Hello.
Here are two straightforward definitions:
The big difference, and perhaps the one that causes conflicting diagnoses and treatment recommendations, is that the majority of optometrists believe that the visual system is a dynamic system.
What that means is that the brain has plasticity, and the eyes and visual pathways can be retrained. In the event of a functional vision problem, when they eyes aren’t working in tandem, the visual system has the ability to change.
Many ophthalmologists view it as more of a static system. They feel that in cases like strabismus, the only way to improve a turned eye is through surgery. They either don’t know or don’t believe that the visual system can and should be retrained - especially since surgery won’t overcome a functional vision problem on its own.
Hope this is helpful .
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