LASIK eye surgery is a procedure intended to correct common eye disorders known as refractive errors and eliminate or reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses. LASIK procedures have increased in popularity over the last few years. Not surprisingly, the number of laser eye surgery negligence claims reported by Doctors insured by the Medical Defence Union has also increased.
The technique involves the removal of superficial corneal tissue under a protective corneal flap. The removal of this tissue alters the curvature of the cornea, allowing better focusing of light on to the retina.
Pre-operative evaluation is vital as it is necessary to assess how much of the stromal bed should be removed. Normal patients have a cornea that is usually 550-600 microns thick. At least 250 microns of the stromal bed should remain during LASIK surgery to reduce the risk of corneal instability caused by excessive thinning of the stromal bed. However, if a patient presents with an already thin cornea i.e. less than 550 microns, this limits the amount of stromal bed that can be ablated during the procedure. If the safety margin is unknown because pre assessment has not been undertaken, or not been evaluated correctly, there is a risk that too much tissue will be removed during the procedure resulting in loss of normal cornea stability.
Possible Complications of Laser Eye Surgery:-
Haze or scarring
Over or under correction
Infection
Corneal erosions
Rise in eye fluid pressure
Halo effect
Whilst over 90% of eye laser procedures result in a pleasing outcome for the patient, around 1% will develop complications following surgery so it is important that potential side effects, alternative treatments and realistic expected outcomes are clearly discussed with the patient before embarking on this type of procedure.
JMW Solicitors have one of the most experienced and respected medical and clinical negligence compensation claims teams in the UK. We are able to deal with cases using public funding (formerly Legal Aid) or No Win No Fee in appropriate cases. If after talking to us you decide not to take matters further you are under no obligation to do so and you will not be charged for our initial advice session.
For an assessment of your potential claim, please click here to complete our online enquiry form and one of our specialists will contact you shortly or please contact us on 0845 402 0001.
