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Written by Sita Soni

Boyes Turner’s medical negligence lawyers have secured a settlement for a client who was left blind in one eye after negligent eye surgery.

Our client had a past history of eye surgery, and attended the eye casualty department of the defendant hospital with blurring of vision resulting in the ability only to see light and dark. On examination by a junior doctor our client was advised that a lens implant had dropped within the back of the eye.

Our client was booked into a consultant ophthalmic eye surgeon’s clinic the next day but was seen by a different surgeon who confirmed that the lens implant had dropped to the back of the eye and that an operation was needed to remove and replace the lens. Whilst waiting for an operation date, our client paid privately to see an ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Hospital, who advised that the (dropped) lens implant needed to be removed as soon as possible to avoid damage to the eye.

Wrong sized lens implanted during eye surgery performed by different surgeon without our client’s informed consent

Our client then received an operation date from the defendant hospital. Consent for the operation was given on the basis that the consultant ophthalmic surgeon would carry out the surgery. Following the operation to remove the dislocated lens and insert an anterior chamber lens, our client learned that the surgery had been performed by the other surgeon. Our client’s vision did not improve after surgery. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to seek help from the defendant hospital eye surgeons, our client was advised at Moorfields that the visual problems arose from movement of the new lens, which was too small.

Haemorrhage within the eye leads to permanent loss of vision

Eventually the lens was replaced privately, but in the meantime, the eye had been permanently damaged, and the pressure built up to dangerous levels. This required an aqueous shunt procedure to reduce the increasing eye pressure, but following this the client suffered a suprachoroidal haemorrhage causing permanent loss of vision in the eye.

Claiming compensation

We pursued our client’s claim against the defendant hospital on the basis that the surgery inserting the new, incorrectly sized lens and our client’s subsequent care were negligent, and the surgeon who performed the operation did so without our client’s informed consent. If the surgery had been carried out by the consultant, using the correct implant, and/or correct follow up care had been given, our client would have made a good recovery and kept the vision in the left eye.

The defendant hospital initially fought the claim but eventually admitted liability for our client’s injury. We obtained judgment and after further investigation of our client’s visual impairment, now and in the future, we met with the defendants and negotiated an out of court settlement of our client’s claim.

If you or a family member have been seriously injured as a result of medical negligence and would like to find out more about making a claim, contact us by email at mednegclaims@boyesturner.com.