While cataract surgery is very common, it is not risk-free. If you have experienced complications after cataract surgery, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our seasoned Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys can examine the specifics of your injury and determine whether malpractice occurred. You can rest assured that we can fight to protect your rights at every step of the way.
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye that adversely affects a person’s vision. Typically, cataracts affect older people. In fact, by the age of 80, more than half of all Americans have had a surgery to correct a cataract in either one eye or both eyes. While a cataract can happen in both eyes, it is not contagious.
Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the country. According to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, approximately 3 million people in the United States receive cataract surgery annually. Cataract surgery is a procedure to remove the lens of your eye, in most cases replacing it with an artificial lens. An ophthalmologist performs cataract surgery on an outpatient basis. While the procedure has an extremely high success rate, there are always risks associated with any surgical procedure, and cataract surgery is no exception. Risks associated with cataract surgery include the following:
- Excess bleeding;
- Infection;
- Inflammation;
- High or low eye pressure;
- Retinal detachment;
- Glaucoma;
- Hemorrhage;
- Vision loss;
- Redness;
- Secondary cataract.
Just because you have suffered an unexpected or adverse outcome after cataract surgery does not necessarily mean that medical malpractice occurred. Medical malpractice, in the context of cataract surgery, takes place when an ophthalmologist fails to provide the level of care and caution that a reasonably prudent ophthalmologist with similar training would have provided in the same situation. The level of care and caution that is required in each case will vary based on the patient’s specific condition, age, medical history, and other relevant factors.
In order to establish medical malpractice, the injured patient must demonstrate the following: i) the ophthalmologist owed a duty of care to the patient; ii) the ophthalmologist breached the duty of care owed to the patient by providing negligent or substandard care; and iii) the ophthalmologist’s breach was a direct cause of the patient’s injury. It is important to note that medical malpractice could also take place after the surgery in cases in which the surgeon fails to provide the patient with proper instructions about how to care for the eye.
If you have suffered vision loss or an adverse consequence as a result of a cataract surgery, you need to reach out to a skilled Syracuse surgical malpractice attorney who can help. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our goal is to help you deal with the malpractice by pursuing the compensation you deserve for your harm. You can trust that we know how to build a strong case for you. To talk to us in more detail, give us a call at 833-200-2000 or contact us online.
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Orthopedist Malpractice in Syracuse, Syracuse Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 26, 2018
Neurosurgery Malpractice in Syracuse, Syracuse Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 23, 2018