Eyes
Ophthalmology can involve the treatment of many different eye conditions and can have tremendous results and benefits for the patients concerned in saving or improving sight and one area of increasing popularity in the UK is treatment with laser surgery. As with any eye surgery, there are risks involved and problems do occur.
Laser surgery was first introduced to treat moderate levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. LASIK (Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) treatment was then introduced to correct moderate to high levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. The attraction of this is that surgery can be completed under local anaesthetic at outpatients’ appointments because it is relatively quick to do and the recovery is quick.
Despite often being nervous about laser eye surgery, many people assume correct procedures will be followed and rely heavily on the skills of their doctors and surgeons.
It is important, for example, that doctors identify anything that the patient suffers from that could effect or risk the surgery. Doctors should screen their patients for diseases such as inflammation of the eye, large pupils, thin corneas or dry eyes. Other screening for retinal detachment, glaucoma and malignancy should also take place. If problems before surgery are not identified they can lead to complications ranging from relatively minor problems such as pain and sensitivity, to catastrophic complications such as corneal scarring or even blindness.
It is important that the doctor informs the patient of the risks involved in the treatment before it is carried out. Although it is not necessary for a doctor to warn a patient of every risk, they have a duty to inform patients of likely risks, or those risks which could lead to very serious conditions like blindness.
The surgeon too must obviously perform the surgery with extreme care as failure to do so could cause significant damage. Where problems arise, it is important to be able to decide if this was due to a negligent act by the surgeon. It is then important to have the knowledge and understanding of such cases to prove it. That’s where our solicitors can help.
If you have suffered as a result of a medical accident or because of sub-standard care or management, the law can help you find out what happened and why, and in some cases recover compensation for your suffering. Contact us for further information.