Cecilia Cicchitti | Oppose HB349

I am opposed to HB 349 that would grant optometrists - who are not medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, nor trained surgeons - the authority to perform laser eye surgery on patients. This legislation poses a risk to the high standards of surgical safety and quality of care in New Hampshire. Laser eye surgery should only be performed by specially trained and experienced physicians and surgeons with proper medical training. While some proponents of granting surgical authority for optometrists refer to it as “non-invasive," improperly performed laser eye surgery runs the risk of causing permanent injury including loss of vision, and should be considered no less serious than traditional surgery or other ophthalmic surgical procedures. The last thing we need is to lower the standards of patient safety, especially when it comes to surgery on or near our eyes. For these reasons, I ask that you vote “no” on HB 349. Thank you for your consideration on this important medical safety issue.