Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery

What Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery does

Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery is a privately held, physician-owned ophthalmology practice headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, with a secondary location in North Charleston. The practice specializes in corneal disease, cataract surgery, and refractive vision correction, serving adults across the Charleston Lowcountry region on a direct-to-consumer basis — patients contact the practice directly via phone, email, online forms, or the Quick Appointments patient portal without a referral requirement. Online assessment quizzes (Vision, Dry Eye, Cataract, LASIK) function as top-of-funnel lead capture tools.

The clinical team comprises three providers: Dr. David G. O'Day (board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery, with 20+ years of experience and a claimed 120,000+ procedures performed), Dr. L. Cassidy Fairchild (comprehensive ophthalmologist), and Dr. Joel Schultz (optometrist). Service lines span general eye exams, glaucoma management, dry eye treatment, corneal cross-linking and corneal disease care, cataract surgery with premium IOL options (monofocal, toric, EDOF, multifocal), diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and a vision correction suite covering LASIK, PRK, and EVO ICL implantable lenses. Clinical operations are supported by advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment including OCT, corneal topography, wavefront analyzers, optical biometers, femtosecond lasers, LipiFlow, and iLUX.

The revenue model is professional services with a hybrid payer mix: medically necessary procedures (cataract, glaucoma, corneal disease, diabetic eye care) are billed through in-network insurance relationships with Aetna, Blue Cross, Cigna, EyeMed, Humana, Medicaid, Medicare, Spectra, United, and WellMed, while elective vision correction (LASIK, EVO ICL, premium IOLs) is largely self-pay, supported by CareCredit financing at 0% interest for up to 24 months. The practice owns no parent, has no disclosed external funding, and competes on physician credentials, technology breadth, and local reputation (#1 Ophthalmologist in Charleston claim, 97% patient satisfaction, 265,000+ lifetime appointments) rather than AI differentiation or scale economics.

Name

Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery

Legal name

Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery

Website

https://charlestoncornea.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery is a private, physician-owned ophthalmology practice in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, specializing in corneal disease care, cataract surgery, and refractive vision correction (LASIK, PRK, EVO ICL) for adult patients across the Charleston Lowcountry region, operating on a direct-to-consumer, insurance-and-self-pay basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology and Refractive Surgery Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (621320)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery) (HLAKAKAO), Refractive Surgery Systems (Excimer/Femtosecond Lasers, Phakic IOL Systems, Wavefront/Guidance) (HLAHAJAG), Cataract Surgery Systems & IOLs (Phaco Systems, IOLs, Intraoperative Aberrometry, Viscoelastics) (HLAHAJAH), Cornea & External Disease Surgical Devices (Keratoplasty Tools, Cross-Linking Systems, Amniotic Membrane Delivery) (HLAHAJAK)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Refractive surgery
• Cataract surgery
• Laser vision correction
• Cornea treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Pleasant

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical/Surgical Eye Care Services: Revenue from providing medical and surgical eye care services including cataract surgery, LASIK, corneal procedures, glaucoma treatment, and dry eye treatment. Services are billed to insurance for medically necessary procedures. Elective procedures like LASIK are typically self-pay.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery provides specialized ophthalmology services across routine eye exams, glaucoma and dry eye management, corneal disease treatment, cataract surgery with premium intraocular lenses, and vision correction procedures such as LASIK, PRK, and EVO ICL. All services are delivered by board-certified ophthalmologists and an optometrist using advanced diagnostic imaging and surgical lasers at two South Carolina locations.

