November 02, 2004 03:23 PM US Eastern Timezone

American Osteopathic Association Shocked by Oklahoma Governor's Approval of Optometrists Performing Surgery

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 2004--The American Osteopathic Association (AOA), representing more than 54,000 osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) across the United States including thousands of ophthalmologists, was shocked to learn of Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry's decision to allow optometrists to perform surgery.


"The AOA wholeheartedly disagrees with Governor Henry's approval, allowing optometrists to perform surgery," says AOA President-Elect Philip L. Shettle, D.O., a board certified ophthalmologist who has three sons - one an ophthalmologist and two optometrists. "His decision shows blatant disregard for the safety of Oklahoma residents and potentially thousands of other Americans."

In 1998, Oklahoma optometrists were granted rights to perform laser surgery which represented an increase in their scope of practice. Since 1998, Oklahoma optometrists have been taking the laser surgery one-step further and performing other surgeries including removing foreign objects from the eye without the education and training to do so.

Saturday, Governor Henry declared that he approves of optometrists performing surgery, not just laser surgery, and that it doesn't expand the scope of practice of optometrists. His decision came almost three weeks before the deadline for ruling.

"The fact that he was able to make this decision so quickly without giving it the full 45 days tells me that he didn't have time to contemplate the potential impact that his decision could have on patient safety for not only Oklahoma residents, but all Americans and U.S. veterans," adds Dr. Shettle.

According to Dr. Shettle, if one state allows this increase in the scope of practice, it has the potential to create a domino effect where other states begin to follow. In addition, this rule has implications for providing quality eye care for U.S. veterans.

"Optometrists are not licensed physicians," emphasizes Dr. Shettle. "And, surgery is a serious matter. It's more than just cutting the eye. It involves pre-operative care, anesthesiology and post-operative care. It's total quality care. Optometrists aren't trained to perform surgery or oversee these other areas of care. If something does go wrong, they aren't trained to deal with it."

Ophthalmologists complete four years of medical school, a residency and three years of surgical training. Whereas, optometrists attend four years of optometric school, but are not required to complete a surgical residency.

The AOA plans to continue to fight this scope of practice expansion to preserve patient quality care, and will work to educate patients to choose only licensed physicians when undergoing surgery.

The AOA represents the nation's more than 54,000 D.O.s, promotes public health, encourages scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s and is the accrediting body for all osteopathic medical schools and health care facilities.

Contacts


The American Osteopathic Association
Karyn Szurgot, 800-621-1773, ext. 8042
312-202-8042
kszurgot@osteopathic.org
Mary Ann Rausa, 800-621-1773, ext. 8040
312-202-8040
mrausa@osteopathic.org

__________________
Moderator - State Licensing Forum

Still skeptical after all these years.
This is it. There are no hidden meanings.WYSIWYG

http://www.internetmedicalschool.homestead.com

http://www.chiropractormds.homestead.com/index.html

Wow, foreign body removal. short of a deep penetrating FB, the majority of FB removal consists of taking out tiny specs of FB's. Honestly how long did it take for any MD or DO to learn how to do this? This is one of the least time intensive procedures to learn. Do optometrists not know the eyes anatomy already? Think of the TONS of family practice docs, GP's that never completed any residency, that perform eye FB removal every day.

I'll bet many optometrists are even more adept at working with the eyes than some of the above docs. Some optometrists may even be more skilled at using a slit lamp.

Hows about a state bill that prohibits dermatologists from diagnosing and treating common colds?

does an optometrist know the eye? most certainly. are 99% of FB removals simple? yep seen them in the ER....that isn't the point...what is the point is the ability to handle complications from anything you do and who does the responsibility fall to when something goes wrong? it will have to be the one with a license so poor anest. will get sued b/c some optometrist screws up.

hey psychologists in louisiana can prescribe powerfull psychotropics now without a residency showing them serious complications....does it make a patient feel safer knowing they do book work and safety profiles?


Naturapaths in alaska are about to get full prescription rights do you approve of that also...who knows more about "healing" the body naturally than a naturapath right? so why not augment their knowldege and let them write scripts too

its all about scope of prcatice and what your training makes you capable to handle. i would not appose anything like this if it were like the NP's or PA's who need to be supervised...then again i've met plenty of them that think they are full docs too....

__________________
OBGYN PGY III
Finally a chief...scary isn't it?

I'm pretty good with chopsticks also but do you want me using them to remove glass from your eye?

OD's scope of training isn't equivalent to an MD's. Nice folks...know alot about physics and glasses but surgery and LASIK,etc. isn't amongst their training......

Chiropractors in Oregon do minor surgery. Podiatrists in Alaska are allowed to work on hands also since they lack enough care providers.
Naturopaths in Az,where I live, think they can do anything also.

But an informed consumer wants someone who is well trained when working with things like their eyes or heart,etc.

__________________
Moderator - State Licensing Forum

Still skeptical after all these years.
This is it. There are no hidden meanings.WYSIWYG

http://www.internetmedicalschool.homestead.com

http://www.chiropractormds.homestead.com/index.html

An OD would do the very same thing ANY MD/DO or non trauma optho would do, get help from an optho experienced in it.

Heck, I have seen opthos get help from other opthos for problems they did not know how to manage.

getting help with something you aren't familiear with isn't the issue. what is at stake here is scope of practice and more importantly the crossing over allowing people who aren't "licensed" to practice medicine or surgery. why not allow chiropractors top do back surgery and "get help" when they need it?

so again who will be liable i.e. who will lawyers go after when something goes wrong? will OD insurance now go so high as to drive them out of practice?

the only light at the end of this, and another 4 years of GW, is that lawyers will finally get whats coming to them and tort reform and caps will finally be a reality!

__________________
OBGYN PGY III
Finally a chief...scary isn't it?

Clearly an OD is knowledgable about eyes. A chiropracter doing back surgery is not analogous to an OD removing an FB.

an optometrist should just stick to the physics behind the eye like they are taught in school.

if it comes to lenses and focal lengths, i know who to call.

why do we need to outsource the job of a medical doctor?

__________________
Dr. Scott
Internal Medicine
PGY-2

VMD Moderator

i agree 100%