HS reached seven customers of Turku Silmäexperttie. Their stories give a picture of formulaic overdiagnosis, which has led to expensive and unnecessary operations.
Private The practice restriction received by the ophthalmologist of Turku Silmäexpertit speaks to the customers of the medical center.
Health care supervisory authority Valvira decided in December to restrict the right of the owner of the clinic and the leading doctor to act as a doctor. Valvira considered that he had prepared unreasonable diagnoses of glaucoma or eye pressure for his patients and had ordered expensive procedures based on them.
HS reached seven people who feel they have been cheated by a doctor. They appear in the story anonymously due to the sensitivity of health information, but their identity is known to the editor. The editors have also looked at their patient records.
Based on the documents, patients have often applied to Silmäexperte for follow-up examinations by other ophthalmologists, who have stated that the patients have been overdiagnosed – i.e. a disease diagnosed as more serious than it is or a disease diagnosed as non-existent. The received glaucoma diagnoses have been deconstructed in the cases of the interviewed people.
The clients of the company reached by HS nominate the owner and the leading doctor of the medical center Minna Sandberg's.
HS publishes the name of the doctor in the position of leader and owner of the company due to the exceptional seriousness of the abuse allegations and so that the news does not stigmatize other people working at the medical center.
Sandberg has denied all accusations of wrongdoing as “false allegations” in a media release sent to Valvira and HS. According to him, the differing diagnoses are a matter of a medical doctrinal dispute. HS has not reached him to comment on the matter.
The doctor questioned the fact that Valvira took his case into consideration. According to the doctor, Valvira's task is to deal only with such complaints where it is suspected that the patient died or was seriously injured as a result of a treatment error.
For example A 64-year-old woman from Kaarina tells HS that she underwent a refractive error surgery performed by a doctor and was then unexpectedly diagnosed with glaucoma.
“I was prescribed glaucoma medication, which has been incredibly powerful. There were three types of medicine, to be used in the morning and in the evening. In addition, the doctor talked me over and expensive laser treatment was performed on my eyes.”
He says that he has lost thousands and thousands of euros. Less than a year ago, he went to Turku University Central Hospital (Tyks) for cataract surgery, where he got a real surprise.
“The doctor did a glaucoma examination for me there and found out that I don't have glaucoma at all. I feel betrayed and my faith in the doctor and in people has been lost. This was a robbery of money from a low-paid and unsuspecting customer,” he says.
NEARLY the same pattern repeats itself in all the stories:
A person usually applies to Turku Silmäexperts for laser eye surgery with the intention of getting rid of glasses. The doctor performs the operation and the patients are generally satisfied with the results of the operation. However, during the pre- or post-surgery examination, it becomes clear that the patient's eyes show signs of glaucoma, i.e. eye pressure disease. It is emphasized to the patient that the matter should be investigated more closely, because a disease that remains asymptomatic for a long time can lead to blindness if left untreated.
The frightened patient is sold a glaucoma examination package, which most often results in some kind of glaucoma diagnosis. The patient is reminded that after the diagnosis, regular examinations and procedures should only be done with the equipment of Turku Eye Experts, because they are more efficient than the equipment used by others and thus better for the patient.
For years, the patient regularly goes to check the condition of his eyes. In addition to extensive examinations, he can undergo surgical procedures and prescribe medications for the treatment of glaucoma. Numerous check-ups and treatments will be expensive.
At some point, the patient will see another ophthalmologist. Regardless of whether this happens immediately after diagnosis or only after years of follow-up and treatment, he learns that the glaucoma diagnosis is most often wrong. There are no indications of glaucoma. The patient's diagnosis is discharged and possible medication is stopped.
A 51-year-old woman from Kaarina says she spent more than 10,000 euros on eye examinations and treatments. He had to work two jobs to make ends meet financially.
A private doctor among the patients there are also those who really have glaucoma and have been properly treated at the clinic. However, according to the experts used by Valvira and the regional administrative agency (Avi), their number is small compared to those who do not have glaucoma.
For example, Avi had familiarized himself with the materials of thirty patients who were under the care of private doctors. According to the agency's expert report, 25 of these patients did not have glaucoma. However, a private doctor had diagnosed 20 of them with glaucoma.
A 51-year-old woman from Kaarina calculates that she has wasted more than 10,000 euros on unnecessary treatments and examinations and that she is disappointed.
“I am angry, betrayed, sad and bitter about what I could have done with that money. I have three children and not much money at all. I've had to work two jobs and all the time save again for the next research session.”
According to the woman, the scam came to light when the insurance company refused to reimburse her teenage daughter's glaucoma examinations, if they were performed at Turku Eye Experts. As a result, he himself sought examination elsewhere and was told that there are no signs of glaucoma in his eyes.
A 33-year-old woman from Turku says that she was diagnosed with glaucoma in connection with laser eye surgery, for which the doctor at a private clinic recommended SLT laser treatment.
“It would have been such an expensive treatment that I applied to Tyks. There they found that there are no changes in my eyes that could be interpreted as glaucoma and they did not recommend SLT treatment. It still shocks me. I wonder if he would have really done laser treatment on my healthy eyes. Trust in the doctors is completely gone now.”
Many of the interviewees say that they have heard warnings from their friends and acquaintances that the clinic can give false diagnoses. The stories circulated in the neighborhoods and in workplace coffee table discussions. A 57-year-old man from Lieto, in whose eyes a private doctor suspected glaucoma, got his share and referred him for expensive examinations. However, the man decided to have the tests done at a medical center covered by occupational health care, where it was found that there was nothing suggestive of glaucoma in the eyes.
“The doctor asked many times why I wanted to go to another doctor. Afterwards, I heard that three of my coworkers and one of my neighbors had also visited the clinic for eye surgery, and they all suspected glaucoma.”
The same thing happened to a 24-year-old man from Turku, who agreed to expensive follow-up examinations after fearing glaucoma. The studies led to new, increasingly extensive and expensive studies.
“Finally, the doctor recommended me to have new control examinations after a year and emphasized that it is “very important” that in the future the examinations are always done with the same equipment at Turku Eye Experts.”
At the time of the events, the man was only 21 years old and says that he found the events very difficult mentally. He sought a doctor's office specializing in the treatment of glaucoma elsewhere.
“He strongly questioned the diagnosis I received and dismantled it.”
Turku Silmäexperttie's private ophthalmology clinic is located in Turku next to Puutori.
Valvira it appears from the final documents that it has been difficult for patients to receive follow-up referrals from the Turku Eye Experts medical center for examinations in Tyks.
According to doctor Sandberg, there is no one absolutely correct criterion for diagnosing glaucoma. According to him, in many other places, diagnostics have remained at a more basic level than in his company, which uses the latest state-of-the-art technology. He has also vehemently denied that he sought financial gain at the expense of his patients.
However, many clients of the private doctor report great concern and fear regarding their own glaucoma diagnosis. A 44-year-old woman from Turku says that she was worried about possible future vision problems and even being unable to work. He had even considered a possible career change.
Since the eye pressure medications prescribed to him did not lower the eye pressure, he began to wonder if the treatment is appropriate.
“The eye pressure did not decrease, because it was at a normal level even before the medication. There seemed to be no logic in the treatment and no measurable response as to whether the treatment is good. Everything was vague. I applied to another ophthalmologist. It was a day of joy.”
According to the second diagnosis, he was completely healthy.
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