Children's Mercy’s team of pediatric ophthalmologists, optometrists, and orthoptists work together to provide the highest quality, specialty eye care in children. At this time, the ophthalmology clinic is focusing on care for patients with medical eye conditions in children of all ages. The team also provides routine eye care including glasses and contact lenses for children with other medical conditions and children 9 years of age and younger. If your child’s primary care doctor or another provider suspects an eye concern, they will send a referral for you to see a Children’s Mercy eye specialist.

We provide vision care services at three eye clinics with state-of-the-art equipment and an optical shop at each location. Eye surgeries are performed at Children’s Mercy Kansas City and Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas.

Why would my child need a pediatric eye care provider?

Vision problems in children require special treatment because the brain cells that control vision are not fully developed in children until the age of 10. Many pediatric vision problems occur when these cells are not responding normally. Our team provides specialized care to address these issues in a way that is comfortable and accessible for children and teens.

What type of eye specialist will I see?

The eye care team at Children’s Mercy includes three types of providers:

• Pediatric ophthalmologists
• Pediatric optometrists
• Orthoptists

It is important that your child sees the best provider for their individual needs. The specific condition and why you are visiting the eye care clinic for each appointment will dictate which members of the care team you see.

What is the difference between the types of providers?

• Pediatric ophthalmologists (MDs) provide complex medical and surgical care to children with congenital and acquired eye problems such as eye muscle misalignment, cataract, glaucoma, and tear duct obstruction. They have attended medical school and completed additional training to specialize in taking care of kid’s eyes. Typically, you will see an ophthalmologist if surgical intervention is needed.
  
  
• Pediatric optometrists (ODs) attend optometry school after college where they complete additional training in screening for, diagnosing, and treating a wide range of eye issues in children. Most patients will see one of our optometrists during their eye care journey.
  
  
• Orthoptists (COs) undergo specialized training to measure vision and eye alignment as well as treat poor vision with patching therapy.

These three groups work closely together to provide comprehensive pediatric eye care for your child. The clinic staff and doctors will determine the appropriate provider to manage your child’s unique needs and it is likely that you will see more than one provider during a course of treatment.