Pepose Vision Institute

What Pepose Vision Institute does

Pepose Vision Institute is a privately held ophthalmology and optometry medical practice founded in 1999 by Dr. Jay Pepose and headquartered in the St. Louis metropolitan area, operating two clinical sites in Chesterfield and St. Louis, Missouri, including an on-site outpatient surgery center. The practice delivers a comprehensive suite of medical and surgical eye care services — LASIK laser vision correction, cataract surgery with premium intraocular lens implants (PanOptix trifocal, TECNIS Symfony EDOF, Light Adjustable Lens, Crystalens, Toric), refractive lens exchange, cornea and keratoconus treatments (including DSAEK transplants and cross-linking), glaucoma management (MIGS, iStent, Hydrus, SLT), retina care, dry eye therapy (LipiFlow), and general optometric services plus an in-house optical retail center. Diagnostic and surgical capabilities are anchored in advanced instrumentation including a wavefront analyzer cited as 25x more precise than standard refraction, Orbscan and Atlas corneal topography, ARGOS optical biometry, OCT retinal imaging, Optomap ultra-widefield retinal imaging, and Catalys and LensAR femtosecond laser systems.

The practice generates revenue across four primary streams: surgical procedures (LASIK, cataract, cornea, retina), professional diagnostic and exam services, optical/retail sales of glasses and contact lenses, and direct insurance billing across major carriers including Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Medicare, United Healthcare, and VSP. Go-to-market is sales-led and consumer-direct, relying on regional brand reputation, a dedicated physician referral network, insurance participation, website-driven lead capture with self-tests, and broad local media presence. The practice has performed over 30,000 LASIK procedures over its 25+ year history, and its surgeons are recognized among the top 1% of LASIK specialists nationally by U.S. News & World Report, with 25 consecutive years of peer-physician recognition. Following founder Dr. Jay Pepose's retirement in August 2024, the practice continues operating under a five-physician team (two M.D.s, three O.D.s).

Name

Pepose Vision Institute

Legal name

Pepose Vision Institute

Website

https://peposevision.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pepose Vision Institute is a privately held ophthalmology and optometry practice operating two St. Louis-area clinics, providing LASIK, cataract surgery with premium IOLs, and comprehensive medical and surgical eye care to regional consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology and Optometry Medical Practice (Vision Correction and Comprehensive Eye Care)

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Offices of Optometrists (621320)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB), Ophthalmology Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology medical practice
• LASIK vision correction
• Cataract surgery
• Comprehensive eye care
• Premium intraocular lenses

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surgical Procedures: Revenue from LASIK, cataract surgery, cornea transplants, retina treatments, and other surgical interventions performed at the practice's on-site surgery center.
2. Diagnostic and Exam Services: Revenue from comprehensive eye exams, preoperative evaluations using advanced diagnostic technology, and post-operative care visits.
3. Optical/Retail: Revenue from prescription glasses, contact lenses, and optical products through the practice's optical center.
4. Insurance Billing: Revenue from direct insurance billing across multiple accepted insurance plans including Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Medicare, United Healthcare, and others for medically necessary procedures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pepose Vision Institute is a privately held ophthalmology and optometry medical practice operating two locations in the St. Louis metropolitan area (Chesterfield and St. Louis, Missouri) along with an on-site outpatient surgery center. It sells medical and surgical eye care services to individual patients, including LASIK laser vision correction, cataract surgery with premium intraocular lens implants, refractive lens exchange, dry eye treatment, glaucoma management, keratoconus treatment, corneal transplants, retina treatments, comprehensive eye exams, and an in-office optical center for glasses and contact lenses. The practice distinguishes itself through advanced wavefront and corneal topography diagnostics, femtosecond laser cataract technology, and a research center participating in original FDA LASIK clinical trials.

