Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist
An optometrist (OD) is your primary care doctor for eyes: comprehensive exams, glasses and contact lens prescriptions, and diagnosing and managing most eye conditions — dry eye, infections, allergies, glaucoma monitoring, diabetic eye checks. An ophthalmologist (MD or DO) is a medical doctor and surgeon who specializes in eyes: cataract surgery, LASIK, retinal procedures, complex disease.
Neither is "better" — they do different jobs. For everything short of surgery, an optometrist is usually your first and only stop; when surgery or advanced disease care is needed, your optometrist refers you to the right ophthalmologist and manages your care before and after.
What an optometrist does
Optometrists complete a four-year Doctor of Optometry degree after college — Dr. Mordue earned hers at New England College of Optometry in Boston — and are licensed to examine, diagnose, and treat the eye. At Out to See in Kailua, that looks like:
Comprehensive eye exams — vision testing plus a full health evaluation: retinal imaging, glaucoma pressure screening, cataract and macular degeneration checks
Glasses and contact lens prescriptions — including fittings for dailies, torics, and multifocals
Medical visits — red eyes, pain, irritation, something stuck in your eye, styes, allergies, dry eye treatment
Ongoing monitoring — tracking conditions like early cataracts, glaucoma suspects, and diabetic eye changes year over year
Kids' vision — annual exams and myopia management to slow nearsightedness in children
In Hawaii, you do not need a referral to see an optometrist. You can book directly.
What an ophthalmologist does
Ophthalmologists go through medical school plus a surgical residency — eight-plus years after college. They're who you want when your eyes need medicine's heavy machinery:
Cataract surgery
LASIK and other refractive surgery
Retinal procedures (tears, detachments, injections for macular degeneration)
Advanced glaucoma treatment (lasers, surgery)
Complex or aggressive eye disease
Many ophthalmologists also do routine exams, but their schedules — and often their pricing — are built around surgical care. Booking one for a glasses prescription is a bit like seeing an orthopedic surgeon for a sore ankle: they can absolutely do it, but it's not what their day is designed for, and the wait is usually longer.
So which should you book?
Start with an optometrist if: you need an eye exam, new glasses or contacts, your vision changed, your eyes are red, dry, or irritated, you failed the DMV vision test, or you just haven't been checked in years. This covers the vast majority of eye visits.
Go straight to an ophthalmologist if: you already know you need eye surgery, or you've been diagnosed with an advanced eye condition that requires a procedure. If you experience sudden vision, loss, new flashes of light, a curtain or shadow over your vision, or an eye injury, seek care immediately. In many cases, an optometrist can evaluate these urgent problems the same day and, if needed, arrange prompt referral to the appropriate ophthalmologist. If it's after hours, and you can't reach an optometrist or ophthalmologist, go to the nearest urgent care or emergency department.
The referral system works in your favor. When we find something surgical — a cataract that's ready, a retina that needs a specialist — we refer you to a trusted ophthalmologist on Oahu, send your imaging and records ahead of you, and handle your follow-up care afterward. You get the surgeon for surgery and your neighborhood doctor for everything else. That's co-management, and it's how the system is supposed to work.
The bottom line for Kailua
You don't have to solve this puzzle yourself. Book with us, and if what you need is beyond an optometrist's scope, we'll tell you plainly and get you to the right person — that's part of the job. What you shouldn't do is put off an exam because you weren't sure which door to knock on. Most eye disease is silent early, and the exam that catches it is the same one that updates your glasses.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to see an optometrist or an ophthalmologist?
For routine and primary eye care — exams, glasses, contacts, dry eye, infections, monitoring — an optometrist is the right choice and usually faster to book. For eye surgery or advanced disease treatment, you need an ophthalmologist. They're complementary, not competing: your optometrist refers you when surgical care is needed.
Can an optometrist diagnose glaucoma or cataracts?
Yes. Diagnosing and monitoring glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease is core optometry. If treatment moves beyond drops and monitoring — laser or surgery — that's when an ophthalmologist joins your care team.
Do I need a referral to see an optometrist in Hawaii?
No. You can book directly with an optometrist — online or by phone — without a referral from any other doctor.
Are optometrists "real doctors"?
Optometrists hold a Doctor of Optometry (OD) — a four-year clinical doctorate focused entirely on the eye. They're not medical doctors (MD), which is exactly why the two professions divide the work the way they do: ODs for primary eye care, MDs for eye surgery.
Who should do my annual eye exam?
Either can, but this is optometry's home turf. A comprehensive exam at Out to See is $150 with retinal imaging included, often bookable same-week — and if it turns up anything surgical, the referral is part of the service.
Dr. Lauren Mordue, OD is the optometrist behind Out to See, Kailua's independent vision care and eyewear boutique at Lau Hala Shops. Book online or call/text (808) 501-2020 — new patients welcome, open 7 days.
