I’m no medical expert, but I’m well aware that eyes are pretty delicate. Given the advances of modern day technology, surgeons have developed ways of using lasers to correct common eye problems that reduce the need to wear glasses. Laser eye surgery is a readily available and common procedure nowadays. But what happens when things go wrong? I mean, we’re talking about your eyes here.
So what are the common associated risks with eye surgery? Let’s start with looking at common laser eye surgery.
Laser Eye Surgery
When it comes to laser eye surgery, the NHS says that complications occur in less than 5% of patients. Two seemingly inherent risks are as follows:
- Dry eyes in the months following surgery – which may require an artificial tear supplement (apparently there is such a thing!)
- Glare or halo effects at night – particularly when driving.
But moving on now to the worst of the worst – what if treatment causes a loss of vision, whether partial or total? The NHS does say that too much thinning of the eye wall can lead to the shape of the eye being unstable. So there are significant risks that your vision could be affected.
So can you make a claim if laser eye surgery has caused complications? It comes down to proving that negligence has occurred.
If you suffer due to an inherent risk that was explained to you prior to the treatment, and you therefore accepted this risk, making a claim is difficult. Where is the negligence if you suffer because of an unfortunate inherent risk, especially if this has been outlined to you before undertaking the treatment?
If, however, you suffer from a risk that you were not made aware of or did not agree to, you may be able to claim if knowledge of the risk would have changed your opinion about having the treatment. Proving this normally comes down to what your paperwork says. It’s all about evidence.
So what other eye surgery is there that can cause problems?
Cataract Eye Surgery
Cataracts are cloudy / blurry patches in the lens that block light from passing through and ultimately obscure a person’s vision. Over time, they can become worse. Cataract eye surgery is, according to the NHS, one of the most common and quickest forms of eye surgery. Again, there are risks to take in to account. The NHS website outlines the following:
- Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) – caused by part of the lens thickening and resulting in cloudy vision. This can occur in almost half of patients and is corrected with further surgery.
- Infection in the eye.
- Bleeding in the eye.
- Swelling.
- Tearing of the lens,
- Retinal detachment.
- Inability to remove all of the cataract(s).
- General damage to the eye.
Again, whether you can make a claim if something goes wrong after eye surgery is down to the cause of the problem. If the surgeon made a mistake, and this can be proved, you may have a claim for personal injury compensation. If the risks were not properly explained to you, there may be a claim for failing to advise.
For advice about making a personal injury compensation claim for eye surgery gone wrong, call our free claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75.
Information Sources: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Eyehealth/Pages/Lasers.aspx
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cataract-surgery/Pages/Introduction.aspx
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cataract-surgery/Pages/Risks.aspx
