Indiana optometrists open state’s first OD-owned surgical suites

Indiana’s first OD-owned office-based surgery (OBS) suites are now open. These suites allow patients to receive cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange (RLE) in the same practice where their optometrist evaluated them. Christopher Browning, OD, of VisionQuest Eyecare, opened his suite on October 29, and Nicholas Garn, OD, of Zionsville Eyecare, opened a separate suite on October 30, 2026.¹ While Browning and Garn worked closely together on the development of the 2 surgical suites, the practices themselves are independently owned and operated.¹

The suites were built in collaboration with iOR Partners, a company specializing in the development and operation of office-based surgical suites. Each optometrist contracts with a surgeon to operate inside his office, so patients stay with their primary eye care provider through surgery and recovery.¹

“Our goal is to make surgery more convenient, accessible, and patient-focused. Patients will be able to schedule surgery more quickly, travel shorter distances, and spend less time navigating multiple appointments and locations,” Garn said in a statement to Optometry Times.

Although an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) cannot be owned by an optometrist, an OBS suite can, according to the announcement.¹ Under the traditional comanagement model, ODs refer cataract patients to a surgeon at a hospital or ASC and resume care after the procedure.

How do OD-owned OBS suites work?

Office-based surgery refers to “any surgical or invasive procedure performed by a licensed physician outside a hospital or ASC,” according to the news release. Browning and Garn worked closely with iOR partners throughout development of the surgical suites.¹

VisionQuest serves the greater Indianapolis area from locations in Greenwood and Fishers. Zionsville Eyecare operates together with Carmel Eyecare and serves Zionsville, Carmel, and surrounding communities.¹

Both suites support cataract surgery and RLE. For the past 3 months, optometrists at VisionQuest have raised surgical options with patients during routine examinations, not only at cataract diagnosis.¹ Cases once referred out through co-management now stay in the practice, although Browning and Garn describe this shift as a “byproduct” of the model and not its purpose.¹

A 2023 multicenter study evaluated the safety of office-based lens surgery in 18,005 consecutive cases at 36 US sites.² The study, coauthored by Daniel S. Durrie, MD, of iOR Partners, examined case records of cataract, refractive lens exchange, and phakic intraocular lens implantation performed between August 2020 and May 2022. Their findings indicated that the rate of adverse events for office-based lens surgery is “similar to or less than the reported adverse event rate for modern cataract surgery in the ambulatory surgery center setting,” according to the study authors.²

Why did Browning and Garn build OBS suites?

According to the news release, Browning initially doubted his practice had the capacity to support a surgical suite. However, after reviewing his practice’s data, he realized he had referred “more than 30” cataract patients per month.¹ iOR Partners provides support for planning and development, accreditation and compliance, staffing, materials management, revenue-cycle services, and ongoing operations.¹ Browning credits the organization with consultation necessary for the suites’ development.¹

“They gave us information we otherwise would have had no way of having: which vendors, which instruments, the space plan, the processes. We couldn’t have done it without them,” he said in the release.¹

Garn also acknowledged the challenges that came with the development of the OBS suites. In his statement to Optometry Times, Garn identified surgeon contract negotiations, detailed cost estimates, and the need for a femtosecond laser as the primary hurdles they faced.

Over time, Browning and Garn plan to make OBS time available to other Indiana optometrists. This arrangement would let those practices offer patients in-office surgery without building a suite from scratch.¹

“Our goal is to create opportunities for other optometrists to utilize available surgical time, collaborate with our team, and expand access to high-quality surgical care throughout Indiana. We want this space to be a resource for the broader optometric community, not just our own practice,” Garn noted in his statement to Optometry Times.

Optometrists in Pennsylvania also collaborated with iOR Partners to open a surgical suite within their practice earlier in October 2026. Similar to Browning and Garn’s practices, Butler Eye Care, co-owned by Jennifer McGrath, OD, and Michael McGrath, OD, will contract with an ophthalmologist to perform procedures.³

The Indiana and Pennsylvania openings reflect a growing number of OD-owned practices adding in-office surgical capacity through contracted surgeons.^1,3 For comanaging ODs, the model keeps preoperative evaluation, surgery, and postoperative care within one practice.¹

This content was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

References

1. Indiana optometrists bring cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange to the practices their patients already know. iOR Partners. News release. October 23, 2026. Accessed October 30, 2026. https://iorpartners.com/press-release-visionquest-eyecare-and-zionville-eyecare-obs-launch

2. Kugler LJ, Kapeles MJ, Durrie DS. Safety of office-based lens surgery: U.S. multicenter study. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023;49(9):907-911. doi:10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001231

3. Pennsylvania optometrists open their own surgical suite, bringing surgery into the independent practice. iOR Partners. News release. Published October 14, 2026. Accessed November 2, 2026. https://iorpartners.com/press-release-butler-eye-care-open-their-own-surgical-suite