You may be hearing from proponents of who claim there have been “no complaints” or “no adverse outcomes” from optometrists performing the surgeries authorized as part their scope of practice expansion in some other states.
Unfortunately, for a number of patients across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, those claims are simply not true. The following cases are just the tip of the iceberg after consulting with only a few ophthalmologists, and many more exist:

Eastern KY: While performing a needle injection of anesthesia into an eyelid, a Kentucky optometrist and “teacher of optometry surgery” accidentally went through the eyelid and directly into the eye. This is a grave complication, yielding endophthalmitis (blinding eye infection) a retinal detachment, or toxic issue from the drug in the needie.
Central KY: In an adult patient who had pediatric cataract surgery and was stable for decades, an optometrist lasered the vital capsule that was separating the two chambers of the eye, causing a severe glaucoma with eye pressures three times what is normal, resulting in permanent harm to the optic nerve. Fixing this tragedy took two operations by ophthalmologists (medical doctors and trained eye surgeons).
Eastern KY: While attempting to perform a YAG capsule surgery, another “teacher of optometric surgery” subjected a patient to a multi-hour procedure. This procedure takes a seasoned ophthalmologist about 5 minutes.
These struggles yield multiple laser injuries to the lens of the eye and corneal abrasions.
Eastern KY: While attempting to remove a “benign” eyelid lesion, a “professor of optometry surgery” used another provider's loupe magnifiers and proceeded to use the dull edge of a #11 scalpel.
Central KY: A patient who saw an optometrist for a peripheral iridotomy on one eye was subjected to having the procedure done multiple times, over multiple visits. For her second eye, the patient begged the practice to have an ophthalmologist perform the surgery so it would be performed correctly the first time.

These surgical complications are in addition to numerous misdiagnoses, inappropriate therapy and overlooked problems by Kentucky Optometrists that many of our members have personally treated. There are multiple cases of missed corneal infections, inappropriately treated corneal ulcers, and missed glaucoma that were never reported because there is no medical board oversight or supervision of optometrists in Kentucky, and optometrists here are not required to report adverse outcomes or complications to their licensing board. The absence of a malpractice lawsuit or a recorded complaint filed with
the board of optometry does not equate to the absence of harm to the patient.