An eye doctor in Augusta KS may be an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specializing in eye care, including diagnostics and treatment of eye diseases. An optometrist, while not a medical doctor, also specializes in eye care. This doctor is qualified to perform vision testing and prescribe corrective lenses, and to conduct eye health exams. If indication of disease is found, the optometrist refers the patient to an ophthalmologist.
Full Service
Patients who like the option of having both types of doctors in the same practice might Visit Business Name, which offers full service for eye care. An optical department is included in the facility so patients can easily choose eyeglasses without having to go to a different store.
This type of practice welcomes patients of all ages. Youngsters often need vision correction for nearsightedness, medically known as myopia, early on. During the teen years, many of them decide they want contact lenses. In young adulthood or later, they may continue to use both contacts and eyeglasses, or they may want surgical vision correction.
Understanding Differences
People who feel a bit confused about why an optometrist is considered a doctor must understand the extensive education and training these men and women complete, even though it is not a medical school degree. In a similar way, a podiatrist is called a foot doctor and a dentist is a doctor of dental medicine.
Eye Surgery
As with family dentists who must refer patients who need oral surgery to an oral surgeon, optometrists refer patients who need an eye operation or who want elective surgical vision correction to an ophthalmologist. Only two states allow optometrists to perform laser surgery for vision correction: Kentucky and Oklahoma. The move to expand laser surgery into optometry practices is strongest in areas with a shortage of ophthalmologists.
Patients who routinely see an optometrist for their Eye Doctor in Augusta KS may schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist at the same practice if they decide to have laser surgery. Otherwise, they can continue their regular appointments with the optometrist and have their corrective lens prescriptions updated as needed.