Product overview

Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery is a specialized ophthalmology practice offering a unified platform of eye care services centered on corneal, cataract, and vision correction surgery. The core portfolio spans general eye care, glaucoma care, dry eye treatment, corneal disease management (including corneal cross-linking), cataract surgery with multiple IOL options, and specialty services for diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Vision correction surgery includes LASIK, PRK, and EVO ICL procedures performed by fellowship-trained surgeons. The practice supplements clinical services with patient-facing digital tools including online assessment quizzes (Dry Eye Quiz, Cataract Quiz, Vision Quiz, LASIK Quiz), a patient portal (Quick Appointments), and financing options (CareCredit). All services are supported by advanced diagnostic technology including OCT, corneal topography, wavefront analyzers, visual field perimeters, optical biometers, and retinal imaging systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Eye Care Comprehensive eye care for adults of all ages, including routine eye exams for glasses and contact lens prescriptions, preventative screenings for ocular and systemic disease, and early detection of cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
• Glaucoma Care Early detection and ongoing management of glaucoma, including intraocular pressure monitoring, visual field testing, eye drops, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), and traditional glaucoma surgery for patients with open-angle, angle-closure, normal-tension, or secondary glaucoma.
• Dry Eye Center Comprehensive dry eye diagnosis and treatment for patients experiencing burning, redness, irritation, and blurred vision, including punctal plugs, prescription eye drops (Restasis, Xiidra), LipiFlow thermal pulsation, ThermiEyes radiofrequency treatment, and iLUX MGD treatment for blocked meibomian glands.
• Corneal Center Advanced diagnosis and treatment of corneal diseases including keratitis, pterygium, ocular herpes, shingles, and keratoconus, with options such as Intacs corneal implants, corneal transplants, and corneal cross-linking to stabilize the cornea and preserve vision.
• Corneal Cross-Linking Minimally invasive outpatient procedure that combines riboflavin pharmaceutical drops and ultra-violet (UV) light to strengthen corneal collagen fibers and halt progression of keratoconus, helping stabilize the cornea and preserve vision.
• Cataract Surgery Modern cataract removal using phacoemulsification, with premium intraocular lens options including monofocal, toric, extended depth of focus (EDOF), and multifocal lenses, plus laser-assisted options for fast recovery and outstanding visual outcomes.
• Specialty Eye Care Specialized care for complex eye conditions including age-related macular degeneration (dry and wet AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and retinal detachment, with advanced diagnostic imaging, laser treatments, anti-VEGF injections, and coordination with ophthalmic experts.
• Diabetic Retinopathy Care Medical and surgical management of diabetic retinopathy for diabetic patients, including laser photocoagulation to seal leaking blood vessels, anti-VEGF eye injections, and ongoing monitoring for diabetic macular edema.
• Macular Degeneration Treatment Expert screening, diagnosis, and ongoing management of age-related macular degeneration (dry and wet forms) using advanced retinal imaging and OCT for early detection and monitoring, including anti-VEGF injections for wet AMD and lifestyle guidance for dry AMD.
• Vision Correction Surgery Comprehensive vision correction service combining cornea-based laser procedures (LASIK and PRK) and lens-based procedures (EVO ICL and Refractive Lens Exchange), with personalized treatment plans delivered by board-certified surgeons using advanced laser technology.
• LASIK Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) that uses a femtosecond laser to create a corneal flap and an excimer laser to reshape underlying corneal tissue, correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism with rapid recovery and minimal discomfort.
• PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) Surface-based laser vision correction that removes the epithelium before reshaping the cornea with an excimer laser, offered as an alternative to LASIK for patients with thinner corneas or those in contact sports, with the same high-quality visual outcomes and slightly longer recovery.
• EVO ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) Implantable Collamer Lens procedure in which a biocompatible lens with UV protection is implanted behind the iris and in front of the natural lens, performed as a 15-minute in-office procedure for patients with moderate to extreme nearsightedness, thin corneas, or dry eye who may not be candidates for laser procedures; the lens is removable and reversible.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% complication-free LASIK success rate
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature12 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• MUSC Storm Eye Institute: Academic ophthalmology department at the Medical University of South Carolina, also based in Charleston. Directly comparable as a local ophthalmology provider offering cornea, cataract, refractive, and specialty eye care to the same Charleston-area patient population.
• Clemson Eye: Regional South Carolina-based ophthalmology practice offering LASIK, cataract surgery, glaucoma care, and general eye services. Directly comparable as a South Carolina-based competitor serving overlapping patient needs, though positioned in the Upstate/Greenville region.

Broad incumbents

• US Eye: PE-backed multi-specialty eye care platform with clinics across the Southeastern U.S. Comparable as a scaled operator offering cataract, refractive, and general ophthalmology services with similar patient demographics and insurance mix.
• EyeCare Partners: PE-backed, multi-specialty ophthalmology and optometry platform with hundreds of locations across the U.S. Offers overlapping cornea, cataract, refractive, and glaucoma services. Comparable as a competitor but at substantially greater scale and with different ownership structure.
• EyeSouth Partners: PE-backed ophthalmology and optometry platform primarily in the Southeastern U.S. Directly relevant as a regional consolidator of ophthalmology practices with overlapping service lines in cataract, cornea, glaucoma, and refractive surgery.

Direct peers

• TLC Laser Eye Centers: National refractive surgery provider offering LASIK, PRK, and cataract surgery with premium IOLs. Directly comparable on vision correction procedures and the elective self-pay patient segment Charleston Cornea serves.
• LasikPlus: National refractive surgery chain specializing in LASIK and PRK. Comparable to Charleston Cornea's vision correction line — same patient demographic, same procedure mix, same direct-to-consumer marketing approach. Differs in scale and lack of broader ophthalmology services.

Emerging players

• Retina Consultants of America: Network of retina specialty practices focused on AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal disease management. Partial overlap with Charleston Cornea's specialty/retina services (anti-VEGF injections, AMD management) where the practice is not the primary specialty focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chascornea
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery