Lasik Eye Surgery Lawsuit
Last Updated: May 2009 • 8 Comments
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LASIK is a common form of corrective laser eye surgery that has been widely used since it was first introduced in 1998. However, a number of patients have experienced serious complications with their vision that could cause debilitating injury. In many cases, these Lasik eye surgery problems were caused by medical malpractice, or the surgeon’s failure to follow the appropriate standard of care.
STATUS OF LASER EYE SURGERY LAWSUITS: Medical malpractice lawsuits have been successfully brought against eye surgeons for carelessness during pre-surgery screening, incorrect operation of equipment during the procedure and negligent post-operative follow up.
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OVERVIEW: LASIK, which stands for laser-assisted in-situ kerastomileusis, is a form of eye surgery that uses a laser to improve a patient’s vision and reduce their need for glasses or contact lenses.
During the eye surgery, a surgical instrument known as a microkeratome is used to cut through the top layers of the cornea to create a flap. A laser beam is used to reshape the cornea for vision correction and the corneal flap is replaced.
Although advertisements often minimize the risks associated with Lasik, a 2008 report in the American Journal of Ophthalmology found that re-surgery was needed on 28% of eyes treated with LASIK in the last 10 years due to undercorrection, overcorrection or regression.
LASIK PROBLEMS: Nearly all LASIK surgery procedures are paid out of the pocket of the consumer, and the process has developed into more of a sales process than a medical consultation.
Potential patients often meet with a counselor who is not medically trained to determine if they are a candidate for laser eye surgery, and are usually not fully informed of the risks until after they have paid money out of their pocket and are far along in the pre-surgery process.
Unfortunately, many patients who undergo LASIK procedures are not ideal candidates, and could be left with serious and often disabling vision problems that they were not properly warned about. Reported Lasik problems, which could be linked to a medical mistake before, during or after the eye surgery, include:
- Blurry Vision
- Double Vision
- Scarring of the Cornea
- Dry Eyes
- Sensitivity to Light
- Halo or Starburst Effects at Night
- Loss of Vision
While the extent of these problems can vary, some patients are unable to conduct many of the day-to-day activities they used to be able to perform, are left with headaches and depression, and severe quality of life loss.
Comment by judith on 26 May 2009:
I have been thinking about having this eye surgery done now for a long long time. Something has prevented me from doing this procedure and now I know why. After reading several articles plus this one my fears have been proven to be right. I kept telling myself to wait and see and now I know that is the best policy where my body is concerned. I realize that nothing is 100% and doctors are only human therefore all the more reason to be concerned and to take time to make a decision. My heart goes out to those who suffer side effects from lasik surgery. Knowing how excited they must have been to get rid of glasses they have worn forever.
Comment by ayesha on 26 May 2009:
this is a request to all the people who r thinking of going through lasik surgery..plz dont play with ur eyes.wear spectacles..after lasik u will feel helpless as i m feeling and the bloody doctors will cliam ur badluck..dnt waste money on it.. u may also loose ur vision after lasik..so plz dont undergo this operation…..plz
Comment by Sandy on 27 May 2009:
I had all three strikes against me: poor candidacy, blade jammed in my first eye yet my surgeon proceeded to operate, and negligent post-op care. I did successfully sue, but scores of patients like me have not been able to bring a successful lawsuit.
Comment by dom on 10 June 2009:
Doctors stated to me I was a “good candidate”! I am legally blind as a result.
Proper patient selection is as important as proper doctor selection. There are doctors who have multiple lawsuits against them, protected from recourse due to informed consent the patient signs prior to surgery. Don’t be rushed or misled!
Comment by McKenna on 7 August 2009:
My wife had her LASIK done at the beginning of the year. She currently experiences halo effects (at night) and has difficulty with depth perception (day and night). We fronted $2000 cash (give or take) and opted out of the exceedingly limited finance plan. The plan, simply, was “If you don’t pay today, than give us half today and the other half tomorrow (kind of like that guy who always said “I’ll pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today…”).
The LASIK guy checked out with a superb reputation but my wife and I did a lot of homework and shopped several renouned surgeons before making what we strongly felt was an informed decision.
Comment by Bob on 10 August 2009:
I had lasik done and wish I had not. promises of doing a “touch up” never came thru and now I am wearing special “hard Contacts”
I have 20-60 in one eye (with contact) and cannot get it any better because of Cornea scarring from surgery.
Now my Corneas are too thin to even try again and as a result the shape is like a football instead of round–hense constant discomfort from the lens. The fit is bad because of the shape and they will pop out and will not stay where they should on the eye.
After getting 2nd and 3rd opinions now–I should have been sent home rather than take my $3500!! I was not a “good Candidate” yet the doc tried and now I have to live with it.
I have all of the above conditions–
I am now seeing a doctor who tells me that I must undergo Cornea Transplant in order to correct my vision!!
Total nightmare–
I do know plenty of people that have undergone correction with good results but I can surely tell you that PERSONALLY–I would sure love to go back to glasses or regular contacts with 20-20 results!!
Comment by Maurice on 20 October 2009:
I had glacoma removed in the right eye. Aferwards my eye filled with fluid and I had to have injections every three months to dry the fluid. I was getting sreaking and had lasik in the right eye to correct this. I ended up with Star bursts, light sensitivity, dry eye, and weaker vision that if blurry at distances.
I am also a diabetic II and this is being blamed for my problesms. Is my vision from diabetes, the procedures, or the Lasik equipment?
Comment by Leonard on 26 October 2009:
I had lasik in 2005 and it was the best thing I’d ever done! Don’t go to some cheap place, your just asking for trouble. I went to my eye doctor and he recomended me to the one they use. It cost around $2500 per eye and my insurance covered $600. The extra cost was for a speacial extra mapping of the eyes, so not to have problems at night. Very important to start at an eye doctor you trust.