Chennai: A security guard lost vision in his right eye after a botched cataract surgery at ESI Hospital, Ayanavaram. The district consumer disputes redressal commission, Chennai (north), found the hospital guilty of medical negligence and on Oct 23 directed the hospital superintendent to pay 10,00,000 as compensation.The complainant, K T Dhanasekaran, first visited the ESI Hospital in April 2024 with a complaint of blurred vision in his right eye. The doctors diagnosed cataract and performed surgery for its removal.Following the surgery, he developed pain, irritation, and swelling in the right eye. Medical records showed that a portion of the cataract, described as a thin sheet of cortex behind the intraocular lens, was left behind after the operation. Doctors performed a ‘cortex re-aspiration' in May 2024, but the condition did not improve. His vision further deteriorated, and he continued to suffer from corneal edema and iritis.The patient was later referred to the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Egmore, where he underwent further treatment, including a pneumodesmetopexy procedure in July 2024 to address the corneal condition. Despite these interventions, sight in the right eye could not be restored.The hospital, in its defence, stated that the surgery was uneventful and that all appropriate measures were taken. It claimed that the residual cortex was later cleared after post-operative inflammation subsided and that the patient was referred to a tertiary centre in due time. It denied any negligence, stating that the complication was managed with care.The commission, however, observed that the complainant's records clearly showed the presence of corneal edema and cortex remnants following the surgery. Applying the legal maxim res ipsa loquitur, it held that the hospital failed to demonstrate that due care was exercised.It concluded that the surgery and follow-up treatment fell below acceptable medical standards, resulting in total loss of vision in one eye.The commission ordered the hospital to pay 10,00,000 as compensation and 10,000 towards litigation cost.