Patient Experiences Massive Eye Damage During Nonsurgical Procedure

Case Overview

This case takes place in Pennsylvania and involves serious injuries to the Plaintiff’s eye following a routine surgical procedure. The Plaintiff, a female who worked as an air traffic controller, was scheduled to undergo an endoscopy to evaluate possible stomach bleeding. The patient, who had a previous medical history of degenerative eye disease which had required two cornea implants, asked the Defendant physicians how her eyes would be protected during the procedure, at which point the Defendants assured her that she would be fine. However, according to the surgical records, the patients eyes were only tapped during the procedure, rather than comprehensively protected by goggles. Additionally, records indicated that the patient was kept in a prone position during the procedure, and that no attempts were made to check or monitor the patient’s inter-ocular pressure. The patient was also given a number of drugs to facilitate the procedure, including Succinylcholine, which has been known to raise ocular pressure. When the patient awoke from the procedure, she immediately complained of serious pain in her right eye. It was observed that the globe and been ruptured, and that some of the eye’s vitreous contents had been expelled, with part of the patient’s original cornea implant protruding from the eye. An ophthalmologist who examined the patient observed that her vision was severely compromised, and emergency surgery was performed to repair the damage. Since the operation, the Plaintiff experienced multiple retina detachments, which resulted in the complete and permanent loss of vision in her right eye. As a result of these injuries, she is no longer able to perform her previous duties as an air traffic controller.