What Fichte Endl & Elmer Eyecare does

Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare is a privately held, physician-owned ophthalmology and optometry practice headquartered in Amherst, New York, serving the Western New York region and Southern Ontario. Founded in 1980, the practice operates two primary clinical offices in Amherst and Niagara Falls alongside three affiliated outpatient surgical facilities — Ambulatory Surgery Center of Niagara, Ambulatory Surgery Center of Western New York, and Eye Health Associates — enabling end-to-end care from consultation to surgery to optical dispensing. The surgeon team has cumulative experience exceeding 40,000 refractive procedures and 100,000 cataract surgeries, with founder Claus M. Fichte, M.D. credited as the first to perform PRK and LASIK in upstate New York.

The practice delivers a full continuum of eye care including laser vision correction (all-laser LASIK, ZEISS SMILE, PRK/ASA, EVO ICL, refractive lens exchange), cataract surgery with premium and toric IOLs, corneal surgery, glaucoma and dry eye management, pediatric and senior eye care, and oculoplastic procedures. Underlying technology centers on FDA-approved excimer and femtosecond laser platforms, wavefront-guided diagnostic imaging, and HIPAA-compliant tele-optometry infrastructure for remote eye exams. Revenue is generated through three streams: elective surgical procedures (LASIK priced at $2,450/eye, SMILE at $2,650/eye, PRK at $1,950/eye), insurance-billed medical eye care, and optical retail through on-site boutiques and an online storefront at shop.fichte.com.

The go-to-market model combines surgeon-led community educational events (Laser Vision Night, Cataract Lunch & Learn), digital marketing via Google remarketing, content marketing with self-tests and cost calculators, a co-management referral portal for optometrists, and direct-to-consumer scheduling through a centralized 1-800 line. Patient segments span vision correction seekers, cataract patients, chronic eye disease patients, pediatric and senior populations, and optical retail customers. Leadership is concentrated among named partners Endl, Elmer Jr., and Schaefer, supported by a roster of optometrists across both locations.

Name

Fichte Endl & Elmer Eyecare

Legal name

Fichte Endl & Elmer Eyecare

Website

https://fichte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare is a physician-owned ophthalmology and optometry practice in Western New York offering LASIK, cataract surgery, premium IOLs, and comprehensive eye care across two clinics and three ambulatory surgery centers, serving patients regionally and from Southern Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology and Optometry Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Cataract Surgery Systems & IOLs (Phaco Systems, IOLs, Intraoperative Aberrometry, Viscoelastics) (HLAHAJAH), Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Laser vision correction
• Cataract surgery
• Refractive surgery
• Optical retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surgical Procedures: Revenue from laser vision correction procedures (LASIK, SMILE, PRK), cataract surgery with premium IOLs, corneal surgery, glaucoma procedures, and oculoplastic surgeries performed at clinic and surgery center facilities. Includes facility fees for ambulatory surgery center.
2. Medical Eye Care: Revenue from comprehensive eye exams, glaucoma evaluations, dry eye treatment, pediatric and senior eye care, and management of chronic ocular conditions. Billed to major medical and vision insurance plans.
3. Optical Retail: Revenue from prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses sold through optical boutiques at both main office locations. Includes lens options, coatings, and specialty lenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare is a multi-location ophthalmology and optometry practice that delivers laser vision correction (LASIK, ZEISS SMILE, PRK/ASA, EVO ICL, refractive lens exchange), cataract surgery with premium intraocular lenses, corneal, glaucoma, dry eye, pediatric, senior, and oculoplastic surgical care, and routine comprehensive eye exams. Surgical procedures are performed at attached Ambulatory Surgery Centers, while prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses are sold through on-site optical boutiques and an online eyewear shop.

Product overview

Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare is a multi-location ophthalmology and optometry practice offering a comprehensive portfolio of eye care services centered on laser vision correction and cataract surgery. The core product suite spans multiple laser vision correction modalities including LASIK (traditional, all-laser bladeless, and custom Wavefront-guided), ZEISS SMILE, PRK/ASA, implantable lenses (EVO ICL, Verisyse Phakic IOL), and refractive lens exchange. The practice also provides cataract surgery with premium and toric intraocular lens options, complemented by corneal surgery, glaucoma management, dry eye treatment, pediatric and senior eye care, and oculoplastic procedures. An optical boutique at both main locations offers eyeglasses and contact lenses, while remote eye exams provide telehealth accessibility. The practice operates an Ambulatory Surgery Center attached to the Niagara Falls clinic for outpatient surgical procedures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Eyewear Gallery at Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare: Optical boutique and eyewear gallery offering designer frames, sunglasses, and optical services

Products and services

• LASIK Laser Vision Correction

Quantifiable outcome

• Quick recovery: Most patients resume normal activities about 24 hours after laser vision correction surgery.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NVISION Eye Centers: Multi-location ophthalmology platform with LASIK, cataract, and optical services across the western U.S. Comparable integrated model combining refractive surgery, cataract IOLs, and retail optical.
• Eye Consultants of Atlanta: Multi-physician regional ophthalmology group offering cataract, refractive, glaucoma, and oculoplastic services with ASC. Comparable integrated multi-specialty model.
• Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center: Regional ophthalmology chain in the Southwest offering LASIK, cataract surgery, and comprehensive eye care. Comparable as a multi-modality ophthalmology provider with high procedure volumes.
• Dell Laser Consultants: Regional refractive surgery practice in Austin offering LASIK, PRK, ICL, and lens-based procedures. Comparable as a single-market multi-platform refractive provider.
• TLC Laser Eye Centers: National refractive surgery chain offering LASIK, PRK, SMILE, and cataract/IOL services. Comparable to Fichte's multi-platform refractive offering and elective-cash-pay business model.
• LasikPlus: Large U.S. LASIK-focused chain operating multiple centers across many states. Directly comparable as a refractive surgery provider targeting the same elective cash-pay patient base with bundled per-eye pricing.
• Mann Eye Institute: Regional multi-specialty ophthalmology group in Texas offering LASIK/cataract/glaucoma, attached ASCs, and optical retail. Closely comparable service mix and integrated clinical-surgical-retail structure.
• Woolfson Eye Institute: Regional refractive and cataract surgery group in the Southeast with attached surgical facility. Comparable as a focused LASIK/cataract practice with surgeon-led reputation.

Broad incumbents

• ReFocus Eye Health: PE-supported multi-state ophthalmology group providing cataract, glaucoma, and refractive services. Comparable integrated care delivery model, but with broader geographic footprint.
• Eye Health Partners / EyeCare Partners: PE-backed national ophthalmology and optometry platform supporting affiliated practices with ASCs and optical. Comparable on service line and integrated model, but operates at much larger scale and across many geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaOye3YpEP7lcHuyf6hqCww
• Facebookfacebook.com/lasikbuffalo
• Instagraminstagram.com/lasikbuffalo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Fichte Endl & Elmer Eyecare