Among his 10 Indian patients, eight had the procedure performed for purely cosmetic reasons, he said.
Varkey said he has performed the procedures on patients who had come to him from Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Britain, Mongolia and Japan, among other countries.
"It is a permanent procedure and there is no need for anybody to change it every month. However, if anybody wants to get back to the original eye color or even put a new colour, it is possible through another surgery," Varkey pointed out.
He said most of his patients are models or people in showbiz.
"Mainly models and those in show business have come to me for this procedure. Interestingly, many Asians in the UK and the US also want to change their eye colour so that they can mix with the local population," the eye surgeon said.
Though Varkey claims no side effects, the iris implant is still not permitted for cosmetic purposes in the US.
"It is not banned in the USA, but one requires to get a three-phase approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At present, the approval process is in the third phase of the clinical trial," Varkey said.
It is not just about changing the colour of the eye; one can also have designs and pictures drawn on the silicon implant.
