This web site was created to document my experience with having two LASIK procedures performed in 2010 at First Eye Care in Dallas, TX. As of May 2012 I have had over 37 appointments and have seen 13 different optometrists or ophthalmologists for follow-up care and in an attempt to correct my vision or to address additional eye issues are directly related to having LASIK. I have not had one single day of good vision since the first surgery. I have spent over $7500 on surgeries, medications, medical care, follow-up care, and other expenses that would not have been accrued had I not had LASIK. I have also spent a significant amount of time and energy filing complaints and communicating with the Texas Medical Board, Texas Optometry Board, the Better Business Bureau, and medical malpractice attorneys. I was lied to by Tom Ballard, O.D. and Larry R. Taub, M.D. and provided with inappropriate follow-up care. As a result of two surgeries I was never a candidate for due to boxing, and that I would NEVER have agreed to had they not PURPOSELY WITHELD KNOWN PERMANENT SIDE EFFECTS and lied to me by giving me a quote for Custom LASIK, my vision has been permanently damaged and my quality of life ruined FOREVER. I will NEVER be able to compete in boxing because Dr. Ballard and Dr. Taub lied to me and left me with permanently damaged corneas that are susceptible to corneal flap dislocations for the rest of my life. Instead of even informing me that I would be at an increased risk and allowing me to make the decision, Dr. Taub went out of his way to convince me it would be safe and never mentioned any additional risk.
I suffer from permantly damaged vision that affects my job, hobbies, and my ability to enjoy life. As of May 2012 my vision with glasses is 20/30 in one eye and 20/60 in the other. I have a significant number of floaters in each eye now and also have persistent eye pain and recurrent corneal erosion in my right eye since the second surgery. When the corneal erosion occurs I am not able to wear my contact lenses and then have to rely on glasses that do not correct my vision. I must wear Synergeyes Post Surgical lenses when my eyes can tolerate them. These lenses do not correct my vision. I see multiple images in each eye and have poor night vision. I see large starbursts that block objects between me and the light source and halos that make it appear as if the air around all lights is glowing. I can no longer participate in boxing, a sport that made me happy and kept me healthy, due to risk of flap dislocation which would result in further vision loss. Tom Ballard, OD and Larry R. Taub, MD lied to me and said it would still be safe.
My wife and I were starting a new chapter in our lives in 2010 when I had the first surgery. We were in a position where we could start taking vacations together and get out to see the world. Tom Ballard, OD and Larry R. Taub, MD put an immediate end to all of this. Now I am left with permanently damaged vision and our lives are broken. I have no one to go to for help with my vision and no longer trust any ophthalmologist who performs LASIK, yet I must continue to rely on them for help with my vision problems. What do you do when you can no longer trust doctors, individuals who are supposed to heal? There is no way to put into words what it is like to walk into an optometrist's office with clear, sharp, fully correctable vision, and leave an hour later with permanently damaged vision from an elective procedure that I would not have agreed to had I been properly informed of the risks and results of LASIK. I want my vision back more than anything so I can enjoy life with my wife again. The results of these procedures have been life altering and have forced me to make many sudden and unanticipated lifestyle changes. I hope my experience helps persuade others to rethink their decision to have LASIK.
A potential patient should not have to get a medical degree to become properly educated about the risks involved with LASIK in order to make an informed decision and consent to the surgery. Potential patients should be able to rely on the education, experience, and honesty of their surgeon and/or optometrist for this info. Unfortunately this is not always the case. There are people in the refractive surgery industry that rely on deceptive advertisement, provide misinformation, withhold information, and skewed the presentation of data in order to lure patients into consenting to a surgery they otherwise would not agree to. Surgeons and optometrists may also place patients at elevated risks without the patient's knowledge or consent. I was never informed that the scar from the LASIK flap heals in an incomplete manner and only returns to approximately 2.4% its original strength. I WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THIS RESULT! The First Eye Care Dallas website now displays patient reviews in an attempt to show how satisfied their patients are. I have submitted a 1 star review documenting my experience there. Of course you do not see my review on their website because they screen the reviews and likely reject all negative reviews with serious claims as they did mine. I even contacted DemandForce, who handles their reviews. They would not comment.
I have included the names of the optometrist who provided my screening and aftercare and the ophthalmologist that performed my LASIK procedures because I feel it is important for others to know beforehand if their potential surgeon has had patients with bad outcomes, and if so how they managed the care of these patients. I also feel it is in the best interest of the public to know that these are two dishonest doctors that will place their financial interests before their patient's health. The optometrist and ophthalmologist managing my LASIK surgeries and care lied to me, did not adequately inform me of the risks and how they related to my required degree of correction, pupil size, or participation in boxing, and they did not provide me with proper aftercare. I am not a medical doctor, and nothing on this site should be construed as medical advice. This is simply my LASIK story, and my opinions of the doctors and events that have occurred. I do not endorse First Eye Care Dallas, Infinity Laser Vision, Newman & Taub Vision Center, Tom Ballard, O.D., or Larry R. Taub, M.D. in any way.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of LASIK, please report your injuries to the FDA by filing a MedWatch Report HERE. I also encourage you to register at www.helpstoplasik.com and communicate you experience to Morris Waxler, PhD. Also, please sign the petition HERE to ban this terrible procedure before many more unsuspecting patient's lives are ruined. I also encourage you to file complaints with your state medical board, optometry board, attorney general, and BBB. If you don't file a complaint, no one will know of your injuries. Please see these websites for good information regarding LASIK complications, risks, and the lies, before you risk your vision and quality of life: http://www.lasikcomplications.com/ or http://lifeafterlasik.com/
My website will be updated soon with copies of my communications with the Texas Medical Board, Texas Optometry Board, and copies of the responses and lies provided to the optometry board by Tom Ballard, OD during the investigations. Instead of accepting responsibility, Tom Ballard, OD outright lied to the optometry board to protect himself and his practice. I will also provide details of my trip to Austin, TX to address the medical board and the brief conversation I had with the executive director of the optometry board while I was there. Updates will also be added as I continue to seek help from out of state specialists to restore my vision.
