She developed retinal detachment.
An optometrist in New Zealand has been ordered to apologize to a woman who lost much of her sight in one eye after he failed to diagnose her condition, Radio New Zealand reports.
The woman felt irritation in her eye and underwent an examination by the optometrist, who wasn’t named in the news report. He didn’t see any signs of a tear, and he felt the problem was caused by a solid string of a gel-like substance called vitreous. He did not dilate her pupil.
Five days later she was still experiencing problems and asked for a second opinion, which an optician at the clinic arranged with optometrist at another clinic, according to Radio New Zealand.
That optometrist found that she had had retinal detachment and sent her to a hospital. She had surgery.
Meenal Duggal, deputy health and disability commissioner, said the woman now has only 20 percent vision in that eye.
Duggal found that the optometrist did not provide care to a reasonable standard. She recommended that, if the optometrist decides to practice again, a review of his competence be conducted by the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board, according to Radio New Zealand.
Read more at Radio New Zealand