Welcome to Southwest Florida Eye Care Services

Southwest Florida Eye Care Team

COMMITTED TO ENHANCING YOUR VISION AND IMPROVING YOUR LIFE

Your vision is like your fingerprints -- completely unique and as individual as you are. At Southwest Florida Eye Care, we deliver an exceptional experience to each and every patient we serve. You’ll find physicians and staff who take the time to get to know you, provide a thorough eye examination, and offer clear explanations that help you make well-informed choices about your eye care needs.

Our Services

Our goal is to provide you with the best vision possible, and our comprehensive eye care services offer everything you need to maintain good eyesight at any age.

  • Comprehensive eye exams
  • Glasses & contacts
  • Cataract evaluations and treatment including Laser cataract surgery with the Bausch & Lomb Victus system, Multifocal, and Accommodative implants for decreased dependence on glasses
  • All Laser LASIK for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism using the Bausch & Lomb Technolas
  • Treatment for corneal eye disease
  • Glaucoma evaluation and treatment
  • Emergency eye care services

At Southwest Florida Eye Care, we are dedicated to providing high-quality optometry services in a comfortable environment. Call us at (239) 768-0006 or schedule an appointment today online.


Exclusive Offer

New Patients receive 15% OFF Second Pair of Complete Glasses!

Meet Our Physicians

Learn Who We Are

  • F. Rick Palmon
    M.D.
    Cataract & Lens Replacement, LASIK and Corneal Surgeon

    Dr. Palmon is a board-certified, fellowship-trained cataract, refractive and corneal surgeon. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Georgetown University, graduating magna cum laude, and then received his medical degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine internship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a residency at Wills Eye Institute at Thomas Jefferson University. His fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery was completed at the University of Minnesota.

    Dr. Palmon specializes in premium cataract and lens replacement surgery, as well as laser vision correction with LASIK, Epi-LASEK, and implantable lenses. He is sure to employ the most advanced treatments available for his patients, including corneal cross-linking and corneal transplantation with Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). Dr. Palmon also provides medical and surgical treatments for glaucoma.

    Dr. Palmon is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology and certified by the American Board of Eye Surgery in refractive surgery. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Medical Association, the American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the International Society of Refractive Surgery, to name a few. He has authored numerous scientific articles in ophthalmology journals and is a frequent speaker at ophthalmic symposia.

    Originally from Philadelphia, he moved to Florida in 1994. He and his wife are empty nesters, having raised four adult children. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, biking, skiing, and golfing.

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  • Albert Smolyar
    M.D.
    LASIK, Cataract & Lens Replacement Surgeon

    Dr. Smolyar is a board-certified cataract and refractive surgeon with over 25 years of experience. He received his medical degree from Kursk State Medical University in the former Soviet Union. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of Louisville and a fellowship in Neuro-Ophthalmology at Michigan State University. He completed another ophthalmology residency at Ben Gurion University in Israel prior to coming to the United States.
    Dr. Smolyar specializes in premium cataract and lens replacement surgery, as well as laser vision correction with LASIK, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). He also has significant expertise in cosmetic and reconstructive eyelid surgery. Dr. Smolyar is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He was in private practice in Louisville, Kentucky, for many years, where he also served as a clinical Associate Professor at the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology.

    He has been living in Fort Myers since 2018 with his wife and dogs; they have raised three children together. In his spare time, Dr. Smolyar enjoys swimming, scuba diving, kayaking, and fishing. He has dedicated time to providing free surgical eye care in underserved countries and considers that to be one of his passions.

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  • Brian K. Marhue
    O.D.
    Optometric Physician

    Dr. Marhue is a board-certified optometric physician that provides a wide variety of primary eye care to patients. He completed his bachelor’s degree and Doctor of Optometry degrees at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed externships at Omega Eye Care Center, Piedmont Medical Center, Birmingham V.A. Medical Center and the Sparks Center for Developmental Vision Clinic.

    Dr. Marhue’s present and past memberships include Students of Optometry Serving Humanity, the Trinidad and Tobago Optometrists Association, Florida Surgical Eye Expeditions, the American Optometric Association, the Florida Optometric Association and the Southwest Florida Optometric Association.

    He served as the president of the Southwest Florida Optometric Association for over four years and has participated in multiple eye mission trips to Trinidad, Guatemala and El Salvador.

    Born in Trinidad, he completed high school and started college in Toronto and completed his last years of undergraduate and professional training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He served as the Director of Optometry at the Eye Centers of Florida for 14 years before joining Southwest Florida Eye Care as a partner which is now part of Center For Sight.

    Dr. Marhue has lived in Fort Myers since 1991. He loves spending any time he gets with his two wonderful adult children, Aaron and Brittnie. He and his wife Tricia enjoy their families, hiking, cycling, soccer and fishing. 

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  • Penny Orr
    O.D.
    Optometric Physician

    Dr. Orr is an optometric physician that provides a wide variety of primary eye care to patients. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Florida Southern College, followed by her Doctor of Optometry degree at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. She completed internships at Winter Haven Eye Clinic in Winter Haven, Florida, and St. Luke’s Eye Institute in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

    Dr. Orr is a member of the American Optometric Association, Florida Optometric Association, Southwest Florida Optometric Association, Contact Lens Association of Optometrists, and the Kiwanis Club. She has dedicated her time to the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, an organization that facilitates the provision and sustainability of vision care worldwide for people who can neither afford nor obtain such care. She has traveled to Belize, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Panama. Dr. Orr serves on several local boards, including the Humane Society of Lee County, Parkinson’s of Southwest Florida, and Alzheimer’s Association Florida Gulf Coast Chapter.

