The popularity of lasik surgery has seen the industry flourish overnight, with clinics across the globe competing for a share of the market. Lasik eye surgery is not a cheap procedure and being a non-essential medical treatment, it is often not covered by medical insurance. For those seeking lasik surgery on a limited budget, it is important to ensure that a cheap service provider does not mean a bad lasik procedure that can lead to complications and affect your long term vision.

Bad Lasik Procedures in a Foreign Country

The growing popularity of medical tourism means that travelers can visit their favorite holiday destination for some rest and relaxation while undergoing surgical procedures and therapies which is unaffordable in their home country. Some popular destinations include Mexico, India, Malaysia and South Africa where the currency exchange rate allows American and European visitors to access cost-effective treatments. While there are many reputable service providers in these foreign destinations, there are also a number of unethical, untrained and ill-equipped practitioners that may provide a bad lasik surgery. Less stringent health regulations and questionable medical training in some of these countries means that a practitioner performing bad lasik surgery procedures may be able to avoid detection and litigation while harming patients on a daily basis.

Legal Action for a Bad Lasik Procedure

If you have undergone a bad lasik surgery, you may have grounds for legal action against the attending physician provided that you :

1. Had the procedure conducted at a reputable establishment. It is your responsibility to verify the legitimacy of a practitioner and the facility before you undergo the procedure. Ignorance has limited ground for litigation.
2. Have legitimate medical records and receipts of payment from the practitioner or facility to verify that you had undergone the procedure at the facility in question.
3. Disclosed all pre-existing medical conditions to the practitioner. When sued, the practitioner may attempt to deviate attention from their bad handiwork and focus on non-disclosure on your part related to your health status.
4. Have sufficient funds for litigation. Lawyers are expensive and prolonged litigation can cost you a pretty packet, especially when you are in a legal battle with a medical practitioner with sufficient financial resources. If you are suing a practitioner in a foreign country, factor in the costs for this litigation.
5. Can prove that the facility in question presented themselves as a reputable clinic with trained practitioners to conduct lasik surgery. You will have little ground for litigation if you opted to conduct the procedure in some back alleyway of a third world country as the circumstances should be obvious.

Bad lasik surgery is not an unheard of occurrence. Many unsuspecting patients fall prey to bad lasik procedures every year but just as many informed patients dare to risk cheap procedures at questionable facilities to save cost on lasik surgery. Your eyesight is one of the most important senses and before considering a lasik procedure, do your homework on the practitioner, the facility and previous patients who attended the facility. Bad lasik procedures do not only occur in third world countries and many first world facilities have been accused of performing bad lasik surgery.

No surgical procedure is fool proof and without complications and you should be aware of the risks involved before undergoing the therapy. While the attending medical specialist cannot be held liable for medical complications, a trained and experienced practitioner will know how best to handle any event where a complication may arise. A bad lasik procedure can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in after care that is often more costly than having undergone expensive lasik surgery at a reputable facility.