I suffer from permantly damaged vision that affects my job, hobbies, and my ability to enjoy life. As of May 2012 my vision with glasses is 20/30 in one eye and 20/60 in the other. I have a significant number of floaters in each eye now and also have persistent eye pain and recurrent corneal erosion in my right eye since the second surgery. When the corneal erosion occurs I am not able to wear my contact lenses and then have to rely on glasses that do not correct my vision. I must wear Synergeyes Post Surgical lenses when my eyes can tolerate them. These lenses do not correct my vision. I see multiple images in each eye and have poor night vision. I see large starbursts that block objects between me and the light source and halos that make it appear as if the air around all lights is glowing. I can no longer participate in boxing, a sport that made me happy and kept me healthy, due to risk of flap dislocation which would result in further vision loss. Tom Ballard, OD and Larry R. Taub, MD lied to me and said it would still be safe.
My wife and I were starting a new chapter in our lives in 2010 when I had the first surgery. We were in a position where we could start taking vacations together and get out to see the world. Tom Ballard, OD and Larry R. Taub, MD put an immediate end to all of this. Now I am left with permanently damaged vision and our lives are broken. I have no one to go to for help with my vision and no longer trust any ophthalmologist who performs LASIK, yet I must continue to rely on them for help with my vision problems. What do you do when you can no longer trust doctors, individuals who are supposed to heal? There is no way to put into words what it is like to walk into an optometrist's office with clear, sharp, fully correctable vision, and leave an hour later with permanently damaged vision from an elective procedure that I would not have agreed to had I been properly informed of the risks and results of LASIK. I want my vision back more than anything so I can enjoy life with my wife again. The results of these procedures have been life altering and have forced me to make many sudden and unanticipated lifestyle changes. I hope my experience helps persuade others to rethink their decision to have LASIK.
A potential patient should not have to get a medical degree to become properly educated about the risks involved with LASIK in order to make an informed decision and consent to the surgery. Potential patients should be able to rely on the education, experience, and honesty of their surgeon and/or optometrist for this info. Unfortunately this is not always the case. There are people in the refractive surgery industry that rely on deceptive advertisement, provide misinformation, withhold information, and skewed the presentation of data in order to lure patients into consenting to a surgery they otherwise would not agree to. Surgeons and optometrists may also place patients at elevated risks without the patient's knowledge or consent. I was never informed that the scar from the LASIK flap heals in an incomplete manner and only returns to approximately 2.4% its original strength. I WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THIS RESULT! The First Eye Care Dallas website now displays patient reviews in an attempt to show how satisfied their patients are. I have submitted a 1 star review documenting my experience there. Of course you do not see my review on their website because they screen the reviews and likely reject all negative reviews with serious claims as they did mine. I even contacted DemandForce, who handles their reviews. They would not comment.
I have included the names of the optometrist who provided my screening and aftercare and the ophthalmologist that performed my LASIK procedures because I feel it is important for others to know beforehand if their potential surgeon has had patients with bad outcomes, and if so how they managed the care of these patients. I also feel it is in the best interest of the public to know that these are two dishonest doctors that will place their financial interests before their patient's health. The optometrist and ophthalmologist managing my LASIK surgeries and care lied to me, did not adequately inform me of the risks and how they related to my required degree of correction, pupil size, or participation in boxing, and they did not provide me with proper aftercare. I am not a medical doctor, and nothing on this site should be construed as medical advice. This is simply my LASIK story, and my opinions of the doctors and events that have occurred. I do not endorse First Eye Care Dallas, Infinity Laser Vision, Newman & Taub Vision Center, Tom Ballard, O.D., or Larry R. Taub, M.D. in any way.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of LASIK, please report your injuries to the FDA by filing a MedWatch Report HERE. I also encourage you to register at www.helpstoplasik.com and communicate you experience to Morris Waxler, PhD. Also, please sign the petition HERE to ban this terrible procedure before many more unsuspecting patient's lives are ruined. I also encourage you to file complaints with your state medical board, optometry board, attorney general, and BBB. If you don't file a complaint, no one will know of your injuries. Please see these websites for good information regarding LASIK complications, risks, and the lies, before you risk your vision and quality of life: http://www.lasikcomplications.com/ or http://lifeafterlasik.com/
My website will be updated soon with copies of my communications with the Texas Medical Board, Texas Optometry Board, and copies of the responses and lies provided to the optometry board by Tom Ballard, OD during the investigations. Instead of accepting responsibility, Tom Ballard, OD outright lied to the optometry board to protect himself and his practice. I will also provide details of my trip to Austin, TX to address the medical board and the brief conversation I had with the executive director of the optometry board while I was there. Updates will also be added as I continue to seek help from out of state specialists to restore my vision.
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