Eye surgery turns sour for trio
Three young men had eye infections after undergoing Lasik, a common laser operation to correct short-sightedness. Their eyes were red, sore and swollen and one of them could not see clearly several days after the operation.
All are from Guangzhou and were willing to give just their surnames, Yong, Bin and Jian. They are in their early 20s and underwent the operation in an effort to help them pursue a better career.
Yong wants to be a policeman, while Bin and Jian want to join the army.
The police force and army insist that applicants not be short-sighted.
The trio went to the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Hospital in Guangzhou, one of the most famous hospitals for eyes disease on the mainland.
They underwent Lasik on October 21 and then found they had eye infections.
'My eyes were red and swollen after the operation,' Jian said. 'Sometimes they are teary all night and the next day I can hardly open them. It's horrible.'
Yong's right eye is giving him problems and he has to wear sunglasses when outdoors to avoid contact with sunlight and dust.
'I'm very disappointed with the hospital,' Yong said. 'I just hope my eyesight will recover quickly. I don't plan to ask for compensation from the hospital if I fully recover. If not, I might demand it.'
The hospital reported the incident to the Guangzhou Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and checked the patients. The centre has suspended Lasik operations until further notice.
Spokesman Lin Xiaofeng said the infection was likely caused by unclean instruments.
But the vice-director of the centre for disease control, Yang Zhichong, said the incident was due to poor management of the Lasik operation room.
'The management of the room was rather loose. My centre usually checks it twice a year,' he said. 'It depends on the hospital's self-discipline to maintain the sanitary environment.'
