Many ophthalmologists have been speaking out against draft Kentucky regulations that would allow optometrists to perform some minor surgeries, according to a report by the Herald Leader.
The draft rules, based on a measure signed into law in February and authored by the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, would not allow optometrists to perform Lasik surgery or any procedure requiring general anesthesia.
But ophthalmologists said the draft rules do not specify how many hours of training optometrists need or how many procedures they must perform to be certified to perform the surgeries.
Many in the physician community oppose the optometry board's plan. The University of Kentucky's executive vice president of health affairs said his institution would not allow optometrists to do any surgeries unless the rules were tightened.
Read the Herald Leader report on the debate to allow surgery by optometrists.
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