Chicago Injury Attorney Blog

According to the Chicago Tribune, Dr. Nicholas Caro, a Chicago eye doctor, has been sued for Illinois medical malpractice in Cook County nearly 50 times since the early 90's—29 of the Chicago personal injury complaints were filed within the last 10 years. Yet he is still allowed to practice medicine in the state. This, even though Illinois’s chief medical prosecutor recommended over a year ago that the state suspend or revoke Caro’s medical license or discipline him in another manner.

To date, no disciplinary measures have been taken against Caro, who still performs eye operations on patients. In the last 25 years, the ophthalmologist has performed about 25,000 eye procedures. Caro says that because he is a high-volume surgeon and we live in a litigious society, it is inevitable that some patients will sue him for medical malpractice.

The Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company, however, says that about 75% of eye specialists that have been practicing for at least 25 years have had no more than three medical malpractice cases filed against them. The Chicago Tribune says that when it checked the medical records of more than 12 other Chicago Lasik doctors, none of them had been named as defendants in more than 12 lawsuits.

The state’s division of professional regulation has been criticized for being too slow when it comes to dealing with doctors that have been called dangerous or incompetent. Monitoring deficiencies, inadequate staffing, and poor disciplinary measures are some of the problems cited in the Illinois auditor general’s 2006 report about the division.

The outcomes of a few of the Chicago medical malpractice cases against Caro:

An Illinois jury awarded Nicholas Pucek over $800,000 for his botched Lasik procedure. Within a six week-period following the surgery, he sought medical attention over a dozen times to treat medical complications. Pucek eventually had to get a cornea transplant.

Karen Thiel’s botched eye surgery left her with eye infections, permanent pain loss, and vision problems. She also had to retire early because it became hard for her to do her clerical job. A jury awarded her $500,000.

61-year-old Joseph Smith says that because Caro botched his Chicago Lasik surgery, he has an irregular, scarred cornea. He also had to undergo lens implantation and removal. He filed his Chicago lasik malpractice lawsuit last year.

Lasik Surgeries
Lasik surgery is supposed to correct a person’s vision. Yet, according to Surgical Eyes Foundation, 3% of Lasik patients—30,000 patients in 2001—will experience lasting side effects that could actually impair their vision, affect their ability to engage in ordinary activities, or cause serious eye injuries.

Lasik lawsuits: Disciplinary proceedings lag against Chicago doctor, Chicago Tribune, July 8, 2009

LASIK Risks, Complications, Side Effects, Problems, LasikComplications

Related Web Resources:
St. George Corrective Vision Center

The Dangers Of Laser Surgery, CBS News, June 4, 2002