Laser refractive surgery: Quinze-Vingts CHNO ordered to pay €94,500

Two years after undergoing surgery, a patient experienced a major deterioration in visual acuity. He subsequently took legal action to seek compensation from the hospital. The Paris Administrative Court of Appeal has now disclosed the amount he will receive.

Laser refractive surgery at the Quinze-Vingts National Eye Hospital

The case dates back to myopia surgery carried out in 2014. A 26-year-old attended the Quinze-Vingts National Eye Hospital (CHNO), in Paris’s 12th arrondissement, for bilateral laser refractive surgery on both eyes. The aim was to restore satisfactory vision without relying on glasses or corrective contact lenses. The eye hospital where he was treated had an excellent reputation.

However, two years after the procedure, the man-who had become a site manager for a construction company-noticed that his visual acuity had declined. It was later attributed to bilateral corneal ectasia, a progressive deformation of the cornea affecting both operated eyes. The patient had to undergo further surgery for treatment intended to strengthen his corneas and slow their weakening.

In his previously short-sighted left eye, an intracorneal implant replaced his difficulty seeing at a distance.

The patient takes the case to court

Determined to secure a ruling in his favour, the patient brought proceedings before the administrative courts to have the Quinze-Vingts CHNO ordered to compensate him. In his claim, he accused the hospital of having “failed in its duty to provide information” about the “risks […] following this procedure”. He sought €250,000 in damages.

This August, the Paris editorial team of Actu[.]fr reported the outcome of the case following the ruling by the Paris Administrative Court of Appeal. In August 2024, the Paris Administrative Court had ordered the hospital to pay €146,000 in compensation to its former patient. The institution appealed that decision, and the final amount set on appeal was €94,500.

Two years of appeals and compensation reduced

Two years ago, the judges had already reduced the compensation, stating that the surgery was performed “given […] the limited nature of the myopia”, in circumstances of “pure convenience”, and that it was “not required by his professional practice”. They also noted that “the risk of developing ectasia after laser refractive surgery […] is a serious, normally foreseeable risk”.

The hospital’s liability upheld on appeal

Nevertheless, the judges retained the hospital’s “fault”, a finding against which the CHNO chose to appeal. In a judgment published on 8 April 2026, the Paris Administrative Court of Appeal stated that the hospital “provided no details in support of its assertions”.

The lower compensation amount awarded this August is primarily explained by the fact that the patient was able to obtain work in 2019 as managing director of a construction and public works company, with “substantially higher” pay.