Two Indianapolis-area practices open office-based surgery suites so patients can stay close to home, with the optometrists they know and trust.
Indianapolis, IN., October 20, 2026 — Two independently owned optometric practices in the Indianapolis area will open office-based surgery (OBS) suites on consecutive days, expanding the services available to patients while supporting continuity of care with their primary eye care providers.
Christopher Browning, OD, of VisionQuest Eyecare will open his OBS suite on October 29. Nicholas Garn, OD, of Zionsville Eyecare will open a separate suite on October 30. Patients needing cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange will be able to have the procedure close to home, with the optometrist who has cared for them for years closely involved. Although the practices are independently owned and operated, Drs. Browning and Garn have worked closely throughout the development of the two facilities.
Office-based surgery refers to any surgical or invasive procedure performed by a licensed physician in a location other than a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center (ASC). Unlike an ASC, which optometrists (ODs) cannot own, an OBS suite can be OD-owned. Drs. Browning and Garn each contract with a surgeon to operate inside their own office, so the patient relationship continues through surgery and recovery. These will be the first OD-owned surgical suites in Indiana.
“We’ve been taking care of these patients for 20 years. I know what they do, where they work, who their families are. Nobody knows the patient’s optics like we do and now, we can take care of them right here,” said Dr. Browning.
“Continuity of care is especially important when a patient needs surgery. Our goal is to create an experience in which the patient, optometrist and ophthalmologist communicate closely throughout the process—from the initial consultation through surgery and postoperative care,” said Dr. Garn.
The suites will support cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange. Optometrists at VisionQuest have been raising surgical options with patients during routine exams, not only at cataract diagnosis, for the past three months. Dr. Browning says he initially doubted his practice had the volume to support a surgical suite until he reviewed his own referral data and found he was sending out more than 30 cataract patients a month. A case that once left the practice through a co-management referral now stays in-house, although, both doctors describe that shift as a byproduct of the model rather than the reason for it.
Over time, both doctors plan to make OBS time available to other Indiana ODs, so those practices can offer patients the same option without building a suite from scratch.
The new facilities were developed in collaboration with iOR Partners, which specializes in developing and operating OD-owned surgical suites. “They gave us information we otherwise would have had no way of having: which vendors, which instruments, the space plan, the processes. We couldn’t have done it without them,” said Dr. Browning.
About VisionQuest Eyecare
VisionQuest Eyecare is an independent eye care practice serving patients in the greater Indianapolis area from locations in Greenwood and Fishers. Owned by Christopher Browning, OD, and Terry Null, OD, the practice provides comprehensive eye care, dry eye treatments, vision therapy, myopia management, aesthetic services. For more information, visit visionquesteyecare.com.
About Zionsville Eyecare
Zionsville Eyecare, together with Carmel Eyecare, is an independent eye care practice serving Zionsville, Carmel and the surrounding communities. Owned by Nicholas Garn, OD, the practice provides comprehensive eye examinations, contact lens services, medical eye care, myopia management, and cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange through its new office-based surgery program. For more information, visit zeyecare.com.
About iOR Partners
iOR Partners helps eye care practices build, operate and scale office-based surgery programs while maintaining clinical independence and a patient-centered approach. The company provides support encompassing planning and development, accreditation and compliance, staffing, materials management, revenue-cycle services and ongoing operations. For more information, visit iorpartners.com.
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