Who is an unsuitable candidate for LASIK surgery?
Patients who are not good candidates include:
- Keratoconus — Patients with this condition, a gradual thinning and extension of the cornea, can become blind as the membrane further deteriorates after surgery. They should never have LASIK.
- Thin cornea — The cornea continues to bend after surgery. It must be sufficiently thick to withstand the procedure. The ophthalmologist should measure the width of the cornea before the surgery to (a) determine how much tissue to remove and (b) verify its thickness. Some doctors leave this task to medical technicians who may measure it incorrectly.
- Dry eyes — People who have a history of dry eyes are at greater risk for chronic or permanent dry eye syndrome after surgery.
- Large pupils — In LASIK surgery, incisions are cut and the top flap of the cornea is peeled back to remove the inner layers. The tiny scars from the incisions can overlap the area of a wide pupil, resulting in starbursts, halos, ghosts or double vision.
- Instability — The shape of the cornea changes throughout life. A person who has had a new prescription for glasses or contacts in the last 12 months is not a good candidate for LASIK.
- Glaucoma and other eye disease (or a family history of such) is a red flag for a prudent ophthalmologist.
- Prior eye surgery (refractive surgery, cataract surgery or other eye surgeries) may make a person an unsuitable candidate for LASIK.
- Past eye injury may also disqualify a person.
- Women who are pregnant, breast-feeding, menopausal or on birth control should not have LASIK because hormone levels can affect the shape of the cornea.
- Anyone at higher risk of eye injury (participants in contact sports, for instance) should think twice about LASIK. An eye injury while healing could cause irreversible damage.
Our LASIK Surgery Medical Malpractice Attorneys Can Help You
We Represent Eye Surgery Injury Victims Throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Even if you signed an “informed consent” waiver prior to your surgery, you may have a case for malpractice if the doctor failed to address your risk factors or encouraged you to proceed with surgery in spite of known contraindications when you were not a good candidate.
Our experienced trial lawyers have secured millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts in personal injury cases. If you think you were an unsuitable candidate for LASIK and did not receive adequate medical assessment before your surgery, call 866-720-4699 or contact our lawyers online for a free initial consultation.
We represent clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey in eye surgery medical malpractice claims, including lawsuits demonstrating why you were not a good candidate for surgery in the first place.
