Welcome to the Family Eye Group, a leader in comprehensive eye care in Lancaster and Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Your vision is our top priority, and we strive to provide top-notch ophthalmologic care in a comfortable, professional atmosphere.
Our state-of-the-art facility offers the best technology available for all your eye care needs. Our doctors and staff are trained and skilled in the latest treatments for eye conditions and diseases to ensure you are receiving the best care possible. We appreciate the trust you have placed in us. Your eyesight is a precious gift let us help you preserve it for a lifetime.
Dr. Pavlica founded Family Eye Group and is an ophthalmologist and specialist in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous. He provides an extensive range of eye care, including glaucoma. He finds joy spending time with his patients and helping them with their care.
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Dr. Pavlica received his MD degree from New York University School of Medicine. He then completed an internal medicine internship at Bostons Beth Israel Hospital where he served as a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School.
After completing his ophthalmology residency at Boston Medical Center, he pursued two years of advanced fellowship training in Diseases and Surgery of the Retina and Vitreous at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He has also performed advanced research in glaucoma at Wills Eye Hospital in the past.
Dr. Pavlica specializes in diagnosis and treatment across the wide spectrum of eye diseases. He is trained in the medical and surgical management of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachments, macular holes and puckers, vein occlusions, and floaters, among others. He performs laser surgery and intraocular injections of medicine in our office under topical anesthesia, as well as a wide range of other procedures in the operating room.
Recently, Dr. Pavlica co-authored an article in the prestigious Journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology entitled Panretinal Photocoagulation versus Ranibizumab for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy that is helping guide doctors in the cutting edge treatment of diabetic eye disease. Additionally, he co-authored an article in the journal Retina examining the best clinical characteristics doctors might use to determine whether to utilize injections over laser for diabetic retinopathy.
Dr. Pavlica has also authored a chapter in a leading ophthalmic surgery textbook. He wrote the chapter on Subretinal Neovascularization from Macular degeneration in the most recent edition of Master Techniques in Ophthalmic Surgery. It is a resource that is used extensively by eye surgeons around the world to help perfect the art of ocular surgery.
Additionally, Dr. Pavlica has co-authored papers in the Archives of Ophthalmology and Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. The results of a study he was involved in have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He has also served as a reviewer of articles for the journal Ophthalmology.
Dr. Pavlica is a past president of the Lancaster City and County Medical Society and is on staff at Lancaster General Health and the Physicians Surgery Center. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology with recent recertification, and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retinal Specialists, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.
Dr. Drew R. Chronister earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005, after graduating with honors from Harvard University in 2001. He completed his internship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He then entered the ophthalmology residency program at the UPMC Eye Center, one of the most acclaimed ophthalmology residency programs in the country. At UPMC, Dr. Chronister achieved the honor of being chosen Chief Resident. Throughout his career, he has won awards for teaching and demonstrating the highest quality of patient care.
Dr. Chronister was one of the first eye surgeons in Chester County to perform femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and is pleased to offer state-of-the-art customized cataract surgery and intraocular lens options to his patients. He is on staff at Wills Eye Hospital where he teaches the residents and trains the next generation of cataract surgeons.
Tears are very important for the eyes for a number of reasons. They not only act as a lubricant, but also a cleanser keeping away and washing out dust, debris and foreign objects and also as an antibacterial, neutralizing any microorganisms which take residence on the eyes surface. Therefore, when tear production is insufficient, it can create many problems for the eyes. Not only are dry eyes uncomfortable, they are also more prone to injury and infection.
For incidental cases of dry eyes, over-the-counter eye lubricants are all that are required to ease the discomfort. But when the body cannot or does not produce enough tears, or when the tears are drained or evaporated too quickly to properly protect the eye, this can be a condition known as dry eye syndrome. Depending on the cause and extent of dry eye syndrome, it may or may not be able to be completely cured. Even when not cured, however, the symptoms can be managed.
One of the treatments for dry eye syndrome is prescription eyedrops, which contain special materials that not only lubricate and comfort the eye, but also encourage the eye to produce more tears. Another possible treatment is the installation of lacrimal plugs, also called punctal plugs, which are inserted into the tear ducts to stop tears from draining off of the surface of the eye too quickly. In more extreme cases, the tear ducts might also be closed surgically. If dry eyes are a result of environmental conditions, it may also be helpful to fight the environmental causes, such as wearing sunglasses in dusty climates or using humidifiers for dry climates. Nutritional insufficiencies can also be to blame for dry eyes, in which case taking nutritional supplements or drinking more water may be advised.