“Interesting Case” – – Patient 1 – – PRK, the “Safer” Alternative to LASIK

When speaking of Hillary Clinton’s recent blood clot, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, from NBC News, explained that the last thing any patient wants to hear her doctor say is “You have an interesting case.”

As a patient for elective eye surgery like LASIK, that is especially true.  Tragically, two of my clients have been “interesting” enough to have articles written about them in the medical literature.  You want to avoid their vision threatening disabilities.

Patient One lives in Georgia. He was evaluated for LASIK surgery.  He had frank keratoconus.  The surgeon recognized that was a contraindication to LASIK surgery.  Instead, he offered the “safer” alternative of PRK eye surgery.  Regrettably, “safer” did not mean “safe.”  The patient became legally blind in both eyes within two weeks after the ill-advised surgery. Here is the medical article discussing the case.

PRK, or surface treatment, is considered safer than LASIK surgery by some refractive surgeons because it does not involve creation of a door-hinge corneal flap.  PRK hurts more than LASIK surgery and takes a little longer to heal, which is why the majority of eye surgeons recommend LASIK.

Still, if your eye doctor tells you that you are not a good candidate for LASIK, but might be for PRK, you should proceed cautiously.  For instance, if your cornea is too thin for LASIK, it still may not be safe for PRK either.  The bottom line here is that there is never a good reason to be aggressive with elective surgery.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a doctor, you should promptly contact an attorney with experience in medical malpractice.  The Law Office of Todd J. Krouner has a proven track record of helping patients injured by LASIK (and other forms of medical malpractice) all over the country.  To determine if you have a strong case, contact us for a free consultation at (914) 238-5800.