Due to the gross negligence of the operating room staff, my eye was not properly protected from the Hibiclens being used to prep the surgical site on the back of my skull. This negligence of allowing a caustic antiseptic to leak into my right eye, resulted in a severe eye injury and near total loss of vision in that eye. This error was in no way a “foreseeable or associated” risk of this surgery, it was an unreasonable, unexpected, unforeseeable, and very unfortunate complication that should never have been allowed to happen. No reasonable person anticipates loss of vision from antiseptic being allowed to seep into and remain in the …show more content…
Misuse of Chlorhexidine containing products has been reported to cause serious and permanent eye injury when it has been permitted to enter and remain in the eye during surgical procedures... Anaphylactoid reactions have been described following excessive tissue and/or mucous membrane absorption.” Hibiclens requires chemical tight goggles or a full face shield if splashing is possible, and specific references are made to the dangers involved when this product is used during surgery, as shown above.
To their credit, MMC has acknowledged their fault and taken responsibility in this operating room negligence. However this acknowledgment alone, does not resolve the handicap I face for the rest of my