Lasik Patient Seeks $180M in Damages

(AP)  A lawsuit filed in South Carolina accuses eye clinics across the country of causing patients serious injury during laser eye-correcting surgery.

Documents filed in federal court on Wednesday accuse TLC LASIK Centers in 30 locations of performing Lasik procedures on patients that had pre-existing conditions that should have kept them from being candidates at all.

FDA Eyes Lasik Surgery
The Dark Side Of Eye Surgery

Beaufort resident John Hollman filed the lawsuit in federal court in Greenville. His attorneys have asked the court for class-action status so other patients can sign on.

Hollman is seeking up to $180 million in damages.

TLC Vision, TLC LASIK Centers' parent company, has filed for bankruptcy. A spokesman for the company did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

[ktjohnston50]

It's too bad this had to happen - but, hopefully all of the patients did their research on the benefits and drawbacks of LASIK surgery so they were properly prepared. I had a great experience with my surgery at Hill Country Eye Center in Austin - http://www.hillcountryeyecenter.com/ - and was happy with the results. I'd recommend them to anyone!

[disc8723e]

This is fda official data for approved lasers.

[disc8723e]

Lasik is elective surgery. Example 1: Laser TECHNOLAS. At 12 months: dryness 41.5% worse, flutuation of vision 33.3% worse, night driving 11.9% worst, glare 17% worst, blurred vision 23.9% worst,..... Example 2: LADARVision. At 6 months: satisfactio with surgery, 10.9% not shure, 11.8% unsatisfied and 3.6% extremely unsatisfied. Contact lenses work very well but they are 10$/month.

[daveruns1234]

I don't want to downplay anyone's complication and there are certainly people who have had bad LASIK results. But these results are only shocking if you don't understand them. Let's take night driving from the Visx study-note that there are no claims about reducing difficulty in night driving. The question was before surgery (when you were wearing glasses or contacts), rate your night driving difficulty. Now 6 months after surgery (no glasses) rate your night driving. 85.2% said it did not change, 12.4% said it got better, and 2.4% said it was worse. A statistician would look at this and say that there was probably no change in night driving difficulty. My guess is that if you did the same test on people that did not have the surgery, that at least 2.4% would report that they had more difficulty in night driving on the same questionnaire six months later.

Wonder what would happen if back surgery was subject to the same scrutiny as LASIK?

[disc8723e]

Hi,Im sending you a complilation of tables from 20 lasers that are approved for lasik . Its fda lasik clinical study data, from fda webpage. Some of those are really quite shocking as coming from the most recent approvals. Fda need to explain this data. Most of this tables are in "patient information booklet" , each laser have its own. Patients dont know this booklets are available for them. http://lifeafterlasik.com/LASIK%20FDALasikData3.pdf kind regards

[daveruns1234]

Sensationalism is driving this story. LASIK results are much better than this story paints them. The 5% dissatisfied share includes all those who thought they would see better than 20/20 and weren't satisfied. What percentage of the population is always dissatisfied with everything, regardless? If you look at the percent of people with long term complications that can't be corrected, the numbers don't even round up to 0.1%. Any long term complication is tragic and the stories presented at the FDA meeting two years were heart wrenching. More than 8 million people have had this procedure in the US, 18 million plus worldwide and a very small number have had any significant long term complications. The numbers are small enough that there are no good estimates. At the end of the day, check out the malpractice rates for refractive surgeons. They are among the lowest of any medical specialty. Then ask how many successful LASIK malpractice suits with judgments of more than $1 million-my count on this is five. If 8 million people crossed the street, odds of tripping on the curb and falling are significantly higher. We need some perspective on this issue.

[gnimelf1968]

I had it done two years ago and am still very happy with the results. I wore glasses for 34 years and I can say that this freedom from them is fantastic!

[rwsmith29456]

Anything you take or that cuts on you has risks attached. It's advertised like it's a sure thing and some money-hungry doctors should at least warn patients that sometimes people are worse off and once done, it can't be undone. I have terrible vision and my opthomologist warned me away from such surgeries. I'm glad I paid attention to him.

[barbaram99]

I would never have them do that on my eye..Never..I am legally blind from birth..I know that kind of operation would never help me..I am total in one eye. I heard about this and asked what it is..I haved seen the TV ads about it..I wonder how thru they are. Are they willing to mess with an operation so they don't have to wear glasses. I have to wear glasses and use magifiers. I will never have the sight ye have and enjoy..I know more than most the horrors of an eye doc almost making me sightless. I dressed him down..It was catarcat operation. I was 37. Another doc saved what little sight I have. i AM 55.

[stevador39]

Lawsuits and class action may not work. Criminal charges will see 'doctors' who cause serious injuries and long term damages spend all their 'ill-gotten' gaims trying to stay out of prison.