Texas Woman Sues Maker of LADARVision
Victim says eyes were injured by Alcon Laser System
Dallas, TX (PRWEB via PR Web Direct)
February 4, 2005 -- A Lubbock County, Texas woman is suing the Fort Worth maker
of a laser system used by doctors to perform LASIK eye surgery. According to the
lawsuit, Sandra Brown v. Alcon Manufacturing, L.T.D. and Alcon Laboratories,
Inc., the LADARVision laser is defective (Case #236-209603-05 District Court
Tarrant County Texas 236th Judicial District). The lawsuit accuses Alcon of
ignoring warnings that may have prevented additional injuries.
A surgeon
performed LASIK surgery on Dr. Brown, a fellow ophthalmologist, in April 2001,
using the LADARVision laser. During the surgery, the laser performed erratically
and removed too little tissue in an asymmetrical pattern from Dr. Brown’s eyes.
As a result, she sustained permanent damage to her eyes resulting in limited
vision. Unfortunately for Dr. Brown, at this time, her vision cannot be repaired
by medical or surgical interventions.
“I specifically waited for the
LADARVision laser machine before having my surgery, and the wait cost me my
vision,” says Dr. Brown. “I now have to live with damaged vision because of a
defect in Alcon's laser. When I started looking into my problem, I realized that
I was not alone and many other people have likewise been hurt by this same
problem.”
While horror stories associated with laser vision correction
are not new, recent disturbing news about the Alcon LADARVision laser may cause
victims to consider whether harm to their eyes was caused by the laser and not
doctors and medical staff.
“In the past, poor surgeries were usually
blamed on the surgeon,” says attorney Joel Fineberg, who represents Dr. Brown.
“There is now mounting evidence that the Alcon LADARVision laser is at the heart
of many of these problems.”
Surgeons throughout the country are
questioning the effectiveness of the laser. In addition, an article authored by
an Alcon consultant in the April 2003 issue of Opthalmology, reveals that
patients treated with the LADARVision laser are twice as likely to need
follow-up surgery. According to an investigative report in the London Times the
rate of required retreatment might be even higher.
“Patients go in
expecting to come out with clearer vision, and many times they come out with
permanent damage,” says Mr. Fineberg. “What we have here is a company that has
decided to ignore serious concerns, raised by a physician, about the safety of
their product.”
To speak with Joel Fineberg about problems associated
with Alcon’s LADARVision, contact Joel Fineberg at (214)219-8828 or Mike
Androvett at (800)559-4534.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb205729.htm