"doing well"...No matter how bad the situation, the doctor writes it off, dismisses it.

A man that works in the office behind me who had lasik on the Alcon LADARVision a few years ago. He had to be retreated. Everytime I go into his office he tries to hide his preservative free artificial tear vials from me. (He knows I am anti-lasik and think lasik is a terrible procedure; he has a serious case of cognitive dissonance). A few days ago I told him about the Alcon scandal and the retreatment rate (he being one of the victims). A few minutes later I went into his office to give him a copy of the legal brief that outlines the problem with the laser and the coverup by Alcon. He took one look at it and handed it back to me and said "I don't want to read this."

To me, that kind of attitude is what keeps the lasik mill running -- victims who just want to stick their heads in the sand and not know how they industry raped them, lied to them, and left them to live their life with dry eyes and poor vision quality.

I have been helping another man who was considering a retreatment. He had lasik a little over a year ago and was never thrilled with his results, but overall considered himself a success because he hasn't had to wear glasses. His eyes are a little dry -- but hey, he had LASIK, right?!?! I gave him a list of things to ask when he went in to discuss a retreatment and a list of tests that needed to be performed. I told him to get all his records and bring everything to me to review prior to his making a decision about a retreatment. I reviewed his records. Turns out the guy is blessed because he has very small pupils. He was a low hyperope. After lasik he said his left eye was never good. All through his post-op records the OD recorded "doing well", even though he was complaining about the left eye. Well it was easy for me to see what happened to the left eye. They induced a diopter of cylinder and the treatment is quite decentered, despite the use of an eye tracker. Did they ever bother to mention any of this to him? Of course not.. He asked me what he should do. I told him he has plenty of tissue for a retreatment, but I would never recommend it. I looked at his current refraction (he has regressed a little and has the 1D induced cylinder) and said "Please, just go get some glasses. The glasses will help you", and his reply was along the lines of "I didn't have lasik just to end up wearing glasses again!"

"doing well"...

Those words sum up the victimization of patients. No matter how bad the situation, the doctor writes it off, dismisses it. I have seen these words in a patient chart before. A few months ago I reviewed the files of another LASIK casualty. Her pre-op records show she had lattice degeneration, a retainal disease. The doctor knew it and did lasik on her anyway. Within a few weeks her retinas detached. She had several subsequent surgeries to repair the retinas, but they kept detaching. During all of her lasik post-op exams, the doctor recorded in her chart "patient doing well", even though she was complaining of poor vision and a shower of floaters. I could not believe my eyes.... "patient doing well".... with retinal detachment due to his gross negligence! "patient doing well". Those words are haunting to me.... the mindset of these criminals that do this to people. It makes me physically sick. It torments my soul.