University of Iowa Health Care has agreed to pay more than $300,000 to an Iowa City couple for a “botched” eye surgery.
Gail, 66, and Michael, 72, O’Donnell, both of Iowa City, will receive $312,500 to settle a medical malpractice lawsuit they filed, accusing a UI Health Care optometrist of performing unsuccessful eye surgery in 2021.
The settlement agreement approved by the Iowa State Appeals Board on Friday, June 26, an administrative board made up of the Department of Management director, state auditor, and state treasurer, denies liability for the complications Gail O’Donnell faced after her eye surgery.
However, documents from the state appeals board said the healthcare organization recommended the settlement to avoid further litigation costs and a jury trial, which was scheduled to start on July 7.
Iowa City couple says doctors were negligent during 2021 eye surgery
The O’Donnells alleged that Gail O’Donnell’s procedure on May 20, 2021, resulted in complications that impaired her “full mind and body” and caused pain and suffering.
The lawsuit filed in Johnson County District Court in 2024 said Dr. Stephen Russell and Dr. Aaron Ricca were negligent during an operation to remove the fluid from the inner eye and replace it with a diluted gas to allow surgeons to fix detached retinas with a laser.
The lawsuit alleged that Dr. Russell and Dr. Ricca failed to use the appropriate gas and failed to properly dilute it during the procedure.
Dr. Russell is currently a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa and researches Macular degeneration. Dr. Ricca was a vitreoretinal surgery fellow at the University of Iowa at the time of the surgery and now practices ophthalmology in Kentucky.
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government, the University of Iowa, and crime for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: UI to pay Iowa couple $300K for ‘botched’ eye surgery
Reporting by Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