    Originally from Maine, Dr. Orr has lived in Southwest Florida since 1989. Dr. Orr is active in sports, particularly tennis, golf, and cycling. She is passionate about animal rescue and enjoys crafting and traveling.

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  • Sarah Johnson
    O.D.
    Optometric Physician

    Dr. Sarah Johnson is an optometric physician who provides a wide variety of primary care services.

    Dr. Johnson completed her undergraduate studies at The University of South Florida, Tampa, and received her Doctor of Optometry degree in 2008 from Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, where she graduated with honors. Her clinical internships include Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute, Braverman Eye Center, Pediatric Ophthalmology Consultants of Plantation, and The Eye Institute of Nova Southeastern University.

    Dr. Johnson has been practicing optometry for over 15 years. She began her practice at Tallman Eye Institute, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. After relocating to Florida in 2014, she established her own optometry practice, Johnson Eyecare. She then decided to join Southwest Florida Eye Care and Center For Sight, both of which are US Eye companies.

    Dr. Sarah Johnson was born in Costa Rica and was raised in both Costa Rica and Fort Myers, Florida. As a result, she is fluent in both English and Spanish. Dr. Johnson is grateful to have the opportunity to be able to provide her optometric knowledge, skills and experience to the Fort Myers community and surrounding areas.

    Dr. Johnson lives in Fort Myers with her daughter Amelia and son Andres, where they enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors and dancing. In her spare time, she enjoys running, biking, CrossFit, yoga, paddle boarding and scuba diving.

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Featured Articles

Read up on informative topics

  • Stress and Vision

    Did you know that your eyes are an extension of your brain? There are six muscles connected to each eye, and they receive signals from the brain. These signals direct the eyes movements and, thus, control their ability to focus. When you are stressed, your brain goes through a number of changes and signals ...

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  • Pain Management

    We take a lot of aspects of our vision for granted. We expect to see nearby and faraway objects clearly, even if we require our eye care provider to prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses to do so. A huge degree of the information we take in about our world and our surroundings takes place visually, ...

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  • Nutrition for Eye Health

    Eating right is essential for keeping your body healthy. This is as true for your eyes as it is for your heart. A diet that is rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and is low in saturated fat, can reduce your risk of heart disease. This will also keep your arteries healthy, so they can ...

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  • Lifestyle Practices for Eye Health

    Protecting your eyesight is an important part of staying healthy overall. Maintaining sound eye health will also help you preserve your quality of life as you age. To keep your eyes as healthy as possible, follow these simple lifestyle practices. Get regular eye exams. Some eye problems — including ...

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  • Glare and Halos

    Glare and halos are both eye symptoms that some people experience around bright lights. Halos show up as bright circles around a light source. Glare is light that interferes with your vision, making it difficult to see or sometimes making your eyes water. These symptoms can show up at any time of the ...

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  • UV Radiation and Your Eyes

    Optometry warnings about the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation on our eyes have not yet reached the degree of public awareness of that of skin damage. Yet, the sun can be just as damaging upon our eyes with unprotected exposure. Short-term exposure to very bright sunlight can result in a type ...

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  • Lazy Eye

    Lazy eye, also referred to as amblyopia, is a condition that develops in infancy or early childhood, and it typically starts when the focus in one eye is more enhanced than the other. The eye with less focus might be impaired due to a significant amount of farsightedness or astigmatism, or something ...

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  • Pediatric Ophthalmology

    Ophthalmology addresses the physiology, anatomy and diseases of the eyes. Pediatric ophthalmology focuses on the eyes of children. Pediatric ophthalmologists examine children’s eyes to see if they need corrective lenses or other treatments to improve their vision. Training for Pediatric Ophthalmologists Pediatric ...

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  • Saccadic Fixators

    This entails a wall-mounted square board with a starburst design. Along the various striations of the starburst are lighted buttons. As the buttons light up, the patient works quickly to see how many of these lit buttons they can push before they go out. The key is to keep the head still. Peripheral ...

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  • Patches

    Eye patches are used to strengthen muscle control in weak eyes. By placing a patch over the strong eye, the weaker eye is forced to do the heavy lifting. While it may be uncomfortable for the patient at first, the muscle controlling the weaker eye will become tougher and more resilient. This will allow ...

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Testimonials

Reviews From Our Satisfied Patients

  • "Great people work at Southwest Florida Eye Care. It’s always a pleasure to come in for my eye exam each year."
    Barbara
  • "I am always satisfied with the service. The friendly staff makes you feel comfortable at your visits and the location is very convenient. The quality care make you feel your eye care needs are being take care of."
    Trenda
  • "Everyone on the staff is very professional, courteous, knowledgeable and caring. Sometimes you may find one or two in a practice with these attributes, but here everyone exceeds your expectations."
    John

Locations

Find us on the map

Hours of Operation

Our Regular Schedule

Fort Myers Office

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Naples Office

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Cape Coral Office

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-3:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed