Las Vegas Eye Institute boasts the most advanced diagnostic equipment

Dr. Matthew Swanic has a clear passion for helping people. The longtime local and highly trained specialist founded Las Vegas Eye Institute to be at the forefront of eye care and surgery in the Las Vegas valley.

“We have some of the most advanced diagnostic equipment in Las Vegas,” said Dr. Swanic, UCLA fellowship trained cornea and refractive surgeon.

Las Vegas Eye Institute’s specialty is advanced refractive surgery, such as LASIK and premium cataract surgery. Swanic and his team continue to advance their diagnostic technology to deliver the best in cataract surgery in the valley. Last year they acquired high end lasers for refractive surgery.

“It wasn't easy to accomplish this task as our goals are always lofty, which meant the equipment we purchased was costly,” Dr. Swanic said. “But in the end, it’s been worth it.”

Swanic attended UNLV and UNR before deciding to complete his residency at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He received additional fellowship training at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute to perform advanced laser vision correction and refractive cataract surgery.

“The experience at those top institutions really made me want to deliver that same level of high-end care here in Las Vegas,” Dr. Swanic said. “Providing that level of care not only takes skill but it requires advanced diagnostic technology and cutting-edge laser technology.”

His extensive training at UNLV, UNR and UCLA along with years of experience completing these types of specialty cases has led to many of his patients specifically seeking out Las Vegas Eye Institute for cataract surgery. Many previously received LASIK in the 1990s or early 2000s.

“These patients require more thorough screening tests and it really helps to have a lot of experience picking lenses for these more challenging cases,” Dr. Swanic said.

Most of his days are heavily focused on seeing people that want to get out of glasses or contacts.

“We are doing that through LASIK, PRK, and a new procedure called SMILE,” he said.

SMILE, small incision lenticule extraction, requires the Zeiss Visumax laser. Las Vegas Eye Institute is currently the only practice in Las Vegas that owns this advanced laser or performs this procedure.

“It isn't right for everybody but it's nice to be able to offer it alongside the LASIK and PRK procedures that patients are currently more familiar with in the United States,” he said. “People are generally unaware that we are offering the SMILE procedure. SMILE is essentially a form of LASIK but it doesn't require me creating a large flap.”

The SMILE procedure is done with a small 4mm incision compared with the much larger, approximately 22mm incision used for LASIK.

“Its main advantage so far has been more comfortable eyes during the first month or so after the procedure,” Dr. Swanic said. “LASIK and PRK are still amazing procedures, but it's nice to stay on the cutting edge and bring this new technology to the valley.”

The pandemic has created a swell of new patients.

“We have seen a large uptick in people seeking refractive surgery like LASIK, PRK, and SMILE,” he said. “This trend has been seen nationwide. We think with people being more fearful of touching their eyes and also having more time to seek out consultation while working from home, this has enabled people to come in that have been wanting LASIK for years. At Las Vegas Eye institute we are more than happy to help out.”

This article was presented and sponsored by Las Vegas Eye Institute. For more information, go to lasvegaseyeinstitute.com.