This Doctor Uses Tattoos to Help The Blind

Don’t underestimate the power of a tattoo. While the majority of tattoos serve a purely aesthetic function there are a few special types of ink that can completely transform a person’s life for the better. One example of this would be the way women who have suffered through breast cancer are able to regain their confidence and beauty with a mastectomy tattoo. In a very similar vein Dr. Emil Chynn has found a way to help people who have suffered corneal damage feel more comfortable—Chynn tattoos their damaged eyes.

Many times when a person is blinded do to a corneal injury their eye will develop a white layer over its surface. With no real way to hide such an injury people often lose much of their self confidence due to the belief that they are always being stared at. By tattooing the injured eye in a way that makes it look as if it were still healthy Chynn is able to ease the minds of his patients.

The procedure of tattooing an eye is very delicate and complicated, Chynn’s background in refractive surgery must serve as a comfort to those about to undergo the procedure. In order to be able to tattoo the eye without piercing the cornea, the outermost layer of the eye, Chynn has had to modify and develop his own tattoo machine. He uses a Swashdrive Compact machine that he has modified by slowing down the rate at which the needles move in order to enhance precision, according to CNBC.

Chynn has the expertise of an ocular surgeon but what he is doing isn’t pure surgery, it’s tattooing. In order to choose the right type of ink, both in color and durability, Chynn turned to tattoo artists for assistance.

One drawback about the procedure is that it is not cheap. An eye tattoo will run about $2,300, but it may be covered under some health insurance policies. While that may sound like a lot of money you can’t really put a price on the rewarding difference it will make in a patient’s life.

Learn more about Chynn and the work that he does click this link.