It is both of their faults. It is the doctor's fault for misrepresenting things. He is in a position of responsibility where people take his words as the gospel truth and should be very careful to tell the complete truth.
However, it is also your fault for just accepting whatever he says. Ask him questions. Challenge him. You should get as much information out of him as possible and not simply accept simplistic answers. Also, if it is surgery or an important procedure, you should ALWAYS get a second opinion. Regardless of how simple Lasik is, those are still your eyes.
You'd think that spending thousands of dollars would have convinced this lady that the procedure is more complicated than a haircut. At least she might have been concerned about her wallet, even if not her eyesight?
I'm not saying people should not feel sympathetic. A large part, maybe even most, of the blame belongs with the doctor, but people shouldn't try to fob off all the responsibility when they deserve some themselves.
-Biscuits