Sunday, January 06, 2008

Anesthesiologist Competent to Testify on Ophthalmologic Effects, Says Idaho Supreme Court

Reversing a trial court's evidentiary ruling, the Idaho Supreme Court has held that an anesthesiologist was competent to opine that a patient's anesthesia caused post-operative blindness in his right eye. The lower court had wanted to hear from an ophthalmologist. See Foster v. Traul, No. 33537 (Idaho Dec. 24, 2007).

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posted by pn at 7:02 PM

3 Comments:

Anonymous haveahead writes ...

Welcome back Peter. This is one of the few
places online where I
don't feel like I am visiting the Special Olympics.

7:36 PM  
Blogger MARTIN writes ...

As an anesthesiologist I am fully aware that post operative visual loss is an "anesthesia issue". The American Society of Anesthesiologists has addressed this both in their scientific literature as well as in practice advisories. The Idaho court's recognition of this is underwhelming.
This dread complication causes many paries great loss.

11:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous writes ...

Anesthesiologists are doctors who give patients drugs to relieve pain or put them to sleep during surgery. When you think of anesthesia, you probably think about sleep. After all, you are being "put under" during a procedure. Yet, anesthesia is actually about the management of pain during and after surgery.
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henry
Alabama Treatment Centers

1:18 AM  

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Fed. R. Evid. 702: If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise, if (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case.