Posted 17 July: 'A few days ago I was contacted by the family of yet another person irreparably damaged by refractive eye surgery.
Tragically they couldn’t go on ?’
www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/ind...iscuss/12722-tribute
More details and names of all parties will be published nearer the time of the inquest, scheduled later this year, but for the purpose of this post I am anonymising with pseudonyms:
• Deceased patient: Tristan
• Partner: Martha
• Operating consultant surgeon: Dr Salmon
• 2nd consultant surgeon: Dr Weasel
In December 2019, considering refractive lens exchange, after what he thought was enough extensive research, Tristan decided on Optegra Eye Hospital, not only because of their advertising as a hospital (remember Bobby Qureshi/London Eye Hospital?), but having also seen TV ads and YouTube videos over the years in which Ruth Langsford gushed unrestrained praise for #Clarivu (Optegra’s brand name for refractive lens exchange).
Ruth Langsford was paid lots of money to tell people ‘Do it, do it, do it’ (see below) but husband Eamonn Holmes took no notice and sensibly stuck to his reading specs!
Tristan met with Dr Salmon at Optegra in January 2020, and given no information about possible serious risks he was subsequently fitted with trifocal ZEISS Vision Care lenses.
Within weeks he was experiencing post op problems - incl haloes, which an optom assured him would improve with time! - but by April Tristan’s problems were worsening, with no sign of improvement.
He was advised that he could have an explant, the trifocal lens removed and replaced with a monofocal lens, but that he would then have to wear glasses.
Tristan was happy to accept this option.
He had called Optegra many times over the months for help and advice, pleaded to see Dr Salmon, who I understand has not worked at Optegra Eye Hospital since lockdown, and finally, toward the end of June, he was given an appointment with Dr Weasel.
Prior to this appointment, to better understand his options, Tristan carried out plentiful research, reading numerous medical articles.
Arrogantly - and tragically, Dr Weasel unsympathetically dismissed his colleagues' clinical opinions, and Tristan’s own research, insisting that the only real option was YAG laser, with scary and negative reasons not to have an explant (guessing he is not a specialist in this field, or was trying to save Optegra ££).
Dr Weasel destroyed any hope Tristan held for the recovery of his vision, and he left the consultation in utter despair.
Tristan wrote a number of letters to close family members, and asked Martha to tell people why he had done this in a detailed blog on his phone - written right up until the moment he hanged himself.
Whilst the GMC and lawyers will have to decide whether Dr Salmon was at fault in any way, Martha lays the blame for Tristan’s desperate last act firmly at Dr Weasel’s door.
In response to Martha’s Subject Access Request, it took three attempts before Optegra's lawyers finally disclosed Tristan’s medical records and notes in an acceptable format.
All about ££££££!
PRESS ENQUIRIES: sasha@mybeautifuleyes.co.uk :kiss: