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Another ophthalmologist in the US has been banned from carrying out
laser eye surgery procedures after being found guilty of failing to ensure his patients safety during and after surgery.
The doctor, who has been sued some 50 times since the 1990s for medical malpractice, was accused of mishandling laser eye surgeries and failing to "properly manage treatment of post-operative complications".
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has suspended Dr Nicholas Caro's medical license for 30 days and have placed him on probation for three years.
As well as fining him USD 10,000 (£6,600), the department also banned him from "performing procedures aimed at changing the curvature of the cornea, which includes Lasik surgeries".
The case highlights the risk that patients take when they subject themselves to permanent cornea-altering surgery - such as the Lasik system.
As the procedure is invasive there is an inherent amount of risk associated with it already.
However, coupled with the possibility of medical malpractice the risks can be significant.
Writing for the Injury Board, attorney Barry Doyle said: "The doctor might fail to properly inform the patient about the risks involved with the procedure, the doctor may use the laser device incorrectly, he or she may provide inadequate post-operative care, or may not follow up with the patient in an appropriate amount of time."
An alternative to
laser eye surgery is the use of I-GO Ortho K corrective lenses.
Worn by myopia sufferers during the night, the lenses gently reshape the eye giving people perfect vision during the day without the need to wear contact lenses or glasses.
Wearing overnight lenses offers all the benefits of
laser eye surgery without any of the inherent risk.
Some 86 per cent of people who use I-GO overnight corrective lenses achieve correction with their first set of contact lenses.
Eye Health: Find out if i-GO over night contact lenses will suit you.
By Nick Howard
