Complications of a Cataract Operation?
Philadelphia Cataract Surgery Malpractice Attorneys
Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed operations, and the vast majority of patients emerge from it with improved vision and no complications.
However, you might have a cataract surgery malpractice claim if you:
- Are among the 2 percent of patients who suffered visual impairment, infection or other complications
- Are among the 5 percent who experienced no improvement in vision after enduring an operation and recovery
The experienced trial lawyers of Hill & Associates, P.C. can determine if the adverse outcome of your cataract surgery constitutes medical malpractice. In order to sue for damages, we would have to demonstrate negligence in pre-operative screening, eye surgery error or post-operative negligence.
Cataract Surgery: What Can Go Wrong
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. Like a dirty camera lens, a cataract interferes with your eye's ability to bring images into sharp focus, transmitting a clouded or distorted picture to the brain. Cataracts are a breakdown of natural proteins in the eye. These proteins clump together, growing larger until they affect vision. Common symptoms are nighttime glare, high sensitivity to bright light, blurriness and muted perception of colors.
Cataract surgery is sought when vision is affected beyond the ability of eyeglasses or other aids to counter the effect. The procedure involves surgical removal of the natural lens and replacing it with a plastic intraocular lens (IOL).
Complications include:
- Posterior capsule opacity (PCO): Remnant epithelial cells from your natural lens grow on the capsule around the new intraocular lens. This produces fuzzy vision that can become worse than the cataract! PCO can usually, but not always, be treated successfully with a YAG laser.
- Retinal detachment: In about 1 percent of cataract surgery patients, the trauma of surgery causes the retina to separate from the vitreous (the eyeball). The risk is doubled for patients who have had YAG laser treatment. Retina detachment can occur weeks, months or even years after cataract surgery. Symptoms include flashes of light or "floaters" in the field of vision, requiring prompt treatment to prevent permanent vision impairment.
- Dislocated IOL: The artificial intraocular lens is implanted inside the natural capsule surrounding the lens. If this thin membrane is damaged during surgery, it may later rupture, allowing the IOL to shift. Disturbing double vision or lesser but annoying visual effects result. Surgery to reposition the lens — possibly anchored by sutures — must be performed as soon as possible to avoid scarring and permanent aberrations.
- Loss of Best Corrected Vision: If your vision is no better than before (or worse) because of a doctor's error, you may have a claim for damages, especially if you are no longer a suitable candidate for further surgical intervention.
- Other rare but serious side effects of cataract surgery include: vision loss, droopy eyelid, painful increase in intraocular pressure, and inflammation of the cornea or retina.
Is It Malpractice, or an Unavoidable Risk of Surgery?
Did your surgeon explain the risks or downplay them? Did the doctor follow proper procedure before and during the operation? Were you seen regularly for follow-up visits? Did the ophthalmologist recognize and aggressively treat complications? These are the issues we will investigate in pursuing a cataract surgery malpractice claim.
Contact Hill & Associates, P.C. today to discuss your case in a free initial consultation. Our Philadelphia law firm will represent eye surgical error clients across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
