Glaucoma is a serious eye condition in which the optic nerve of the patient deteriorates gradually. Glaucoma surgery is the only proven treatment for this eye problem. In this surgery, the pressure on the eye is reduced to slow down the deterioration of the optic nerves. Like all other surgical procedures, glaucoma surgery is also associated with certain risks. However, the ultimate result of the surgery depends on the competence of the surgeon. Because of new technological advancements in the surgical industry with invention of new tools and equipment, the success rates of the surgeries have gone up. However, there have also been instances of medical malpractices because of these new technologies and tools. This is the one of the reasons why glaucoma or retina expert witness is recognized all over.
Benefits vs. risks of glaucoma surgery:
Though there has several risks associated with these surgeries, the surgery has an excellent success rate. As far as surgical interference of glaucoma cases are concerned, the advantages typically prevail over them. Before discussing how the benefits prevail over the risks, let’s take a look at some of the risks associated with the surgery. If you feel that you’ve sustained injuries or any of the complications mentioned below, get in touch with an attorney. These attorneys retain expert witnesses depending on the case. For instance, if you have cataract related malpractices, the attorney will seek help from a cataract surgery expert witness. Some of the complications are as follows:
- Bleeding in the eye
- Loss of vision
- Eye infections
- Hypotony or low eye pressure
- Formation of scarring cataract
Now you’ll learn each of the risks in detail and why the benefits of the surgery overrule them.
- Vision loss– After a glaucoma surgery, you might face vision problems temporarily. Note that there can be temporary or permanent vision loss due to surgical errors but this a very rare occurrence. So you can expect that this surgery will benefit you in the long run.
- Bleeding– Even with the best-quality tools and techniques, there can be surgical malpractices. One of the uncommon complications is internal bleeding in the eye, eye infections and formation of fluid pocket behind the retina. Internal bleeding is a very serious complication and you should consult your surgeon prior to surgery. If you take blood-thinner medications, your surgeon might ask you to stop.
- Low eye pressure– The surgeons make use of sterile techniques to prevent eye infections after a surgery. They’ll give you antibiotics before, during and after the surgery to prevent infections. There can be a malpractice claim if the doctor fails to evaluate the previous medical history of the patient or fails to prescribe medications needed for the surgery. If these infections are detected early, it can be treated with antibiotic drops.
Although glaucoma surgery can be beneficial and improve vision, the damages already happened due to glaucoma will be considered permanent. However, you need to get in touch with a glaucoma surgery expert witness if you face complications after a surgery due to the negligence of the ophthalmologist.
