Hospital Faces Damages & Picket Line Falloutโ After Cataract Surgery Complication
Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do – โฃA recent court case highlights โthe challenges โhospitals face not only inโ medical outcomes but โalso in managing โpublic perception and potential disruption following complications, โeven in the absence of proven medical negligence. According toโ a report by MediGate News, a patient (referred to as A) was โฃawarded damages โคafter undergoing cataract โsurgery at an ophthalmology practice inโข Hwaseong. While the โฃcourt did not find evidence of medical negligence, โit ruled the medical staff failed to adequately explain the potential risks โคand complications โคof the procedure.
The case stemmedโ from a right eye โขcataract surgery where the โขpatient’s eyeglassโข lens ruptured duringโ the operation, requiring intervention by a second doctor (C). Following the surgery, patient A experienced blurred vision, floating โspots, and a 36% reduction in labor capacity due toโข permanent visionโ impairment.
The court steadfast that while the surgical agreement acknowledged the possibility ofโ complications and the need for potential further surgery, the medical staff did not sufficientlyโ detail the specific risk of lens rupture. Despite the medical staff arguing they could have consulted a retina specialist,the court did not โขaccept this as fulfilling their duty to inform the patient. The court stated โขa more specific explanationโข of potential complicationsโค was necessary, โขand simply acknowledging the possibility of complications wasn’t enough.
Beyond the medical outcome, the case was significantly impacted by the patient’s โfamily’s subsequentโ actions. The family organizedโค multipleโ picket โขdemonstrations outside the hospital, displaying signs referencing “cataract” and “retina doctors” and implying medicalโฃ negligence. They also shared images of these protests on social media platforms like Instagram, reaching a โwider audience.
The court found theseโ actionsโ detrimental, stating the โpicket signs and online posts presented a one-sided narrative suggesting confirmed negligence byโฃ the hospital staff. This led to misinformation among those passing the hospital and potentially influenced patient decisions. Specifically, the โคcourt noted that the protests resulted in โat least โคone patient cancelling scheduled surgery. Moreover, negative commentary about the โฃhospital appearedโ in a local “mom cafe” – a popular online forum for parents – further damaging โthe hospital’s reputation.
as โan inevitable result ofโฃ the disruption to hospital operations caused by the protests, โthe โcourt ordered the patient toโค pay 3 million won (approximately โ$2,300 USD)โ inโ damages. The court emphasized that the family’s actions were not justified as โbeing in the publicโฃ interest, but rather a purposeful โขattempt to defame the medical staff and interfere with their work.
Source: โฃMediGate News – [Original article date: 4th (date unspecified in original text)]