St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute

What St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute does

St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute is a private, family-owned multi-specialty ophthalmology practice founded in 1968 by Dr. James P. Gills in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The practice operates eight clinic locations across Florida — six in the Tampa Bay region (Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Spring Hill, Wesley Chapel/Lutz) and two in The Villages retirement community — and reports treating patients from over 77 countries. Leadership transitioned from founder Dr. James Gills to his son Dr. Pit Gills, who has personally completed over 75,000 cataract surgeries. The organization is structured as a Professional Association (P.A.) with no disclosed external investors or private equity involvement, and employs 251–500 people.

The practice's flagship offering is cataract surgery, supported by AAAHC-accredited ambulatory surgery centers — including a 78,000-square-foot Tarpon Springs facility with six operating rooms, two laser treatment rooms, and a 12-bed recovery area. Service lines span refractive surgery (LASIK, EVO ICL), medical and surgical glaucoma management, retina care including anti-VEGF injections, dry eye treatment, blepharoplasty, comprehensive ophthalmology, hearing services, and a plastic surgery sub-brand (Reflections at St. Luke's, launched in 2012). The practice generates revenue through insurance-reimbursed procedures (standard cataract surgery under Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance), cash-pay elective services (LASIK at $2,400/eye, EVO ICL at $4,750/eye, premium multifocal and extended depth-of-focus IOLs at $4,250–$5,250/eye), audiology hardware sales, and plastic surgery. The practice emphasizes proprietary surgical safety protocols — filtered infusion solutions, pH-balanced medications, UV sterilization, and custom post-operative antibiotic/anti-inflammatory formulations — claimed to reduce infection rates below the national average.

Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer via owned clinics and ASCs, supplemented by an optometrist (OD) referral program that explicitly positions St. Luke's as non-competitive with optometrists (the practice does not dispense glasses or contact lenses). Marketing relies on educational content, SEO, physician credentials, and reputation signals (4.5-star Google rating from 3,101 reviews, Trustindex verification) rather than paid advertising. Operations integrate with patient engagement platforms (MedFusion, NextGen), financing partners (CareCredit), and revenue cycle tools, but no proprietary technology or AI capability is disclosed.

Name

St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute

Legal name

St. Luke's Cataract and Laser Institute, P.A.

Website

https://stlukeseye.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

St. Luke's is a family-owned multi-specialty ophthalmology practice operating eight Florida clinics and AAAHC-accredited ambulatory surgery centers, offering cataract surgery, LASIK, glaucoma, retina, hearing, and plastic surgery services to primarily adult and retirement-age patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology and Eye Care Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111), Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery) (HLAKAKAO), Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Retina & Vitreous Specialists (HLAKAKAE), Ophthalmology Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Cataract surgery
• LASIK eye surgery
• Retina care treatment
• Glaucoma management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tarpon Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ophthalmic Surgical Procedures: Revenue from cataract surgery, LASIK, EVO ICL, glaucoma surgery, retina procedures, and other ophthalmic surgeries performed at ASCs or clinic settings. Pricing varies by procedure complexity and lens type selected.
2. Clinical Eye Care Services: Revenue from comprehensive eye exams, diabetic eye care, dry eye treatment, glaucoma management, and other diagnostic and treatment services provided in clinic settings.
3. Hearing Services and Products: Revenue from audiology consultations and hearing aid products including Genesis AI, Phonak Lyric, and Audéo Life hearing aids.
4. Plastic Surgery Services: Revenue from cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures at Reflections at St. Luke's facility, including body, facial, and breast procedures.
5. Premium Lens Upgrades: Additional revenue from premium intraocular lens options (Auto Focus multifocal, toric astigmatism-correcting lenses) that exceed standard insurance coverage, typically paid out-of-pocket by patients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute is a multi-specialty ophthalmology practice that diagnoses and treats eye diseases and performs vision-correction surgeries, with its flagship service being cataract surgery using intraocular lens (IOL) implants. The practice also offers LASIK, EVO ICL implantable lenses, glaucoma and retina care, dry eye treatment, blepharoplasty, audiology/hearing services, and plastic surgery through its Reflections sub-brand. All services are delivered through eight Florida clinic locations and AAAHC-accredited ambulatory surgery centers.

