Qualifications of Ophthalmic Technicians

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Question:
It has become necessary to change my pre-operative appointment with my eye surgeon. Consequently, I am now rescheduled to meet with a technician for the pre-operative measuring scan and consultation. The surgeon, an ophthalmologist, will perform the actual surgery a few days later. My question: Is a technician in a surgeon's office equally qualified as the surgeon to perform the pre-operative measuring prior to the surgery?

Answer:
There are various levels of training of technicians including that of a certified ophthalmic assistant (COA), a certified ophthalmic technician (COT), or a certified ophthalmic medical technologist (COMT). All three of these types of technicians should be well qualified for performing the pre-operative evaluations which typically include taking photos of the eye to identify the length of your eye, steepness of the cornea, and thickness of the cornea. Oftentimes, most clinics use the expertise of the technicians to capture this information, so the technicians are the ones most experienced at these tests.

Answered by: Robert Melendez, MD

Categories: General Eye Health, Eye Surgery

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