For every patient, our mission is to provide the highest level of eye care, utilizing the most trusted and advanced technologies and procedures.
At Chattanooga Vision Center, we are dedicated to ensuring that our patients across Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama receive the most advanced eye care that leads to optimal eye health and the very best eyesight.
Led by its founder, Thomas Reynolds, MD, FACS, a team of highly skilled ophthalmologists and optometrists utilize the most advanced technology to provide routine eye care, treat eye disorders, and correct vision deficiencies. Chattanooga Vision Center is independently owned and conveniently located at the intersection of Hixson Pike and Route 153. Our location offers ample parking and easy first-floor access to the Center.
Specialized Care
At Chattanooga Vision Center, we provide comprehensive eye exams and routine care, but our true specialty lies in advanced treatment options. Using the latest technology and innovative procedures, we deliver state-of-the-art care for complex conditions like glaucoma and cataracts, ensuring patients receive the best outcomes possible.
Glaucoma Treatment
Glaucoma is often called the “silent thief of sight” – it steals vision so gradually that most people don’t notice until irreversible damage has occurred. In 2025, the first and only Direct Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (DSLT) device was introduced, and today Chattanooga Vision Center offers this revolutionary, non-invasive automated laser treatment to treat this disease in office.
In just three seconds, an automated targeted laser improves the natural drainage of the eye, reducing the intraocular pressure that causes open-angle glaucoma. Patients sit at the machine as an automated laser aligns with the eye, identifies the trabecular meshwork (the drainage area), and delivers targeted laser pulses. No injections are required. There is no contact with the eye surface, and there is no need for sedation or recovery time. Patient feedback studies from one office show that following the procedure, over 80% of patients were medication free.
DSLT is ideal for patients with mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension (elevated eye pressure without optic nerve damage). It is also a procedure of choice for those who have difficulty adhering to daily eye drop regimens or desire drop-free or low-medication management.
Cataract Surgery
In the United States, cataracts are highly prevalent. In fact, at some point everyone gets cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which can lead to increasingly poor vision, including difficulty with night vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, and halos around lights. Today, Chattanooga Vision Center utilizes the most advanced technologies and procedures to treat this condition. By removing the cataracts and replacing them with one of several modern intraocular lenses (IOL), our skilled providers are able to restore and improve the patient’s eyesight. The most popular lens is the multifocal lens, which eliminates the need for reading glasses and provides clear distance vision. Another lens often used is the monofocal IOL. Patients often have them set for clear distance vision and then wear eyeglasses for reading or close work.
Meet Our Doctors
Since 1997, Chattanooga Vision Center has been utilizing the most advanced technologies with personalized eye care solutions to ensure their patients experience the best eyesight.
Dr. Thomas Reynolds, MD, FACS
The founder of Chattanooga Vision Center, Dr. Reynolds, MD, has been providing the highest level of ophthalmology care to the Chattanooga area for nearly 40 years. Dr. Reynolds graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and then attended the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis. He completed an internship and residency at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is currently board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Reynolds is a member of Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He specializes in utilizing the most trusted and advanced technologies – particularly “no glasses” cataract surgery, treating glaucoma with in-office, laser surgery to rid patients of eye drops, and also utilizing many different techniques for taking care of dry eye symptoms.
Dr. J. Cale Hildebrand, MD
Caring for patients at Chattanooga Vision Center since 2019, Dr. J. Cale Hildebrand, MD, is a comprehensive board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in cataract surgery utilizing premium lifestyle lenses, glaucoma treatments, and minor eyelid procedures. Dr. Hildebrand received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, graduating with high honors. He then attended East Tennessee State University, Quillen College of Medicine where he earned his medical degree and soon after completed his ophthalmology internship and residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He currently serves as an associate professor for the eye care curriculum at Erlanger Hospital’s family physician residency program and was recognized in 2023 as an outstanding clinical educator.
Dr. Lauren Windham, OD
Dr. Lauren Windham, OD, is a board-certified optometrist skilled in the evaluation and management of glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, cataracts, dry eye, age-related macular degeneration, refractive eye conditions, and specialty contact lenses. She is a graduate of Southern College of Optometry and completed her residency training at West Tennessee Eye with an emphasis on ocular disease and primary eye care. Dr. Windham is a past recipient of the Young Optometrist of the Year award in two states, Tennessee and Virginia. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and is board certified by the American Board of Optometry. Dr. Windham is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, and the Southeastern Tennessee Optometric Society. She has served as a volunteer physician on several local and international mission trips.
Dr. Matthew James, OD
Dr. Matthew James, OD, is a board-certified optometrist who specializes in refractive surgery comanagement and the treatment of glaucoma and dry eyes disease. After gaining his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he earned his doctorate of optometry from UAB. For the last 25 years, Dr. James has been providing the highest level of eye care - early in Birmingham, followed by Vail Valley, Colorado, and now in Chattanooga. Separate from his practice, Dr. James has participated in research dedicated to the development of advanced pharmaceutical eye care. He has also been a member of the Contact Lens and Cornea Society. A founding member of the Lions Club in Chelsea, Alabama, Dr. James has devoted much of his personal time to providing charitable care for disadvantaged children and adults including mission trips with Angels for Brazil.