Product overview

St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute is a multi-specialty ophthalmology practice offering a comprehensive portfolio of eye care services anchored by its flagship cataract surgery program. The practice operates as a unified service offering centered on surgical and medical eye care, with major service lines including cataract surgery (the primary offering with advanced laser and lens options), LASIK, EVO ICL implantable lenses, comprehensive ophthalmology, glaucoma treatment, diabetic eye care, dry eye treatment, retina care, blepharoplasty, hearing services, and plastic surgery under the Reflections sub-brand. The practice maintains AAAHC-accredited ambulatory surgery centers and serves patients across eight Florida locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cataract Surgery Advanced cataract surgery removing the clouded natural lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL), offered with bladeless laser technology and multiple lens options including Auto Focus (Light Adjustable Lens, Panoptix, Vivity) and Fixed Focus lenses for adult patients with cataracts.
• LASIK Eye Surgery Laser vision correction procedure using excimer and femtosecond lasers to reshape the cornea and correct refractive errors including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism for adult patients seeking freedom from glasses or contacts.
• EVO ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) FDA-approved implantable contact lens made of Collamer placed inside the eye behind the iris for permanent vision correction, suitable for patients with moderate to high nearsightedness (-3.0 to -20.0 diopters) who may not be candidates for LASIK.
• Comprehensive Ophthalmology Full-service eye care including routine wellness exams, urgent care, first-line treatment for conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic eye care, and accurate glasses prescriptions for adult patients.
• Glaucoma Treatment Medical and surgical treatment of glaucoma, including prescription eye drops, laser surgery, and microsurgery to manage intraocular pressure and prevent optic nerve damage for patients diagnosed with glaucoma.
• Diabetic Eye Care Specialized care for diabetic retinopathy and other diabetes-related eye conditions, including monitoring, diagnostic testing, and treatment with anti-VEGF medications and injectable steroids for diabetic patients.
• Retina Eye Care Specialized care for retinal diseases including macular degeneration (dry and wet AMD), diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and macular holes, with treatments including anti-VEGF injections for patients with retinal conditions.
• Dry Eye Syndrome Treatment Comprehensive dry eye treatment including amniotic membrane treatments (Prokera, Bio D Optix), BlephEx, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy, prescription medications (Restasis, Xiidra, Avenova), and punctal plugs for patients with dry eye syndrome.
• Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery) Outpatient surgical procedure to remove excess skin from the eyelids to restore vision and improve the appearance of tired or heavy eyelids for patients with functional or cosmetic eyelid concerns.
• Hearing Services Audiology services including hearing aids with latest technology: invisible hearing aids, rechargeable batteries, water-resistant aids, and AI-powered Genesis AI hearing aids, plus Phonak Lyric and Audéo Life products for adult patients with hearing loss.
• Reflections at St. Luke's Plastic Surgery State-of-the-art plastic surgery and anti-aging facility offering body procedures (arm lift, body contouring, liposuction, mommy makeover, thigh lift, tummy tuck), facial procedures (eyelid surgery, brow lift, face lift, lip enhancement), and breast procedures (augmentation, implant revision, lift) for adult cosmetic and reconstructive patients.
• Ambulatory Surgery Centers AAAHC-accredited outpatient surgery centers at Tarpon Springs and Wesley Chapel locations with six operating rooms, 2 laser treatment rooms, and a 12-bed recovery area where ophthalmic surgical procedures are performed.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significantly lower incidence of eye infection and surgical complications than national average
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature10 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Frantz EyeCare: Florida-based ophthalmology and optometry practice with multiple Southwest Florida locations offering cataract surgery, LASIK, glaucoma, and oculoplastics — directly comparable in scale, geography, and service mix.
• LasikPlus: National LASIK-focused refractive surgery chain with multiple U.S. locations offering bladeless LASIK and PRK — directly comparable on the refractive/elective side of St. Luke's service mix.
• Swagel Wootton Eye Institute: Arizona-based multi-specialty ophthalmology practice offering cataract surgery, LASIK, glaucoma, and dry eye treatment with on-site surgical facilities — comparable as an independent, mid-sized ophthalmology platform with ASC operations.
• Medical Eye Center: Oregon-based multi-specialty ophthalmology and optometry practice offering cataract, LASIK, glaucoma, and oculoplastic services with on-site ASC — comparable in service mix and structure to St. Luke's.
• TLC Laser Eye Centers: National refractive surgery chain specializing in LASIK and PRK across multiple U.S. and Canadian locations — a direct competitor on the LASIK/EVO ICL elective refractive side of the practice.
• Wolfe Eye Clinic: Iowa-based multi-specialty ophthalmology practice with multiple locations and ASCs offering cataract, LASIK, glaucoma, and retina care — a comparable independent, multi-location ophthalmology platform with surgical-center ownership.
• Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center: Arizona-based multi-location ophthalmology practice offering cataract, LASIK, retina, and glaucoma care with on-site ASCs — comparable as a regional, multi-specialty ophthalmology platform with surgical center ownership.
• Center For Sight: Multi-specialty ophthalmology practice based in Florida offering cataract, LASIK, glaucoma, retina, and oculoplastic services across multiple locations with on-site ASCs — the closest comparable Florida-focused eye-care platform.

Broad incumbents

• US Eye: PE-backed (Gryphon) multi-state ophthalmology and optometry platform consolidating regional eye-care practices with ASCs — comparable as a broader incumbent rolling up practices similar to St. Luke's.
• EyeCare Partners: PE-backed (Partners Group) national ophthalmology, optometry, and medical-esthetics platform operating 600+ locations across 30+ states — comparable as the largest scaled incumbent in the same category St. Luke's operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stlukeseye
• Facebookfacebook.com/stlukeseye
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1039764

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute