Laser eye surgery left author ?unable to see?

A children’s author was left with blurred vision after an eye surgeon tore her left cornea, a hearing was told.

Jan Fearnley, 41, one of the most successful author-illustrators of her generation, had hoped that Dr Haralabos Eleftheriadis could correct her sight so she could swim and cycle without contact lenses.

But shortly after the Lasik surgery began Dr Eleftheriadis, 43, removed the equipment from her eye and apologised. He later told Mrs Fearnley that her eye had “reacted” to the blade during the laser surgery at the Ultralase clinic in Guildford, Surrey, in April 2005.

Mrs Fearnley, who is short-listed for a Blue Peter Award and the Children’s Book Award for her Mr Wolf’s Pancakes, wept as she told the General Medical Council on Monday: “My vision is my livelihood.”

The author and illustrator had to have two operations to correct the damage but still has blurred vision and sees double lines when she reads with her left eye. She told the panel: “I was waiting for the pressure to start. There seemed to be a bit of fumbling and something was put on my eye then taken off. I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t right.’

“There was just silence and a bit more fumbling about, then the equipment was taken off my eye.” The hearing was told the Dr Eleftheriadis then said to her: “I am really sorry, I can’t proceed with the laser.

“Later I was told it was because I had small eyes and I was really shocked to hear that, because I had sat through hours of tests.” The surgery is designed to improve a patient’s sight by permanently changing the shape of the cornea, the thin clear covering over the iris.

A knife is used to cut a flap in the cornea, which is then folded back to reveal the middle of the cornea.

Mrs Fearnley was left with an “incomplete flap” or “buttonholed flap” when the cornea in her left eye was torn.

Giving evidence yesterday, Dr Eleftheriadis said he had to change the suction ring, which is used in the surgery, to a smaller one when he couldn’t get Mrs Fearnley’s eye open. After the change, Dr Eleftheriadis told the panel he tried to obtain suction using a special foot pedal “just once”. Shortly afterwards Dr Eleftheriadis realised the eye had ‘buttonholed’ and he stopped the procedure.

“I explained to her that the flap on the left eye was not of good quality and it was not safe to proceed. I did not say anything about small eyes.”

He added: “I feel very, very sorry for her having a buttonhole and the impact that had on her life.” He told the panel that he has carried out 3,500 Lasik procedures since 2002 and Mrs Fearnley’s “buttonholed” left eye was the only one he had ever had.

Dr Eleftheriadis, of Northwood, north-west London, admits having difficulty placing the suction ring on the left eye but he denies attempting to obtain suction more than once.

He denies his conduct was inappropriate, unprofessional and not in Mrs Fearnley’s best interests. The doctor now practices in Southend, Essex.

The hearing continues.

Source: Telegraph 

 

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