Bad experience with Dr. Johnson

original link: http://floatertalk.yuku.com/reply/48397/Post-your-Bad-experience-with-Dr-Johnson#.WIxEA33w7AS

Patient #1

Scotoma:

Reading through the various posts I come across several people with bad experiences and permanent injuries after seeing Dr. Johnson . In June 2011 I also had a bad experience that left me with a retinal scar, permanent scotoma, and also a cataract. I wish I was familiar with this site, particularly Gil’s experience, prior to seeing Dr. Johnson as I probably would have not gotten the procedure. I would imagine my story is enough to make most people avoid him, but consolidating all our stories in one spot should make a stronger impression and hopefully save future patients from this guy’s malpractice.

Don’t go to Dr. Johnson. He is dangerous. My story is below. Basically, he knowingly injured my retina, advised I go home early without telling me about the complications, and didn’t recommend follow up with a local ophthalmologist even after I called him and described my newly developing symptoms (for all he knew I could have developed a retinal tear).  He was more concerned about hiding the fact he injured my retina than being accountable and providing proper medical treatment and follow up. My floaters are also worse now.

I was 26 when I saw Johnson for my eye floaters. He unsuccessfully attempted treatment. He did not tell me about any complications after my procedure, and suggested I reschedule my flight home to an earlier time (I originally had 3 appointments on 3 consecutive days scheduled with Dr. Johnson as recommended on his website. The next day while on my flight layover I noticed a large fixed black/blind spot in the lower lateral quadrant of vision of my right eye. I called Dr. Johnson and asked if I should go to the hospital, he said no and that the visual effect would go away in 1-3 weeks (I was on my way back home at this time in Atlanta during a layover). I was worried so I went to a local opthomologist following Monday anyway. They found two sub retinal hemorrhages (one larger than the other that was the likely cause of my symptoms) and a posterior vitreous detachment that they felt were caused by the laser. They also found a posterior subcapsular cataract in the lens of my right eye.  I do know that none of these were present in my right eye when I had a dilated eye exams in late 2010 nor during my dilated eye exam by Dr. Johnson immediately prior to the laser procedure. . The hemorrhages have resorbed but I have a permanent scar on my retina and I am told by my physician that the visual effects are permanent.  Besides the blind spots, the risk of the cataract progressing, the eventual need for lens replacement, the scarred area of my retina is now at risk for neovascularization which can lead to further visual impairment and will need close monitoring from now on.

Patient #2

Kram:

I too regret daily having gone to Dr. Johnson. Like others here, floaters ruin our lives, yet, we go to see people like Dr. Johnson for hope that they can help with promise of a treatment that is “safer” than an FOV. But, like you, I also left with permanent damage to my retina. What is unacceptable is that it was avoidable. There is no reason why the laser needs to be shot that close to your retina or lens. It’s this sort of aggressiveness to “cure” us that made us worse off than when we started.

Here is a post I made not to long after my procedure with Dr. Johnson:
 “I wanted to start this topic to provide people with more data to help them make an informed decision about whether to laser treatment for floaters is right for you. If you go to Dr. Johnson’s web page, you’ll see that one of the risks is “retinal edema”. This can happen if the laser is shot too close to your retina. At the time of my procedure, Dr. Johnson’s page mentioned to expect weeks to recover from such a thing. If you check this page now, it now says to expect weeks to months. I want people to understand that it could actually take more than months.  The spots of retina edema show up as large “after images” when you blink (as if you were staring at specific points of bright light and you close your eyes). In my case, when I left my procedure with Dr. Johnson, I had spots of edema in both eyes which would “flare up” and start “sparking”. Over the last 8 months, it’s slowly lessened in it’s severity. Now, several times daily, I still see after images as I described.”
It’s now been over 2 years since my visit and the problem still persists. It is still as distressing and it makes me very sad to think that, even if I do get rid of the floaters via an FOV, I will still have to live with this damage Dr. Johnson left behind for the rest of my life.

Just recently an ophthalmologist gave me a Fluorescein Angiography test for an unrelated reason. This is a test that checks blood flow to your retina by injecting a dye into your bloodstream and taking pictures of your retina. He was surprised to see something unexpected. At the same points where Dr. Johnson damaged my retina, those spots “lit up” intensely in the photos. He assumed I must have had some sort of significant trauma to my eyes (possibly a childhood injury). When I told him what it really was (Dr. Johnson’s laser), he looked at me in disbelief. Disbelief that Dr. Johnson would fire this close to the retina, and, disbelief that I would actually believe a treatment like that could possibly work.

All I can do at this point now is to dissuade anyone that would even be considering a procedure like this. Don’t do it.

Patient #3

Babs806:

Cataract following laser treatment

I saw Dr. Johnson multiple times in 2011 and 2012 for treatment of severe floaters in both eyes.  My right eye was the worst and had the most laser shots.  I was initially pleased with the results; I still had floaters but it was much improved.  Several months later I started noticing a deterioration of vision in my right eye.  It kept getting worse and worse to the point where it could not be corrected to 20/20 with either glasses or contacts.  It was ultimately diagnosed as a cataract and I ended up having lens replacement surgery.  I’ve often wondered if the laser treatments contributed to the cataract, as it seems odd to only have a cataract in one eye.  But I am in an age group (late 50s) that starts to get cataracts anyway, so who knows.  I don’t remember being warned about this as a side effect but I might have been.  Anyway … the floaters are still there, and now that I can see again in that eye they seem worse than they were post-treatment so I think a lot have come back.  I get the globby whitish ones (I think he called them Weiss rings) the most.  I  hate them but I would be scared to go back to him at this point.  🙁