news clips
Following the latest news about eye health and public policy affecting access to safe eye care is an important part of what we do. Here are some of the stories we are following.
Ocular Surgery News - Safe eyes america quoted
April 15, 2021
On Mississippi and Wyoming passing dangerous optometric surgery legislation, “Optometry plays a very critical role in the delivery of eye care to the public, but surgery and complex medical decisions are just not in their sphere of education and training to do that safely for patients. That is really the biggest concern,” Kenneth P. Cheng, MD, board chair of Safe Eyes America, told Healio/OSN.”
“The thing to keep in mind is that these are legislative decisions being made not based on the information available or the effect on the public, but because of the effects of political influence,” Cheng said.
Department of Ophthalmology Alumni News
Mount Sinai, April 27, 2020
“On the evening of March 14, New York City went into lockdown mode. All non-essential businesses were mandated to close. All non-essential medical services were also suspended. COVID-19 ravaged the city more quickly than any of us anticipated.”
Poll shows strong opposition to proposed law changing surgeon requirements
Wyoming Tribune Eagle, February 2020
“According to a recent poll of registered Wyoming voters, nearly 78% oppose changing Wyoming law to allow optometrists to perform eye surgeries after hearing basic facts on the issue.”
Opinion: It’s up to Idaho Senate to stop dangerous eye surgeries
Idaho Statesman, February 2020
“Optometrists do not currently have the training and supervision required to perform safe surgery on your eyes...An error of less than one millimeter with a scalpel could result in permanent blindness. There are no shortcuts when it comes to acquiring the medical knowledge and surgical skills to perform delicate eye surgery.”
Eye surgery law sparks unusually public dispute in Arkansas
ABC News, July 2019
“The Arkansas law would allow optometrists to perform several procedures that currently only ophthalmologists can, including injections around the eye, removing lesions from the eyelids and certain laser eye surgeries. Much of the debate has focused on whether optometrists have the necessary training.”
Editorial: Leave eye surgery to the ophthalmologists
News & Observer, March 2017
“The ophthalmologists are right in opposing the idea that optometrists could do laser procedures for glaucoma or cataracts and removal of lesions around the eyes. These are common, but delicate surgeries. And though many thousands of patients are amazed at the speed with which ophthalmologists can do them, they understand the incredible technical skill it takes to do the surgeries.”
JAMA study shows research not on optometrists’ side in Eyeball Wars
Florida Politics, January 2017
“…the [Journal of the American Medical Association] report finds that eyes receiving LTP [laser trabeculoplasty to treat certain types of glaucoma] by optometrists had a 189 percent greater hazard for a follow-up procedure in the same eye, as opposed to those LTPs by an ophthalmologist.”
Kentucky's New Eye Surgeons: No Medical Degree Required
The Atlantic, February 2011
“If you need laser eye surgery in the state of Kentucky, or a little cosmetic work around the eyelids, it now behooves you to ask your prospective surgeon the following question before signing the operative consent form: ‘Say doc, did you go to medical school?’"