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LASIK and Vision Loss: Is my Virginia Doctor Giving Me All the Facts?

Ever since the procedure was introduced, LASIK has been the most commonly performed surgery in the United States. There are a number of TV ads claiming how fast, easy and effective LASIK is, that you can "throw away your glasses," that there's no reason to live without the fullest extent of your vision.

Unfortunately, many LASIK patients end up losing more than they gain.

Find out if your LASIK error is a case of malpractice in our FREE book: Do I Have A Case? A Patient's Guide to Virginia Medical Negligence Law.

LASIK surgery errors in Virginia are fairly common, but most patients have no idea how much they are risking when they enter the operating room. They buy into the advertising idea that the procedure is quick and painless-and above all, completely safe.

But those LASIK surgery ads are chock full of misleading information. For example:

• Inaccurate clinical information. Beware of any LASIK advertising that cites facts and figures, such as "effective in 90 percent of patients," without backing them up with references.
• Not telling the whole truth. While it's true that many people will no longer require eyeglasses after LASIK, it depends entirely on your prescription. Some patients who "threw away their glasses" may still need them for driving or reading.
• Lack of adequate safety warnings. Watch out for any LASIK ad that claims the surgery is "clinically proven to be safe" in lieu of full safety information.

Many patients are also unaware that the LASIK procedure is highly automated, using lasers to shape the patient's cornea. Laser-assisted surgery carries its own set of risks, since the laser is programmed to perform the procedure rather than guided by a surgeon's hand. Some surgeons will perform the procedure on people who are not good candidates, such as those with irregular corneas, dry eye, or cataracts, effectively making their vision problems even worse.

As experienced Fairfax medical malpractice attorneys, we know that many people who trusted misinformation from their surgeons suffered serious consequences, including dry eye, over-corrected vision, halos, double vision, eye infections and even vision loss.

If your doctor failed to warn you about the risks of LASIK surgery, we can help you seek compensation. Contact Shevlin Smith today at (703) 591-0067 for a free consultation.

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