Aiken Ophthalmology

What Aiken Ophthalmology does

Aiken Ophthalmology is a privately held, physician-owned ophthalmology practice founded in 2000 by Dr. Daniel J. Smith and Dr. Nini S. Patheja, serving the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) of South Carolina from two locations in Aiken and North Augusta. The practice provides a full continuum of eye care, including comprehensive eye examinations, cataract surgery with advanced intraocular lens options (monofocal, multifocal, EDOF, toric), blade-free LASIK, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS including iStent, Xen Gel Stent, Canaloplasty, and Goniotomy), DMEK/DSEK corneal transplants, upper lid blepharoplasty, and an in-house optical retail center offering prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses with designer frames. Its 15,000 square foot Aiken facility houses the region's only Ophthalmic Ambulatory Surgery Center, providing a structural exclusivity in outpatient surgical eye care within the CSRA catchment.

The clinical technology stack is built around FDA-approved, capital-intensive ophthalmic platforms — blade-free laser vision correction, MIGS device suites, and advanced endothelial keratoplasty techniques — rather than proprietary software or AI systems. The five-physician team is credentialed at top training institutions including Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (nationally ranked #1), University of Florida, Duke University, and MUSC, with three physicians (Greer, Potter, Gray) all having trained at University of Florida.

The business model combines professional fee revenue from medical and surgical eye care with retail hardware revenue from the optical center. Go-to-market is sales-led and locally driven through physician referrals, word-of-mouth, Google reviews, and direct appointment requests via phone or the practice website; no enterprise or payer contracting is evident. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and patients are directed to contact the office. The practice is physician-owned with no disclosed PE, VC, or parent company involvement, and no external funding rounds, acquisitions, or partnerships are documented.

Name

Aiken Ophthalmology

Legal name

Aiken Ophthalmology

Website

https://aikeneye.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aiken Ophthalmology is a physician-owned ophthalmology practice in Aiken and North Augusta, SC, offering comprehensive eye exams, cataract and LASIK surgery, glaucoma and cornea procedures, and an in-house optical retail center serving the CSRA region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111), Offices of Optometrists (621320), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAKAKAC

Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Ophthalmology & Optometry

SECONDARYHLAFAIAF

Ophthalmology Surgery Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Surgical Centers & Perioperative Care (ASCs)

SECONDARYHLAKAKAO

Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Ophthalmology & Optometry

SECONDARYHLAKAKAF

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Ophthalmology & Optometry

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Cataract surgery
• Glaucoma treatment
• LASIK vision correction
• Optical retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Aiken

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Eye Care Services: Revenue generated from comprehensive eye examinations, diagnosis, and treatment of eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, corneal diseases, and general vision problems. Services include both in-office consultations and surgical procedures performed at their ambulatory surgery center.
2. Optical Products Retail: Revenue from sale of prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses through their optical center. They offer designer frames including Ray-Ban, Vera Bradley, Nike, Gucci, Michael Kors, Prada, and Kate Spade brands.
3. Surgical Procedures: Revenue from surgical procedures including cataract surgery, LASIK, glaucoma treatment, cornea surgery, and upper lid blepharoplasty. The practice operates the region's only Ophthalmic Ambulatory Surgery Center.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aiken Ophthalmology is a physician-owned ophthalmology practice providing comprehensive medical eye examinations, ophthalmic surgical procedures (cataract surgery with multiple IOL options, glaucoma management including MIGS and laser therapy, DMEK/DSEK corneal transplants, blade-free LASIK, and upper lid blepharoplasty), and retail optical products (prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses with designer frame brands). Services are delivered across two physical locations in Aiken and North Augusta, SC, and through the region's only Ophthalmic Ambulatory Surgery Center housed in a 15,000 square foot Aiken facility.

