Lasik Eye Surgery Risks: Vision Loss Lawyers, Corrective Procedure Side Effects, Attorneys, Injury, Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

Risks of LASIK Eye Surgery May Be Understated
LASIK News & Lawyers Updates

In the United States, more than a million people each year have corrective laser eye surgery, and about 50,000 of those suffer vision problems or vision loss due to failure of the laser equipment or medical malpractice.

Laser assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) centers can be found just about anywhere – in shopping malls, office buildings and health clinics. With so much competition, LASIK practitioners often resort to false and misleading advertisements about their high success rates with the “virtually risk free” eye surgery. Rarely are the serious side effects of the procedure mentioned.

Many patients have said they were never fully informed of the severe problems that could result from the surgery, and that has become the reason behind hundreds of medical malpractice lawsuits have already been filed against laser eye surgeons. According to the Food and Drug Administration, here are some of the life-altering risks rarely mentioned in LASIK advertisements:

Loss of vision. Some patients lose lines of vision on the vision chart that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery as a result of treatment.
Debilitating visual symptoms. Some patients develop glare, halos and/or double vision that can seriously affect nighttime vision.
Undertreatment or overtreatment. Only a certain percent of patients achieve 20/20 vision without glasses or contacts. You may require additional treatment, but additional treatment may not be possible.
Severe dry eye syndrome. As a result of surgery, your eye may not be able to produce enough tears to keep the eye moist and comfortable.
Poor results. Results are generally not as good in patients with very large refractive errors of any type.
Results don't last. For some farsighted patients, results may diminish with age.

LASIK eye surgery is still considered new technology. The first laser was approved for LASIK in 1998. The long-term safety and effectiveness of LASIK surgery is not known. The Federal Trade Commission is now cautioning that LASIK surgery is "too new to know if there are any long-term ill effects beyond five years after surgery."

Problems with the surgery are getting more attention because of an increase in malpractice lawsuits. In addition, recent bankruptcies have prompted laser eye clinics to close, causing scores of patients to scramble for follow-up medical care.

LASIK EYE SURGERY LAWYERS / ATTORNEYS
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or vision loss due to LASIK eye surgery, you should consider receiving a free legal evaluation from an experienced LASIK lawyer. For a free evaluation of your situation please complete the following form and a LASIK attorney will contact you promptly -- free of charge.

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Please know that you are not considered a client of this firm until your case has been accepted by us and you have signed a formal retainer agreement. The information contained in this site is provided as a public service for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a comprehensive statement of the law or, in particular, to contain legal advice. Laws vary from state to state and are subject to change, which could affect the information available on this site. If you have questions regarding any information found on this site, you should consult an attorney who can investigate the particular circumstances of your situation. Persons receiving information found on this site should not act on this information without receiving professional legal counsel. Use of and access to this web site does not create an attorney client relationship between this law firm and the user or browser. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the firm or any individual attorney.

LASIK EYE SURGERY NEWS & UPDATES

Jury Awards Woman $944,000 in Lasik Malpractice Lawsuit
A doctor must pay nearly $1 million to a patient who suffered problems after having Lasik eye surgery. The patient eventually had to have a corneal transplant on one eye and still needs surgery on the other.

Broker wins $7.25M in botched eye surgery suit
New York Daily News
A former Wall Street broker won a $7.25 million civil suit after a botched laser eye surgery that he says left his vision permanently damaged. The award, handed down by a jury in Manhattan Supreme Court, is believed to be the biggest so far in cases involving LASIK surgery.

Know your options before having LASIK surgery
News Leader
The U.S. Food and Drug Agency also suggests that when considering any type of refractive surgery, make sure you compare doctors' equipment and experience. Risks and benefits can vary not only from procedure to procedure, but from device to device depending on the manufacturer, and from surgeon to surgeon depending on their level of experience.

What are the risks and how can I find the right doctor for me?
FDA
Most patients are very pleased with the results of their refractive surgery. However, like any other medical procedure, there are risks involved. That's why it is important for you to understand the limitations and possible complications of refractive surgery.

LASIK risks understated
USA Today
With more than 1 million patients expected to undergo the procedure this year, thousands are learning what the ads don't say: The surgery can cause life-altering complications that sometimes can't be fixed.

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