November 21, 2023
Hello Friends,
I’m thrilled to share an inspiring contribution from Dr. Mary Beth Yackey, an OD working within a retinal practice, who exemplifies the full scope of secondary eye care. Dr. Yackey graciously accepted my invitation to write about her experience in a retinal specialty optometric practice, and her insights, which you’ll read in this month’s feature, beautifully highlight the breadth and impact of our profession. Her story reaffirms the possibility of a mutual respect between optometry and ophthalmology, showcasing the best of medical collaboration.
I was so moved by her narrative that I’ve decided to introduce a few new articles titled “A Day in the Life,” where we’ll explore the diverse specializations of optometry, including most of the nine specialties we focus on each month in Review of Presbyopia and the Aging Eye.
In our future installments, I hope to spotlight an optometrist specializing in glaucoma care, refractive – surgical care, optometric referral centers, and dry eye centers. They should be as enlightening as Dr. Yackey’s contribution and allow us to live a day in the life of many different optometrists. I am so proud of our colleagues and all they accomplish. This series not only celebrates our profession’s achievements but also emphasizes our ongoing responsibility to expand our practice’s scope. I welcome your reflections on these developments and hope you find as much value in reading these stories as I do in sharing them.
Additionally, I’m eager to discuss a recent publication, selective laser trabeculoplasty (see below), that illustrates how optometrists can safely and effectively perform laser procedures. In a study done in the United Kingdom, surgical outcomes were compared between optometrists and ophthalmologists in performing selective laser trabeculoplasty. The results were similar between the groups, illustrating that trained optometrists can provide these services. This study is pertinent to the United States in that optometrists in nine states are authorized to perform glaucoma laser procedures, and we anticipate this number will grow in the future.
| Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty “In a poster from the United Kingdom, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) outcomes performed by optometrists and ophthalmologists were compared. SLT is being performed more often in the National Health Service, and records were available to assess each group’s performance. The primary outcome measure was mean intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were mean change in visual acuity (VA), change in glaucoma medications, and failure outcomes. Safety outcomes were loss of two lines or more of vision or other complications. There was a statistically significant IOP reduction for both groups and no statistically significant difference in mean VA, medication use, or duration to glaucoma surgery. The relative risk of post-op SLT IOP > 21mm Hg was 3.3 times greater in the ophthalmology group. Efficacy outcomes were similar between groups, SLT delivered by optometrists was safe and effective, and an increased use of SLT by optometrists might reduce pressure on overburdened eye clinics.” |