Product overview

Aiken Ophthalmology is a dual-location ophthalmology practice in Aiken and North Augusta, SC, offering a comprehensive eye care platform consisting of an Optical Center (retail eyewear) and a Surgery Center (ophthalmic procedures). The Optical Center provides contact lenses, prescription eyeglasses, and sunglasses with designer frames. The Surgery Center performs cataract surgery (with multiple IOL options), glaucoma treatment (laser therapy, MIGS, traditional surgery), cornea surgery (DMEK, DSEK transplants), LASIK eye surgery, and upper lid blepharoplasty. The practice operates the region's only Ophthalmic Ambulatory Surgery Center at its 15,000 sq ft Aiken facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Optical Center Optical retail center offering prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses with designer frames including Ray-Ban, Vera Bradley, Nike, Gucci, Michael Kors, Prada, and Kate Spade. Available at both the Aiken and North Augusta locations.
• Contact Lenses Contact lenses for correction of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia, including specialty lens fitting for patients of all ages.
• Prescription Eyeglasses Prescription eyeglasses with a wide selection of designer frames for vision correction, dispensed through the Optical Center.
• Sunglasses Sunglasses providing UV protection to help prevent eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration, available with designer frames.
• Surgery Center Ophthalmic Ambulatory Surgery Center (the region's only) offering cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, cornea surgery, LASIK eye surgery, and upper lid blepharoplasty.
• Cataract Surgery Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens and replacement with an artificial intraocular lens, with monofocal, multifocal, EDOF, and toric IOL options.
• Glaucoma Treatment Treatment for eye conditions damaging the optic nerve, including laser therapy (SLT), minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) such as iStent, Xen Gel Stent, canaloplasty, and goniotomy, and traditional glaucoma surgery.
• Cornea Surgery Surgical treatments for corneal conditions, including DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty) and DSEK (Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty) minimally invasive corneal transplant procedures.
• LASIK Eye Surgery FDA-approved blade-free laser vision correction procedure customized for each individual to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and achieve glasses independence.
• Upper Lid Blepharoplasty Surgical procedure to remove excess skin, fat, and muscle from the upper eyelids for a more youthful appearance, also addressing functional eyelid concerns.
• Comprehensive Eye Exams Baseline comprehensive eye examinations evaluating vision, eye health, and existing conditions using advanced diagnostic technology.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Woolfson Eye Institute: Woolfson Eye Institute is an Atlanta-area multi-location ophthalmology practice performing cataract, LASIK, glaucoma, and cornea surgery with its own surgery center. Comparable sub-specialty depth and physician-owned ASC structure to Aiken Ophthalmology.
• The Eye Center (Central PA): The Eye Center is a multi-location ophthalmology practice in central Pennsylvania with sub-specialty coverage and an on-site surgery center. Multi-physician, multi-subspecialty independent practice serving a single regional market — structurally analogous to Aiken Ophthalmology.
• Milan Eye Center: Milan Eye Center is a multi-location ophthalmology and optometry practice in metropolitan Atlanta with an on-site surgery center offering cataract, glaucoma, cornea, and LASIK services. Closely mirrors Aiken Ophthalmology's full-service model across medical, surgical, and optical care.
• Carolina Eyecare Physicians: Carolina Eyecare Physicians operates multiple ophthalmology locations in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with sub-specialty services in cataract, glaucoma, cornea, and oculoplastics. Functions as a direct regional peer with a comparable multi-physician, multi-subspecialty model and integrated optical retail.
• Clemson Eye: Clemson Eye is a multi-location ophthalmology practice based in upstate South Carolina with its own ambulatory surgery center offering cataract, glaucoma, cornea, and LASIK services. Directly comparable to Aiken Ophthalmology as a regional SC practice integrating medical, surgical, and optical services under one roof.

Broad incumbents

• TLC Laser Eye Centers: TLC Laser Eye Centers is a national refractive surgery provider offering LASIK and PRK across multiple U.S. locations. Comparable to Aiken Ophthalmology's blade-free LASIK service line, though focused exclusively on refractive procedures.
• LensCrafters: LensCrafters is a national optical retail chain selling prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and sunglasses with in-store doctor availability. Comparable to Aiken Ophthalmology's designer-brand optical center product mix and in-store retail channel.
• Warby Parker: Warby Parker is a national direct-to-consumer optical retailer selling prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses online and through physical stores. Comparable to the optical retail arm of Aiken Ophthalmology, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• U.S. Vision Partners: U.S. Vision Partners is a PE-backed platform consolidating multi-location ophthalmology practices and ASCs across the U.S. Functions as a broad incumbent alternative acquirer/competitor for regional independent ophthalmology groups like Aiken Ophthalmology.

Regional players

• Storm Eye Institute (MUSC): Storm Eye Institute is the academic ophthalmology department at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, offering advanced sub-specialty care including cornea, glaucoma, and refractive surgery. Regional SC-based peer at the academic/tertiary tier that competes for complex cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aikenophthalmology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aiken-ophthalmology-pc

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 Aiken Ophthalmology