• Users Online: 62136
  • Home
  • Print this page
  • Email this page

   Table of Contents      
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Year : 2018  |  Volume : 66  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 339

Time for introspection


Department of Ophthalmology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Date of Web Publication30-Jan-2018

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Siddharth Agrawal
Department of Ophthalmology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
India
Login to access the Email id

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_779_17

Rights and Permissions

How to cite this article:
Agrawal S, Srivastava RM, Singh V. Time for introspection. Indian J Ophthalmol 2018;66:339

How to cite this URL:
Agrawal S, Srivastava RM, Singh V. Time for introspection. Indian J Ophthalmol [serial online] 2018 [cited 2024 Mar 29];66:339. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ijo/pages/default.aspx/text.asp?2018/66/2/339/224113



Sir,

The well-written report by Chaurasia calls for introspection from our community.[1] The report highlights our nadir, concerning not so much the devastating complications of the procedure but the indication of the procedure itself.

A doctor and more so a surgeon has been placed in a privileged position in society, and episodes like this are responsible for the public gradually losing faith in us. Patients often have unreasonable expectations based on information received from the internet or advertisements from the industry, and it is unfortunate that instead of correcting them, we further misguide them for our gains. It is understandable that decisions are not often black and white but shades of gray, but if we remember the Hippocratic Oath and err on the side of “not doing harm” we would usually be correct.[2],[3]

This report is just the tip of the iceberg and many of us are guilty of letting finances dictate our decisions. However, one should be exceptionally cautious when dealing with a normal eye as in the report. Trying to improve on the creation of nature is to be foolish and is an action that is bound to be punished. We have seen the following when literature and logic both are against them: (a) refractive lens exchange being done for low myopia or incidental finding of trace cortical cataract, (b) Injudicious advice of multifocal intraocular lenses and intravitreal injections, (c) exaggeration of the benefits of femto-assisted cataract surgery.[4],[5],[6] Some of these may be debatable, but then, many similar conditions may be added.

Only way forward is to keep the interest of the patient central and all other issues secondary. It is also the only way in which we can restore our lost glory. When facing a difficult decision one should do a clear risk benefit analysis and ask oneself if one would advise the same management to a family member. The answer should be loud and clear. All the best.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.



 
  References Top

1.
Chaurasia S. Devastating complication of cosmetic iris implants. Indian J Ophthalmol 2017;65:771-2.  Back to cited text no. 1
[PUBMED]  [Full text]  
2.
Franco G. Ethical analysis of the decision-making process in occupational health practice. Med Lav 2005;96:375-82.  Back to cited text no. 2
[PUBMED]    
3.
Malecki M. 'Above all, do no harm': Safeguarding pluripotent stem cell therapy against iatrogenic tumorigenesis. Stem Cell Res Ther 2014;5:73.  Back to cited text no. 3
[PUBMED]    
4.
Srinivasan B, Leung HY, Cao H, Liu S, Chen L, Fan AH, et al. Modern phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation (Refractive lens exchange) is safe and effective in treating high myopia. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila) 2016;5:438-44.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.
Alio JL, Plaza-Puche AB, Férnandez-Buenaga R, Pikkel J, Maldonado M. Multifocal intraocular lenses: An overview. Surv Ophthalmol 2017;62:611-34.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
Moshirfar M, Churgin DS, Hsu M. Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery: A current review. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2011;18:285-91.  Back to cited text no. 6
  [Full text]  




 

Top
 
 
  Search
 
    Similar in PUBMED
   Search Pubmed for
   Search in Google Scholar for
    Access Statistics
    Email Alert *
    Add to My List *
* Registration required (free)  

 
  In this article
References

 Article Access Statistics
    Viewed928    
    Printed30    
    Emailed0    
    PDF Downloaded145    
    Comments [Add]    

Recommend this journal