Most patients assume their optometrist and surgeon are operating in separate worlds. Dr. Joey Allen — known online as Dr. Eye Health with over 100 million views — explains why that assumption leads to worse outcomes.
In this episode of Eye Surgery Today, Dr. Allen breaks down the co-managed care model that connects optometrists and ophthalmologists, what that handoff looks like when it works well, and why a referral is not a transaction — it’s an act of trust.
He also shares his personal ICL surgery story: choosing surgery as a high myope with chronic contact lens-related dry eye, the anxiety he felt despite understanding the data, and how getting rid of his contacts completely transformed his tear film and dry eye symptoms.
The episode closes with a conversation every contact lens wearer should have heard by now: how chronic lens use silently damages the tear film, why there’s a window to consider vision correction surgery before that damage becomes permanent, and why optometrists are now raising this conversation with eligible patients routinely.
What you’ll learn:
• How co-managed care works between optometrists and ophthalmologists
• The real difference between an OD and a surgical MD
• Why “thank you for your trust” matters more than “thank you for your referral”
• How Dr. Allen chose ICL over LASIK as a high myope with dry eye
• What pre-op corneal surface and tear film optimization involves
• When ICL is recommended over LASIK for dry eye patients
• Why chronic contact lens use can cause irreversible tear film damage
• Why vision correction surgery conversations should happen sooner
Related topics: ICL, EVO ICL, Visian ICL, LASIK, co-management, optometry ophthalmology, dry eye, contact lens damage, refractive surgery, corneal surface optimization, tear film dysfunction
Learn more: https://eyesurgerytoday.com/
The educational content and views presented are solely those of the participating physicians, whom are not being compensated for their time. This program receives support from Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson, Alcon and RxSight.
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