After every operation, no matter how minor, a
doctor should give you a list of things you should and definitely
should not do during your recovery. Lasik Surgery
is no different, and it has a rather lengthy list of things:
Do not rub or squeeze your eyes for one week.
Use eye drops as instructed (these are usually prescribed by your
surgeon).
Wear sunglasses.
Wear the eye shield for the first three nights after the surgery.
No make-up for one week.
Avoid smoke-filled rooms and dusty environments for a few days.
No water activities for 3-4 weeks including swimming, hot tubs,
etc.
No sports for one week.
Call the office if you have severe pain that cannot be controlled
with over-the-counter pain medications.
You should adhere to these instructions or risk
complications from your surgery or even acute infection that could
cost you your vision. A surgeon failing to provide the patient
with adequate post-operative instructions may be negligent, and,
if you have experienced an injury or post-operative complication
as a result of this negligence, you may be entitled to recover
damages. Follow-up visits must be scheduled. A doctor cannot adequately
predict your condition after the operation.
Usually, the physician will schedule visits at
one day, one week, one month, three months, six months, and one
year. Annual follow-up should be stressed because certain complications
(not necessarily related to negligence) may not show up until years
after the surgery has been performed.
During these visits, the patient will be asked
about any vision problems or pain that may be occurring, whether
they notice any change in their vision, and the eye(s) will be
examined to determine how the healing process is progressing. Some
recent cases against LASIK surgeons have shown that those conducting
the follow-up visit would not accurately communicate with the patient
but merely say encouraging things such as “you’re healing
remarkably well” and “your vision is far more improved
than I had predicted! I wasn’t expecting you to be able to
read that line yet.”
Sometimes these statements may be true, but always
ask your physician for an honest follow-up. Ask about scarring,
any problems you may have had, and whether everything seems normal.
As a result of the popularity of LASIK surgery, often-times the
surgeon does not have time to conduct the follow-up and leaves
that duty to an associate such as a head nurse or surgery assistant.
This isn’t necessarily a problem as long as a valid chain
of command is followed.
If you have a valid concern that is noted by the
person conducting the follow-up it should immediately be brought
to the attention of the surgeon so that your inquiry can be addressed
as quickly as possible. However, this doesn’t always happen.
Anytime there are degrees of separation between doctor and patient
information will tend to get lost or miscommunicated.
If this causes you to develop a problem that could
otherwise have been treated then you may be entitled to recover
damages.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to Errors
During A Lasik Procedure, or other complications during Post
Operative Care, please contact one of our Lasik
Attorneys immediately.
