Optometrists may not perform surgery and do not have the medical training of ophthalmologists in the diagnosis and management of eye diseases. The orthoptist is a specialized member of the ophthalmic medical personnel team. The orthoptist has had 2 years of postgraduate training and has passed a national certifying examination. The orthoptist's areas of expertise are in visual function testing, particularly in infants and children in the evaluation of eye muscle disorders, and in measuring the optical error of the eye. The orthoptist helps with the diagnosis, management, and nonsurgical treatment of eye muscle imbalance and related visual impairments.
Orthoptists work with and under the direction of ophthalmologists.