Man tells of laser work gone painfully wrong

A 40-year-old man said his face was burned after a laser treatment went wrong.

The man, X, said he was having the treatment in March at the Chak Yan Medical Centre and the doctor conducting the procedure, Barry Tsang Ka-hung, allegedly pressed on despite his complaints about pain.

That led to the Democratic Party receiving a complaint of injury being caused by negligence in handling medical equipment.

District councillor Ramon Yuen Hoi-man, who is assisting X, said the man bought a wart removal treatment for HK$16,500. And X was given five free "enLighten PICO" treatments to round off the work in March.

But Tsang is said to have suggested X opt for a laser treatment instead.

Yuen claimed Tsang did not explain clearly the risk of the treatment and the machine involved before X agreed to it.

The laser treatment was described by X as extremely painful even after numbing cream was applied to his face.

"In other treatments that I had done with numbing cream applied I felt only a hot sensation," X said. "This time I couldn't handle it. I had to yell. But Tsang, he claimed, told him to bear the pain and continue the treatment.

The pain was similar to being burned in a fire, X said. And posttreatment photographs given to the press show red burn marks across his forehead, cheeks, nose and upper lip.

X was supposedly advised to moisturize after and told his face would heal in around five days. But red marks remained when he returned to the center for a follow-up consultation about three weeks later.

During the consultation Tsang allegedly told X there was little he could do but wait for the skin to recover slowly. X then went to another dermatologist, and that doctor allegedly told him he had been burned because of excessive laser use.

After about three months, marks left from the treatment are still visible on X's face. He said the incident has caused him to lose confidence and unable to look for jobs in the retail sector, which has affected his income.

He also sought help from a psychiatrist and a dermatologist. And he claimed to have been told his skin would take up to two years to recover and that his medical expenses would reach around HK$310,000.

On May 20 X met with Tsang and representatives of the Chan Yan Medical Centre. The center representatives offered to pay for a certain amount of medical treatment, X said, but they had not contacted him since.

Yuen is now assisting X to file a complaint to the Medical Council. And X is also considering applying for legal aid or filing a civil lawsuit.

The Standard asked Chan Yan Medical International Group for a comment.

Tsang said he had offered X follow-up consultations after the treatment and that X asked for a referral to seek help from another doctor.

He said it could take around three to six months to recover from the treatment, though the healing duration would vary from person to person.

Tsang did not rule out that X could still be healing.

Yuen had also claimed Tsang's medical license was once suspended over misconduct. Tsang responded to that by saying past mistakes would not affect his techniques and skills.

maisy.mok@singtaonewscorp.com