Complications in Cataract Procedure : NCDRC dismisses complaint against Centre for Sight

“posterior capsule rupture with or without vitreous loss is a known per operative complication of cataract surgery. Anterior vitrectomy with or without Anterior chamber IOL is one of the recommended procedures to manage such events, which was undertaken by the surgeon in this case. In the post-operative period, the patient did not regain useful vision, because of vitreous hemorrhage. The Intra Ocular Pressure was high and did not respond to medical management.

The causes of vitreous hemorrhage following cataract surgery are multifactorial. In patients with diabetic retinopathy there is a high incidence of vitreous hemorrhage. It could also have occurred due to bleeding from the wound site or uveal tissue during the surgery. Raised intra-ocular pressure, post operatively could be due to vitreous hemorrhage or vitreous in the anterior chamber. Such glaucomas are often non-responsive to medical treatment and may require vitreous surgery (pars plana vitrectomy).

The patient was advised pars plana vitrectomy under guarded visual prognosis at Centre for Sight. However he went to Army Hospital for further treatment.”

Consumer Protection Act (CPA) should not be a "halter round the neck" of doctors to make them fearful and apprehensive of taking professional decisions at crucial moments to explore possibility of reviving patients hanging between life and death." Also said that “Doctors in complicated cases have to take chance even if the rate of survival is low. A doctor faced with an emergency ordinarily tries his best to redeem the patient out of his suffering. He does not gain anything by acting with negligence or by omitting to do an act,” It further observed as, "It is a matter of common knowledge that after some unfortunate event, there is a marked tendency to look for a human factor to blame for an untoward event, a tendency which is closely linked with the desire to punish"