WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Controversy over eye whitening

August 26, 2011

Adriana Van Derhoek used to wear sunglasses during her daily walks along the ocean; not because of the glare, but to hide her red eyes. Now she doesn't have to.

"When I wake up in the morning and I see my beautiful eyes, I am sooo happy," she said.

Van Derhoek had a procedure called I-BRITE. It brightened her sclera, or the white part of her eye, that was discolored by age and years of sun damage. Her bloodshot eyes often gave people the wrong impression.

"I hate to face people because when they look at me, they think I'm drunk or I was late to bed last night," Van Derhoek said.

Her eyes went from bloodshot to white. Beverly Hills Doctor Brian Boxer Wachler is one of two physicians in the world who perform the 30-minute operation.

"We're removing the damaged membrane that has all the discolorations and letting the body regenerate a new membrane that doesn't have all the discolorations," Boxer Wachler said.

The operation isn't cheap. It can cost up to $5,000 an eye. But some eye doctors say there are cheaper ways to whiten your eyes, like eye drops from the drug store. And many ophthalmologists say I-BRITE may have risks.

"To me it doesn't make sense physiologically," said Dr. Alan Berg, an ophthalmologist. "I think it may ultimately lead to more problems, because if you have more dry eyes then it can not only affect the redness but also affects the cornea which allows you to see clearly."

But Van Derhoek is happy with the results.

"Oh my God, I wish I did it earlier," she said.

And now she is not afraid to look people in the eye.

Doctors say the effects of the I-BRITE procedure can last up to 10 years.

CBS News