Each year, over two million cataract surgeries are performed in the United States, making it one of the most common procedures in the country. While most of these surgeries go well, some actually end up worsening a patient’s condition instead of improving it. If you or someone close to you has experienced deterioration of vision after cataract surgery, it is important to reach out to a skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorney who can protect your rights and help you seek the compensation you deserve for your harm.
According to the Mayo Clinic, cataract surgery is a procedure to remove the lens of your eye and, in most cases, replace it with an artificial lens. A cataract causes the lens of a person’s eye, which is typically clear, to become cloudy. This can significantly affect a person’s vision. Over an extended period of time, cataracts can cause loss of vision. An ophthalmologist performs cataract surgery on an outpatient basis.
As mentioned earlier, cataract surgery is extremely common and is generally safe. However, the following complications can arise: bleeding, infection, glaucoma, hemorrhage, loss of vision, retinal detachment, secondary cataract, or excessive swelling. Of course, this list is not exhaustive. When a patient suffers an adverse outcome from cataract surgery, many times, further treatment or surgery is needed to correct the problem.
If your injury was caused by the error or carelessness of an ophthalmologist, you may be able to recover compensation through a surgical malpractice claim. Surgical malpractice is a type of medical negligence. It occurs when a surgeon acts in a manner that deviates from the standard of care in the medical community, causing an injury to a patient. In the context of cataract surgery, an ophthalmologist commits surgical malpractice when he or she causes harm to a patient by failing to adhere to the level of care that a reasonably prudent ophthalmologist would have used under the same or similar circumstances. It is important to note that direct and proximate causation is a key piece of establishing surgical malpractice.
If surgical malpractice is successfully established, the injured patient may be able to seek a variety of damages in his or her case. These damages typically include medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses arising from the ophthalmologist’s negligence. The exact dollar amount that a plaintiff will receive will depend on the specifics of his or her case.
A person’s eyes are instrumental to absolutely everything that person does in a day. As a result, any trouble with the eyes can seriously interfere with a person’s quality of day-to-day life. If your eyesight has been adversely affected by a cataract surgery, we may be able to help. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore ophthalmology negligence attorney can review the circumstances of your injury and determine if you are eligible to file a claim. Time is of the essence in these cases, so it is important to act quickly after you suspect something is wrong. To speak to an attorney in more detail, call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.
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