Our medical negligence solicitors are acting on behalf of patients who received EyeCee One lenses as part of their eye surgery. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raised safety concerns about the product used in cataract surgery, resulting in a recall on a number of Eyecee One / Eycee One Crystal preloaded lenses made between September 2021 and November 2022.

This has had a serious impact on many people including some of our existing clients. One client was recently featured on BBC News, illustrating the impact on their life after receiving the lenses. You can view the EyeCee BBC article here.

The manufacturers of the product reported that following their own investigation , they discovered a problem with these lenses in that a coating used in the injector used to help administer the lens has been found to obstruct the natural drainage pathways in the eye. This typically results in an increase in pressure in the eye known as raised intraocular pressure (IOP). This can result in the eye being permanently damaged if untreated and potentially a loss of vision. A number of patients who received EyeCee One Lenses have contacted Patient Claim Line for support and guidance about what they can do. If you have been affected, you can contact us for a free initial chat to talk through your options.

What action has been taken in relation to EyeCee One Lenses safety concerns

A field safety notice that was issued said the use of the affected lots of lens could result in sustained  elevated pressure in the eye and patients who have been implanted with one of the lenses should be monitored and if any signs of raised IOP arise, they should be referred for urgent treatment.

How can patients be affected by defective EyeCee One Lenses?

The MHRA also stated that reduced vision would only occur if patients were not treated and that complications could be due to a coating used on the injector used to administer the lenses which could have serious impacts if not treated.

The patient safety alert issued by the MHRA in January 2023 gave Trusts two weeks to contact patients for further tests and set up a rapid access pathway for those with higher pressure.

One of the Trusts using the product was Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust. The trust is actively inviting around 1,000 affected patients for checks. The latest Field Safety notice requires all affected lenses to be returned to the manufacturer.

NHS England has previously recorded that ‘a minority of NHS Trusts have suspended the use of EyeCee One lenses used for cataract surgery, while any patient who has had surgery involving these products in recent months will be contacted by their clinician for an assessment – but it is expected that only a fraction will need further treatment’. Whether this suspension continues for non-affected lenses is yet to be seen.

Can I make a legal claim if I have been impacted by defective EyeCee One Lenses?

If you have been impacted by defective EyeCee One lenses, you should speak to a medical negligence expert about pursing a claim. Contact our medical negligence team who are vastly experienced in pursuing claims for defective medical equipment.  We’re already supporting patients directly impacted by the lenses and have also successfully settled cases for other complicated Group Actions. The team at Patient Claim Line have the skills and experience to guide you through your claim, and keep you up to date along the way – with no upfront costs to you. For further reassurance we work with a No Win, No Fee agreement which meaning there would be no financial risk to you and if your claim is unsuccessful so you will have nothing to pay.

Christian Beadell, Head of Group Actions within the medical negligence team at Patient Claim Line, said: “We are urgently investigating the circumstances of this recall on behalf of our clients who has been recalled for an urgent review.

“They are understandably very anxious about the reports of increased pressure in the eye, and that this procedure could affect their sight.

“It is extremely troubling that either the use of this product or the product itself could have such severe consequences. We welcome the swift and forthright action of the manufacturers in seeking a recall of the affected batches”