Nicholas Garn, OD, on opening an OD-owned surgery suite in Indiana

Nicholas Garn, OD, and Christopher Browning, OD, opened the doors to Indiana’s first OD-owned office-based surgery (OBS) suites in late October 2026. Browning’s suite opened at VisionQuest Eyecare on October 29 and Garn’s at Zionsville Eyecare on October 30, 2026. Browning and Garn contract surgeons to perform cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange on site, so patients stay with their primary eye care provider through surgery and recovery. Optometrists can own an OBS suite, though not an ambulatory surgery center (ASC), which makes the office-based model one of the few routes for an OD-owned practice to bring surgery in-house.¹

Both practices built their suites with iOR Partners, a company specializing in the development and operation of office-based surgical suites. Before VisionQuest’s suite opened, Browning referred more than 30 patients with cataracts to outside surgeons each month.¹

A 2023 multicenter study reviewed 18,005 consecutive cataract, refractive lens exchange, and phakic intraocular lens cases performed at 36 US office-based sites from August 2020 to May 2022. The authors reported an adverse event rate “similar to or less than the reported adverse event rate” for ASC cataract surgery.² The Indiana openings follow Butler Eye Care in Pennsylvania, where Jennifer McGrath, OD, and Michael McGrath, OD, opened their own iOR Partners suite earlier in October 2026.³ In this Q&A, Garn described the challenges his team encountered during the development process, how the suite will affect patients’ access to care, and his plans to open surgical time to other Indiana optometrists.

Note: Responses edited lightly for clarity and length.

What challenges did you encounter during the development process?

Nicholas Garn, OD: [Surgeon contract negotiations] took longer than anticipated. [For cost estimates], a very detailed pro forma is necessary to accurately account for construction, equipment, staffing, and ongoing operational expenses [Additionally], we initially underestimated the need for the femtosecond laser. As we developed our services, we recognized how valuable this technology would be to our patients.

How will the suites improve patients’ access to care?

Garn: 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. We also have the ability to offer bilateral procedures when appropriate. We believe bringing more of the surgical process under one roof will create a more seamless patient experience, simplify medication management and postoperative follow-up, and ultimately support better patient outcomes.

How do you plan to make OBS time available to other Indiana optometrists?

Garn: [We plan] to invite other Indiana optometrists to tour our facility and learn more about opportunities available through our surgery suite. We want them to see firsthand how office-based surgery can fit into their practices and how they can provide their patients with access to surgical care in a more convenient setting. 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.

For more on both suites, read Optometry Times’ coverage of Indiana’s first OD-owned surgical suites here.

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