In 1977, Richard Carlin, a young ophthalmologist just discharged from the United States Navy, came to Gwinnett County and started his practice. Housed in a 1,200 square foot office on Scenic Highway, there was one employee and one examining lane.

The first week in practice he saw 39 patients, wallpapered the patient bathroom, and made numerous trips to the office supply store. 

As only the third Ophthalmologist in Gwinnett County, whose population was approaching 100,000, and the third fastest growing county in the United States, he felt confident there was a need for advanced eye care in this rapidly growing area. Indeed, most people who lived “out in the country” went to Atlanta for their eye care.

His wife Enid enrolled in the Counseling Psychology PhD program at the University of Georgia and his son David was 4 years old. At that time the only local hospital was Button Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, where cataract surgery was performed as an in-patient procedure, requiring a two day hospital stay and a large surgical wound requiring 8 stitches. Intraocular lens implants were new and many patients opted to wear thick “cataract” glasses or contact lenses after their procedure, rather than having the new “untested 234567890-“ lenses. Soft contact lenses were just being introduced and there were only a couple of types on the market, so many patients were not candidates and had to wear hard lenses. There were no progressive eyeglass lenses. so after age 40 all patients wore bifocals or trifocals with lines that revealed their age. The idea of refractive procedures to eliminate glasses was not even dreamed of.

The practice thrived; by 1979 the staff doubled in size to two and the office space was filled up with three examining lanes. When the storage closet became the Contact Lens area, it was clear that more space was required. Land was purchased on Lenora Church Road and the present office was constructed. 

The practice moved to the current location in 1980, which coincided with the opening of the Gwinnett Community Hospital on Fountain Drive (later known as Humana, Columbia and then Emory Eastside Medical Center, which is now located on Tree Lane Road) and the influx of new doctors and specialties. Also, Enid finished her Ph.D. and opened her office in the same building. The Carlin’s second child, Erica, was born in the “new” hospital shortly after it opened.

The practice continued to grow, advances in techniques and instrumentation were acquired and staff was added. Soon, the office had to be enlarged, which was a bit disconcerting because this was only two years after the office was built! After 14 years of working six days a week and taking all his own night calls, Dr. Carlin knew he needed help, so in July of 1991 Dr. DeRosa moved from Virginia to join the practice. His arrival was marked by the birth of his fourth child shortly thereafter. He also has a daughter and two twin boys.

Of course, the growth did not stop there. The office was expanded again and The Optical Boutique was added.  More examining lanes and a larger reception area and business office were added to make room for Dr. Blake Thornhill in July of 2000. Along the way, we changed our name to CarlinVision*. Dr. David Carlin came to the practice in July 2004 to join his Dad and Dr. Melanie Bennett-Sims is joining our practice in October 2008.

CarlinVision now has five doctors — four ophthalmologists and one optometrist. We employ over 40 people. Our staff speaks English, Spanish, German, Bosnian, to name a few, and we even sign for the deaf. We provide all phases of eye care using the latest technology. We are in the forefront of refractive procedures and offer the full range, including Blade Free Advanced CustomVue Lasik, Phakic ICLS, CK, and Refractive Lens Exchanges. We offer not just one, but all FDA-approved premium intraocular lenses, including the 4th generation Crystalens HD™, for patients undergoing cataract surgery who would like to reduce or eliminate wearing glasses after their procedure. We perform cosmetic eyelid procedures right in our own office surgical suite. Our fellow-ship-trained cornea specialist is up-to-date on corneal and external eye diseases. We offer the latest in contact lenses including extended wear and bifocals. We even perform Corneal Refractive Therapy for those not ready for a surgical procedure but who would like to experience the world without glasses or contact lenses. The Optical Boutique employs four full-time opticians and uses only the finest in lenses and frames including designer and fashion, so that they can give our patients the best look and vision that they deserve.

We've expanded "West"!
Since the volume of paperwork, pre-certifications and insurance claims has escalated so much and our business office has outgrown its space (no place to sit), in late 2006 we moved some of our business operations to "CarlinVision West" in the Scenic Office Suites behind our office. We are connected by phone and networked PCs so it feels like it is just down the hall — well at least across the parking lot.

*Why CarlinVision?  The name signifies our belief of what eye care should be and how it is provided. Our “vision” is that the care we offer should be the most sophisticated and advanced, incorporating all the latest techniques and technologies. The office itself should be warm and inviting with amenities to make people feel “at home”. Patients should be treated as individuals and with respect. They should be considered as friends and neighbors and not as “clients“. We believe in the doctor-patient relationship and don’t consider ourselves as just “health care providers” and our patients as numbers. Hence, our mission “advanced eye care with a home-town touch”.