Print

I had LASIK done in October of 1999 and the vision was fine for a few years. Then in June of 2002 I began to notice a huge difference in my vision. I went back to my optometrist because I was considering a touch up. She recommended that I wait until everything levels off because there were still changes going on with my vision. I went for a second opinion and the optometrist said I definitely need to go back to the surgeon. I eventually went back to the surgeon in Jan of 2003 and he diagnosed me with keratoconus and then passed me on to his optometrist to get fitted for RGPs. Then he assured me that the keratoconus came about after the surgery and wasn't present before. After visiting the surgeon's optometrist 25 times, they decided to refer me directly to the corneal specialist that was designing the lenses. I have been seeing him for well over a year now. I have seen a few other doctors but they all say there is something definitely wrong, but won't comment. No one else would even touch this subject when I asked if this was due to the surgery. Finally, the corneal specialist steps up to say the surgeon was at fault. He said my cornea is steepening and thinning. He stated that keratoconus occurs at a young age and it is even apparent on my topographies before and after the surgery. The optometrist that referred me for LASIK diagnosed this as a corneal abrasion in 1997. She stated it was probably the result of leaving a contact lens in for an extended period of time. My corneal specialist said that a misdiagnosis can indicate an abrasion, but that it is really keratoconus.

Well, after 30 fitments so far we still haven't got the right lens. At the age of 29, I had been wearing contact lenses since the age of 14. My surgery was scheduled for Monday, and I was told the Thursday prior to keep the lenses out of my eyes to give them time to adjust before surgery. The corneal specialist said this is definitely not enough time to allow eyes to adjust if the patient has been wearing lenses consistently for 15 years.

I have been told to seek legal consultation for medical negligence. It is clear that the surgeon and my old optometrist knew of the complication but are trying to downplay it and indicate it occurred after surgery. It is just infuriating to know that he is known as one of the top LASIK surgeons in the US and that this can still happen. I am well aware of the two year statute of limitations, but there has to be some way to extend this considering I was told in January of 2003 and continued there until August of 2003. The doctor should have never performed LASIK if I had keratoconus, instead he says this showed up afterwards. His office also kept delaying sending over all my medical records and color copies of the topographies. In the meantime, we continue to work with RGP lenses in an attempt to fit the off shape of my eye. The steepness of the cone continues to increase and clearly shows on topographies. I would appreciate any advice or insight. I can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Kevin

Global Keratoconus support group at:  http://www.kcglobal.org

 

Keratoconus Support - KC Support is a Keratoconus website resource and family support group for parents, children and adults, whose lives have been affected by Keratoconus.