

'It will be sort of my unique factor': The blonde appeared happy with her new eye jewel

Though it may sound scary, Dr Chynn insists the procedure, which was invented by a Dutch eye surgeon and introduced in 2004, is actually pretty safe.

'It's a very thin piece of platinum that's designed for insertion on the top of the eye, it's not in the eye so there's no risk of blindness or anything at all,' he says.

'She could have a little bit of local bleeding. That could go away in a couple days or couple weeks. She could have an infection but we'll prevent that with antibiotics.'

But the jewelry has not been FDA approved and the American Academy of Ophthalmology is warning consumers about the dangers.

Steady-handed: First Dr Emil Chynn at Park Avenue Laser Vision injected anesthetic into her eye to numb the area, then he made a small incision to make room for the piece of jewelry

Nearly over: Because the piece of jewelry is so tiny - 0.13 of an inch - it can't be inserted with an instrument - instead, it is placed in a drop of water on the eye membrane and floated into position

In a statement to Fox 5, the medical body said there is not 'sufficient evidence to support the safety or therapeutic value of this procedure.'

It urges consumers to 'avoid placing in the eye any foreign body or material that is not approved by the FDA.'

Wayne Bizer, D.O., a comprehensive ophthalmologist from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida previously warned: 'My concern would be that it might cause foreign body granuloma or scar tissue. 

'The implant could also allow bacteria to get beneath the conjunctiva causing a serious vision-threatening infection or possibly erode the sclera, the white part of the eye.'

Advocate: Dr Chynn insists the procedure, which was invented by a Dutch eye surgeon and introduced in 2004, is safe - but other professionals are warning against it

A few days after her procedure, Ms Luckayanko said she had no issues or pain and loved her new designer accessory.

'50 percent of my friends are like: "What is it? Why do you need it oh my god are you crazy?"' she exclaimed.

'But 50per cent of my friends are like: "Oh my god, it's super cool."'

And if she gets bored of her heart-shaped implant it can be swapped it for something different.

'You can switch from a star for Christmas, for example,' Dr Chynn states on his website, adding that each swap incurs a $1,000 fee.

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Woman gets platinum

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