My 6 yr old has been wearing glasses for 2 yrs. When she was 4, we noticed one eye turned in. Her ped refered us to an eye specialist. In this group they are all MD's. Anyways, they found out that she also couldnt see up close either, we had no idea. Anyways, she started wearing glasses. The eye dr said they were just a starter pair(the lenses,not as strong as they should be)just to get her use to them. 6 months later we went back and he gave her a stronger prescription. She seems to do well with the glasses(She wears them all the time), and prefers to wear them then to not. We take her for her visit every 6 months, where the eye dr does a very extensive exam. She was last seen in Sept. He said everything was fine, and he would see her in 6 months.With the way the insurance is, we could not get her glasses from the eye specialists office. I know, stupid, but the insurance wouldnt cover it from there. So we found a place close to home(eye drs office, but not an MD who works there)but we were allowed to get glasses there and insurance would pay for it. It worked out well because my daughter is forever breaking them, or they need adjusting, so its nice to just run down the street to get them fixed. Well she needed a new pair as she broke them. I took her after school to get them. She said they felt fine, but then decided they felt "crooked". I told her when her father came home he could take her back to adjust some more. Meanwhile, my husband "Thinks" my daughter doesnt need glasses anymore(hes one of those know it alls LOL)said her eye doesnt turn in anymore and she said she can see fine.I often ask my husband where he got his MD degree from ,haha.
So he takes her back to the eye glass place for another adjustment. But while he is there, he takes the opportunity to tell these people that he thinks Elizabeths eyes are just fine and doesnt need glasses anymore(remember this isnt her regular eye dr). APparently our insurance will pay for another eye visit, and he lets the eye dr there(who is not an MD)exam her eyes. He tells my husband that the glasses she has are too strong for her, that at one point she may have needed them that strong, but not anymore. So he tells my husband to bring her back after January, when the insurance will pay for another pair of glasses, and that she doesnt need the strong prescription anymore, but a lesser one.
My husband is convinced that this guy is better then her original eye dr. For example, the eye specialist didnt patch her eye for the eye turn in. He use the glasses to correct it. This eye dr my husband spoke to yesterday was surprised he didnt etc... that he would of etc.Anyways, my husband is convinced he likes this guy better and even requested her records from the old eye dr.
UGH... made me mad. I mean isnt just a difference of opinion?
How do I know which is right and who to trust?
What would you do?

By Kate on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 10:12 am:

I'd ask your pediatrician for a recommendation on eye doctors and run the names of the two docs you're considering by him. I'd check out the credentials of each. If her eye is not turning inward anymore, I'd say the original doc fixed it and am not sure why your husband suddenly thinks he was wrong to not patch it. Surely your daughter appreciated everyday, normal looking glasses instead of a black patch!

Eye docs aren't always MDs. This other one is probably an OD or whatever they are called...a doctor of optometry, not medicine. This new guy concentrated on eyes from the start. The original guy, the MD, must have gone to regular medical school and learned all about the whole body, and then specialized in eyes and took the required eye courses.

By Kittycat_26 on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 10:33 am:

The big difference between and MD and OD is the fact that an OD cannot prescribe steroids. To do this, they must have a supervising MD. I've had glasses since I was 2 years old. Kids do outgrow their prescription; however, I would question anyone who opening questioned a treating practitioner.

I'm not saying that an MD or a DO is better. I've been treated by both my entire life and most recently my DH has been seen bi-weekly for well over a year for a problem. He's been seen by both OD and MDs. The OD (in this case) would not have had your daughter's entire record when he spoke with your DH. AND he should have.

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 11:06 am:

I agree, you need an MD to deal with children's eye issues. Patching is old-fashioned, very old-fashioned. I agree with Amanda, for an optometrist (not an MD) to question what an opthalmologist (MD) is doing is out of line. If he had questions, he should have gone directly to the MD and raised the question - sounds like sheep stealing to me. But, check with your pediatrician, who, from what you say, made the original referral.

I think you are going to have to battle this one out with your dh, especially as he doesn't really want your dd to wear glasses anyhow. I agree with you and think your dh is very wrong.

If she stops wearing the glasses, her eye may turn in again. And you say she prefers to wear the glasses, which should say something in itself. I remember when my oldest son's eyes were crossing and I took him to an opthalmologist over the objections of my (soon to be former) pediatrician. Turns out he was terribly farsighted, which was why his eyes crossed when he tried to see things that were close. He went around putting his nose close to things and looking at them close up for weeks after he got his glasses, and was so happy to have them and to finally be able to see things properly.

By Jackie on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 11:49 am:

This new Eye dr thinks Elizabeth needs to wear glasses, just not as strong as what she has been wearing. Its my husband who thinks she doesnt need to wear them LOL

By Insaneusmcwife on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 01:35 pm:

Is it possible to get a 3rd opinion?

By Kay on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 01:52 pm:

I'm quite biased on this issue, because I work with about 400 MD's, but I prefer an ophthalmologist as opposed to an optometrist. The eyes are a part of a large system in the body, and should be treated in conjunction with that body. For instance, my ophthalmologist noted that since my youngest daughter had been on prednisone for a colon disease, there was a hightened chance of glaucoma and found some increased pressure on the eyeball. He watched the condition, and it changed after the course of prednisone was over.

I know the training ophthalmologists receive as opposed to optometrists, and while I respect what they do - fitting people with glasses - I would not allow them to make decisions as to any medical conditions that may have affected my or my family members' eyes.

By Kittycat_26 on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 02:58 pm:

I got just one more thing to say and then I'll let this alone. And please, no one has said this at all but I don't want information to be misconstrued.

Optometrists who practice in a solo practice are different from Optometrists who practice with an opthalmologist. Solo optometrists are fine for people who do not have a medical problem. However, an optometrist in a medical practice or an opthalmologists are much better suited to deal with a long term condition.

It may do some good to have your opthalmologist address your husband's concerns during the next appointment. He may have reasons for doing what he has done.