Besides offering a variety of optometry services from eye exams to contact fitting, Steven Perryman of Hopkinton Vision Center specializes in treating patients with chronic dry eye. He is pictured with some of the equipment he uses for the treatments.

The motto for Hopkinton Vision Center is “a small local office with a big heart.” And according to Steven Perryman, O.D., who owns the practice, that philosophy is something patients experience daily.

“What sets us apart is we have people who answer the phone, people who are happy to answer questions, and people who help patients pick out glasses,” said Perryman. “We offer more immediate, more personal care. Since I am not overbooked, I can spend more time with patients and take emergency cases, both aspects of the practice that I enjoy.”

Established 25 years ago, Hopkinton Vision offers a full line of optometry services including comprehensive eye examinations, contact ordering and fitting, fashion frames with quality lenses and emergency care. Unique to the office is its focus on helping patients with dry eyes.

About a decade ago, Perryman realized no one locally was taking the ailment of chronic dry eye seriously.

“Dry eye can range from a mild irritation to severe burning and very red eyes,” he said. “The pain can run from being irritating to making a patient feel miserable.”

Perryman said as he saw more dry eye patients, “I decided to become better educated about the ailment, exploring better ways to treat it and working to help find the underlying causes. I wanted to know why it happens and how to treat it.” He noted many patients who used Accutane to treat acne as teens experience dry eye 20 to 30 years later since the drug dries up glands around the eye as well as on the face.

Hopkinton Vision now has a variety of treatment plans and specialized equipment for those suffering from chronic dry eye.

“We get referrals from a lot of local physicians. Dry eye cases make up 20 percent of our business,” said Perryman. “I really enjoy helping patients find relief from this ailment. It is rewarding to see the results of our treatment.”

That focus on patient care also is the reason Perryman decided to stop taking specialized vision insurance.

“The specialized plans began taking control and limiting what we could do for patients,” said Perryman. “And I found I was spending most of my time with my back to the patient filling in boxes on a computer form instead of talking with people and discussing what they needed.”

The office still takes normal health insurance, with most policies offering coverage for annual exams and other services.

A native of Acushnet, Perryman graduated in 1998 from the New England School of Optometry and a year later began working part time at Hopkinton Vision Center. Welcomed by the community, he went full time in 2003 and continued to grow the practice, buying the current office at 10 Cedar Street in 2011. He and his wife have raised their two sons in Hopkinton, since the town “feels like the place where we belong.”

To learn more about Hopkinton Vision Center, visit HopkintonVision.com or call 508-435-4711.

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