I can't believe what this dr. did to my mom

[Liz]

My mom has a bad left eye because several years ago her retina detached. She can see out of it but her vision isn't good.

She could see really well with the right eye but things were looking a little dark and she couldn't make out faces if they were far away. She found out she had a cataract on her right eye so last Tues. she had surgery to have it removed.

She's 70 and has never worn glasses in her life. She expected her vision to at least be somewhat better after the surgery. So many people told her it would be wonderful and things would be so much brighter, etc.

Well her right eye is now worse than ever. The doctor admits he tried to make her right eye match her bad left eye. Why would she want her good right eye to match her bad left eye??? He said he thought it would make her dizzy or something if her right eye was a lot better than her left so he made her nearsighted on purpose. She now can't see even the TV as clearly as before and can't make out people's faces if they are as far away as 6'. For some reason she can still see to drive, THANKFULLY.

He said the only options now are to repeat the surgery, which he wouldn't recommend because the risk of hemmoraging is high or get glasses. I just think this is unbelieveable that he would do such a thing. Of course he never told her this was his intention before the surgery or she never would have let him do it.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

How Awful.shame on the Dr.i hope your mother does well

 

[nativetxn]

That seems pretty unbelievable to me, too. Outrageous. I've never heard anything like this. I'm so sorry to hear it

 

[minniecarousel]

WOW! My DM had her second cataract surgery last week - things are a little "jumpy" but should be back to normal soon.
That's just not reasonable for the doctor to not discuss what he was doing ahead of time with her! (My DM is 86 so either I go with her or one of my sisters - we always make sure she knows whats going on!)
Hopefully, glasses will help your DM!

 

[Rajah]

I'm not one to quickly jump out and go "sue sue sue!" but in this case, I think it would be justified. That was absolutely horrible of him, and he in effect lied to her about his plans if he intended all along to make her eyes match and make her vision *worse*. I'd personally call a lawyer and see what my rights were in this situation.

 

[Mamu]

And doctors wonder why they get sued.

 

[Serena]

If that's what happened. I would sue him so fast his head would spin. That is ridiculous, and especially for not telling her what his plans were.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

OMG! He sounds like a total creep! Maybe he isn't being truthful and performed an error and "said" he tried to match the eye.
I find this outrageous. Why would a doctor deliberately almost blind someone???

 

[PamOKW]

I think the first thing to do is get a second opinion from another doctor. With cataract surgery they put in a replacement lens. Sounds like he selected one that would give her less than perfect vision. I don't understand why he would do such a thing or what would be the problem of having one eye much stronger than another. That's why I think you need the advice of another professional to see what to do next.

 

[Liz]

Well she has contacted an attorney now and they told her the first step is to get a 2nd opinion. The first eye doctor she contacted refused to even see her to do this but another one will.

Pam, you are right, the new lens the doctor put in was one leaving her nearsighted. If he would have just told her of his intentions before the surgery she never ever would have gone through with it.