All Costs are Covered by Indian Health Services
The Eye Clinic Surgicenter has partnered with Indian Health Services in Montana and Wyoming to provide 3 additional eye care procedures to Native Americans residing in our area, within your local reservation health system. We are truly honored to provide the following services:
- Laser Vision Correction (LASIK & PRK/Advanced Surface Ablation)
- Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICLs)
- Corneal Cross-linking (CXL) for Keratoconus
All costs for these procedures are covered by Indian Health Services.
A referral from your local Tribal Doctor is REQUIRED to schedule a consultation or surgery with our practice. Please schedule an appointment with one of the Tribal Doctor offices (see list below). There are locations in Browning, Crow Agency, Fort Washakie, Harlem, Hays, Heart Butte, Lame Deer, Lodge Grass, Poplar, Pryor and Wolf Point. Your Tribal Doctor can send the referral to our practice and we will contact you directly to schedule an appointment.
These Procedures are Offered at Our Billings Location
2475 Village Ln., Suite 20
Billings, MT 59102
(406) 252-6608
(406) 252-6600 (fax)
Post-op care and other services may be offered at one of our other locations:
Red Lodge (post-op care only)
111 S Broadway #B
Red Lodge, MT 59068
Lander (other services only)
1150 W. Main St.
Lander, WY 82520
Hot Springs County Memorial (cataract surgery only)
150 E Arapahoe St.
Thermopolis, WY 82443
More Information About Our Services
1.Laser Vision Correction
There are different types of laser vision correction that can help people who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism. The procedure that most people know about is LASIK vision correction. However, another procedure called photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), also called Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA), is also very effective to help people see more clearly. During these blade-free, laser procedures, your cornea (the clear front part of the eye) is reshaped so light traveling through it can properly focus onto the retina (the back of the eye). The difference between the procedures is how the corneal tissue is accessed: in LASIK a thin flap is created on the corneal tissue and folded back. During PRK/ASA, the cornea’s outermost layer is gently removed to allow access to the underlying tissue. The end result is typically very similar for LASIK or PRK/ASA: most patients get 20/20 vision so they do not need to wear glasses or contact lenses to see clearly.
After assessing your vision, our doctors will recommend the right procedure for your unique eye health and vision needs. We will only recommend these procedures if we are confident that your vision could improve. Learn more about LASIK by clicking here.
2. Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICLs)
Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICL) are a good alternative for people who are not suitable for refractive procedures such as LASIK because of moderate to severe nearsightedness, thin corneas, a history of dry eye or large pupils. At The Eye Clinic Surgicenter, we trust the Visian ICL to help these patients see more clearly. The ICL is implanted in your eye through tiny corneal incisions. The procedure takes as little as 15 minutes per eye with very little discomfort and no pain for most patients because the eye is numbed with a topical or local anesthetic prior to the procedure. It is performed in our office as an outpatient procedure. The lens allows light entering the eye to focus on the retina for clear vision. Even though the lens will be invisible to others, it can make your vision sharper and more vivid. Some patients will see more clearly immediately after the procedure is performed. Learn more about ICLs by clicking here.
3. Corneal Cross-linking (CXL) for Keratoconus
Keratoconus usually affects people who are in their late teenage years or early 20s. Patients who have keratoconus have weakened corneas that start to bulge out into a cone shape. Because the shape of the cornea becomes distorted, vision also becomes distorted because light will not focus properly on the retina (back of the eye). This makes normal activities such as reading, watching TV, driving or working on a computer very difficult.
We are proud to offer patients a treatment called corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) to restore strength, longevity and stability to the cornea, possibly decreasing the need for corneal transplants. By applying a riboflavin solution (a form of vitamin-B2) to the eye, followed by ultraviolet A light exposure, this procedure can make the cornea stronger, more stable and able to hold its shape. Learn more about CXL treatment by clicking here.
Tribal Doctor Offices, Locations & Contact Information
Billings Area Office
Department of Health & Human Services
Billings Area Indian Health Services
2900 4th Avenue North
P.O. Box 36600
Billings, MT 59107
Blackfeet Community Hospital
P.O. Box 760
760 Hospital Circle
Browning, MT 59417
Admin: (406) 338-6154
Fax: (406) 338-2959
Crow/N Cheyenne Hospital
P.O. Box 9
10110 South 7650 East
Crow Agency, MT 59022
Admin: (406) 638-3461
Fax: (406) 638-3569
Fort Belknap Critical Access Hospital
669 Agency Main Street
Harlem, MT 59526
Main #: (406) 353-3100
Fax: (406) 353-3227
Fort Washakie Health Center
P.O. Box 128
29 Blackcole Drive
Fort Washakie, WY 82514
Admin: (307) 332-9416
Fax: (307) 332-3949
Verne E. Gibbs Health Center
P.O. Box 67
107 H Street East
Poplar, MT 59255
Main #: (406) 768-3491
Fax: (406) 768-3603
Hays Health Center
P.O. Box 620
123 Whitecow Canyon Road
Hays, MT 59527
Main #: (406) 673-3777
Fax: (406) 673-3835
Heart Butte Health Station
P.O. Box 80
81 Disney
Heart Butte, MT 59448
Admin: (406) 338-2151
Fax: (406) 338-5613
Lodge Grass Clinic
P.O. Box 780
Harding Ave & George St
Lodge Grass, MT 59050
Admin: (406) 639-2317
Fax: (406) 639-2976
Northern Cheyenne Health Center
P.O. Box 70
100 Cheyenne Avenue
Lame Deer, MT 59043
Main #: (406) 477-4400
Fax: (406) 477-4427
Pryor Clinic
P.O. Box 9
Pryor, MT 59066
Admin: (406) 259-8238
Fax: (406) 259-8290
Chief Redstone Health Center
P.O. Box 729
550 6th Avenue North
Wolf Point, MT 59201
Main #: (406) 653-1641
Fax: (406) 653-3728