Artificial iris lenses are helpful for people who experience congenital and traumatic aniridia are relatively rare, so there has been little incentive for major ophthalmic companies to seek approval of artificial iris devices in the United States due to the high costs associated with the approval process. Artificial iris implants have been available in Europe for over 10 years and are available in the U.S. on a compassionate use basis.
Several artificial iris devices are available including a solid color iris or a hand painted iris. The new hand painted iris from Humanoptics provides the most attractive cosmetic appearance because it can be custom matched to the patient’s natural iris color. Kathy Kelley, OD of Price Vision Group can answer questions specifically related to artificial iris implants.