Optometrists using frickin laser beams

Lighthizer, N., Chen, J., Niyazmand, H., Patel, K., Janzen, J., Xu, P., … Alam, K. (2026). Patient experiences of laser and surgical lid procedures performed by optometrists. Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/08164622.2026.2699980 This study highlights the benefits of expanding the scope of practice of optometrists. Given the lack of eye care practitioners in rural areas, allowing optometrists to perform low-stakes laser procedures will take the burden off patients who may have to travel a great distance to receive necessary eye care and off ophthalmologists who would mostly rather perform more complex cases. I imagine optometrists would have more time to offer more patient education, which would make patients feel more comfortable with what’s about to happen to them. SLT is becoming more the standard for first-line treatment in glaucoma. The managing optometrist could just do it instead of putting them on a drop to get them by until they can get in to…