Granite Staters overwhelmingly oppose legislation that would allow optometrists to perform certain eye surgeries, according to a new poll. The findings come as state lawmakers prepare to debate such a proposal in the upcoming legislative session.
In New Hampshire, optometrists, who are not medical doctors, are currently prohibited from performing any eye surgeries, including minor laser or eyelid procedures. Only ophthalmologists — medical eye doctors — are allowed to perform such operations.
A survey of 1,402 New Hampshire residents by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that 76 percent oppose permitting non-medical doctors to perform eye surgery. Just eight percent support the idea. The findings come as legislators consider HB 349, a bill that would expand optometrists’ scope of practice to include specific laser procedures currently restricted to ophthalmologists and surgeons.
“This data confirms what we hear from our patients every day. They understand the profound difference between a routine eye exam and a surgical procedure,” said Dr. Sivashakthi Maeder, president of the New Hampshire Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. “Not many people think it is a good idea to have someone who is not a medical doctor perform surgery on their eyes.”
Roughly a dozen states allow optometrists to perform some type of surgery, ranging from removing “lumps and bumps” from eyelids to laser procedures used to treat glaucoma and other conditions. The American Medical Association opposes this trend, arguing that ophthalmologists’ and other medical practitioners’ training and experience make them better equipped to determine which eye-related procedures are necessary and to perform them safely.
The optometry profession argues that its members receive significantly more training than earlier generations of optometrists and that allowing them to conduct limited types of surgery would increase access to care.
Ophthalmologists disagree.
“I believe optometrists play an important role in primary eye care,” Concord pediatric ophthalmologist Christie Morse told InsideSources. “But they are not trained as surgeons. Eye surgeries are some of the most delicate procedures in medicine, and outcomes are determined by education and experience. It’s one thing to work on a model eyeball, but performing surgery on real people is very different. They hiccup, they get fearful, they move around.”
The poll results suggest New Hampshire residents place surgical expertise above all other considerations. When asked whether they would prefer a medically trained surgeon or a conveniently located provider who is not a medical doctor, 88 percent said they prioritize being treated by a licensed medical doctor. Only four percent said convenience would outweigh training.
During hearings on a similar bill during the 2024 legislative session, Oklahoma resident Vicki Rutledge told New Hampshire lawmakers the harrowing story of losing her sight in one eye following a botched laser surgery performed by an optometrist.
“The optometrist told me the laser surgery would be simple, quick, and painless. Instead, my life has forever been changed,” an emotional Rutledge told committee members.
The proposed legislation would also shift regulatory authority for eye surgery to a state board that does not include medical doctors or surgeons — an idea that New Hampshire residents firmly reject. The poll found 80 percent oppose removing medical oversight from the regulatory framework.
The issue may carry political risks. According to the poll, 59 percent of respondents said they would be less likely to vote for their state legislator if that lawmaker supported allowing non-medical doctors to perform eye surgery. Only six percent said such a vote would make them more supportive.
“From a voter standpoint, there appears to be little support for this type of legislative change,” said Andrew Smith, director of the UNH Survey Center.
The survey was conducted by the UNH Survey Center from Nov. 13–17, 2025, and included 1,402 New Hampshire residents. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.