Product overview

Pepose Vision Institute is a regional ophthalmology and optometry practice offering comprehensive medical and surgical eye care across two St. Louis-area locations (Chesterfield and St. Louis, MO). Founded in 1999, the practice operates as a single unified eye care practice with multiple service lines rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core surgical offerings include LASIK laser vision correction, cataract surgery (with small incision no-stitch technique and topical anesthesia), and refractive lens exchange. These procedures are supported by advanced diagnostic technologies including wavefront analysis, Orbscan/Atlas corneal topography, and ARGOS optical biometry. Premium add-on products include multiple intraocular lens options for cataract surgery and RLE: PanOptix trifocal IOL (with ENLIGHTEN technology), TECNIS Symfony extended depth of focus lens, Light Adjustable Lens (RxSight) for postoperative customization, Toric IOL for astigmatism correction, Crystalens accommodating lens, and Visian ICL for phakic myopia. Additional services encompass dry eye treatment (with LipiFlow), glaucoma management (including MIGS, SLT, iStent, Hydrus), keratoconus treatment (cross-linking, Intacs), corneal transplants (DSAEK), retina treatments, comprehensive eye exams, and an optical center. The practice maintains an advanced research center and on-site surgery center, with surgeons recognized among the top 1% nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LASIK Eye Surgery Bladeless laser vision correction that reshapes the cornea to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, eliminating dependence on glasses and contacts, offered to adult patients in the St. Louis region.
• Cataract Surgery Surgical removal of the cloudy natural lens with replacement by an artificial intraocular lens, performed via small-incision no-stitch technique with topical anesthesia for faster visual recovery, targeted at adult patients with vision-impairing cataracts.
• Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) Elective lens-based vision correction that replaces the natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens before cataract development, similar to cataract surgery but performed for refractive benefit rather than medical necessity.
• Dry Eye Treatment Comprehensive evaluation and advanced treatment of dry eye disease, including LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation to address meibomian gland dysfunction and restore tear film function.
• Glaucoma Treatment Medical and surgical management of glaucoma, including selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) options such as iStent and Hydrus implants, for patients needing IOP control beyond drops.
• Keratoconus Treatment Specialized treatment for keratoconus, including corneal cross-linking, Intacs corneal implants, and specialty contact lens fitting to stabilize corneal shape and restore visual function.
• Corneal Transplants Keratoplasty procedures, including DSAEK endothelial keratoplasty, to replace damaged or diseased corneal tissue with healthy donor tissue for patients with corneal failure.
• Retina Treatments Medical and surgical treatment of retinal conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and vitrectomy, leveraging OCT and Optomap ultra-widefield imaging.
• Comprehensive Eye Exams Complete ophthalmologic eye examinations, including visual acuity testing, refraction, pupil dilation, tonometry, visual field testing, and OCT imaging, for routine and medical eye care patients.
• Optical Center In-office optical retail operation providing prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and specialty contact lens fitting for patients of the practice.
• PanOptix Trifocal Intraocular Lens Premium trifocal intraocular lens implant offering clear vision at near, intermediate, and far distances without glasses after cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange, for patients seeking spectacle independence.
• TECNIS Symfony Extended Depth of Focus IOL Extended depth of focus intraocular lens providing a continuous range of vision from distance through intermediate with reduced visual side effects versus traditional multifocal IOLs, for cataract and RLE patients.
• Light Adjustable Lens (RxSight) Post-operatively adjustable intraocular lens whose power can be refined with UV light treatments after surgery to optimize visual outcomes based on the patient's real-world experience.
• Toric Intraocular Lens (Astigmatism Correction) Astigmatism-correcting intraocular lens, available in monofocal, multifocal, and extended depth of focus designs, for cataract or refractive lens exchange patients with corneal astigmatism.
• Crystalens Accommodating IOL Accommodating intraocular lens implant leveraging the eye's natural ciliary muscle focusing mechanism to deliver clear vision across multiple distances following cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange.
• Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) Implantable collamer lens placed behind the iris and in front of the natural lens for phakic myopia correction, providing vision correction without corneal tissue removal as an alternative to LASIK for higher prescriptions or thin corneas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of patients achieve vision better than 20/30 after cataract surgery
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Vision Holdings: National Vision is a large publicly traded optical retailer operating America's Best, Eyeglass World, and other chains. Relevant adjacent peer for the optical retail component of Pepose's business, though not a direct competitor for surgical or medical eye care services.
• EyeCare Partners: EyeCare Partners is a large, PE-backed platform owning hundreds of ophthalmology and optometry practices across the U.S. Represents the consolidated competitive threat facing independent regional players like Pepose Vision Institute in payer negotiations, supplier pricing, and physician recruitment.
• American Vision Partners: American Vision Partners is a multi-state ophthalmology platform formed around practices like Barnet Dulaney Perkins, offering LASIK, cataract surgery, and comprehensive eye care. A scaled incumbent comparable to Pepose in service mix but operating at significantly larger geographic scope.

Direct peers

• LasikPlus: LasikPlus operates the largest U.S. network of LASIK centers with a similar sales-led patient acquisition model and on-site technology focus. Competes with Pepose in the regional laser vision correction market with comparable premium-tier pricing and financing options.
• Durrie Vision: Durrie Vision is a Kansas City-area refractive surgery and cataract practice specializing in LASIK and premium lens implants with a research-driven reputation. Comparable to Pepose as a regionally anchored, surgeon-led practice competing in the same premium refractive and cataract niche.
• Minnesota Eye Consultants: Minnesota Eye Consultants is a multi-subspecialty ophthalmology practice offering LASIK, cataract surgery, cornea, glaucoma, and dry eye services with a research/clinical trials arm. Comparable to Pepose in clinical breadth, technology emphasis, and independent physician group structure.
• TLC Laser Eye Centers: TLC is one of the largest LASIK-focused chains in North America with multiple locations across the U.S. Like Pepose Vision Institute, TLC's core offering is laser vision correction, premium IOL cataract surgery, and comprehensive eye care, making it a directly comparable refractive surgery competitor at the multi-location level.
• Slade & Baker Vision Center: Slade & Baker Vision Center is a Houston-based refractive and cataract surgery practice specializing in LASIK and premium IOLs with advanced diagnostic technology. Directly comparable in clinical scope, technology emphasis, and surgeon-led positioning.
• Vance Thompson Vision: Vance Thompson Vision is a Midwest-based ophthalmology practice group offering LASIK, cataract surgery with premium IOLs, and refractive surgery using advanced technology. Closely comparable to Pepose Vision Institute in clinical scope, technology stack, and surgeon-led regional brand positioning.

Regional players

• Washington University Ophthalmology (Barnes-Jewish): Washington University Department of Ophthalmology in St. Louis offers comprehensive ophthalmic care and competes with Pepose for premium surgical cases in the same metro. Comparable in clinical reputation and technology access, though academic and research-led versus Pepose's private practice model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdce30zIKgBhVD6jlt09blw
• Facebookfacebook.com/peposevisioninstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/peposevision.institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pepose-vision-institute

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Pepose Vision Institute