I read that damn study when it came out and I warned my colleagues in Oklahoma about it. All it said was that optometrists performed more LPI procedures than ophthalmologists. There was no hazard to the patient and there was no difference in outcomes. If anything the optometrists may have been a little too conservative in their initial treatment of the angle showing increased care and concern for their patients.
When I see articles like that that are so damn biased for the MDs it really pisses me off.
Are our colleagues in Florida even asking for laser procedures? What exactly is the scope expansion being considered? Does anyone know?
By the way refer severe glaucoma to an ophthalmologist in 72 hours????? So what? The optometrist will have solved the problem by then, what a waste of taxpayer dollars.
My mentor Dr. Covert who used to be on the state board long ago had told me that even when optometrists wanted to have diagnostics in Ohio, the MDs had what they called a "bloody eyeball" file that they would use to talk about cases that optometrists had screwed up patient's eyes. The association had an equally long "bloody eyeball" file for the MDs.
As the saying goes, time to load for bear!
