
Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons
Julie stewart bullard, M. D.
874 Whipple Rd, Suite 200
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 277-6600
Exciting News!

From Dr. Bullard:
Dear Patients,
I have some exciting news to share with all of you. My husband and I have jumped feet first into our dream of having a big farm. We will be leaving the Mt Pleasant area at the end of July and heading to the mountains.
I am pleased to tell you that Nicole Legare, MD will be the new owner and physician of Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons.
Dr. Legare will be joining us mid July. My last day at the practice is July 29, 2022.
It has been a true privilege to meet all of you and to be entrusted with your care.
Dr. Legare will be joining Mount Pleasant Eye Surgeons in July 2022! Dr. Legare is passionate about providing compassionate and high quality care to her patients. She practices as a comprehensive ophthalmologist treating a wide range of eye diseases and conditions including cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye syndrome, and glaucoma testing and management. She also provides emergency eyecare. She is a highly skilled surgeon who performs cataract surgery, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery(MIGS), pterygium surgery, in addition to many more procedures and surgeries. Dr. Legare is looking forward to moving to Charleston with her husband and their 3 year old son. Charleston is near and dear to their hearts as it is where her husband attended the College of Charleston and where her father in law grew up.
Hometown: Ocala, FL
Undergraduate: Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Florida State University
Medical Degree: University of Central Florida College of Medicine, where she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society
Internship: UCF/HCA Consortium in Orlando, FL
Residency: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, LA. She served as Chief Resident during her final year of training.
Intraocular Lenses
An intraocular lens (IOL) works by replacing the focusing power of your eye’s natural lens. Today’s IOL technology can give you better vision – often without glasses – than before cataract surgery. Dr. Rogers thoroughly evaluates your eyes before recommending an particular IOL. We’ll talk about your work, hobbies and other activities to make sure your IOL choice fits your lifestyle.
Standard IOLs (Single-focus)
For those with mild to no astigmatism, standard IOLs will give you sharp, clear focusing power at a single distance, either close up (near vision) or far away (distance vision). They are also called single-focus or monofocal IOLs.
You might choose one IOL for near vision and one for distance. This is called monovision. Dr. Rogers will help you select the best optionspecific to your needs.
Does insurance cover standard IOLs?
Yes. When cataracts are advanced enough that surgery is considered medically necessary, health insurance (including Medicare) covers cataract surgery and standard IOLs. Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons offers the Alcon AcrySof IQ® lens implant and the Abbott TECNIS® monofocal lens implant.
Multifocal IOLs
Multifocal IOLs are designed to eliminate or reduce your dependence on glasses after cataract surgery compared to standard IOLs. In contrast to standard IOLs, multifocal IOLs eliminate or reduce your dependence on reading glasses. They are designed to provide both distance (far away) and near (close up) focus.
Multifocal IOLs work differently from bifocal eyeglasses. With bifocals, you look through the top part of the lens for distance and the bottom part for near vision. A multifocal IOL has concentric rings that help your brain select the right focus automatically. Like wearing bifocals, this can take time. Your vision without glasses usually improves gradually over the first year.
The rings of multifocal IOLs can create halos – a glow around lights at night. This depends partly on the size of your pupils, the area where light enters your eye. The amount of light affects halo size. With time, your brain generally gradually adapts, and most people with multifocal IOLs feel this effect is minor.
Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons offers the latest generation of the Abbott TECNIS® multifocal lens.
Does insurance cover the upgrade to a multifocal IOL?
No. Health insurance (including Medicare) covers cataract surgery with standard IOLs when your cataracts are advanced enough that surgery is considered medically necessary.
Multifocal IOLs offer the added convenience of reduced dependence on glasses after surgery. Insurance companies don’t consider this benefit a medical necessity, so they do not cover the upgrade to a premium IOL. They do cover the cost of surgery if cataract removal is medically necessary.
If you choose a multifocal implant, we request that you pay for your premium IOL in advance. This is because the implant must be ordered before surgery in your specific focusing power. Your advance payment covers this cost.
Toric IOLs
Toric IOLs offer patients with moderate astigmatism better vision without glasses. Astigmatism, a common eye condition caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens, causes distorted or blurred vision. Other IOLs don’t correct astigmatism, so you might need glasses to correct it after cataract surgery. If your goal is to optimize your probability of being glasses free for distance vision, a toric IOL could be for you.
With a toric IOL, you usually only wear glasses for reading, computer work, and other close-up activities. Monovision, one eye corrected for near vision and the other eye corrected for distance vision, is an option as well with toric IOLs. If you only have astigmatism in one only eye, you only need one toric lens. Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons offers the Alcon AcrySof Toric lens implant.
Does insurance cover the upgrade to a toric IOL?
No. Health insurance (including Medicare) covers cataract surgery with standard IOLs when your cataracts are advanced enough that surgery is considered medically necessary. Toric IOLs offer the convenience of improving your vision without glasses after surgery. Insurance companies don’t consider this benefit a medical necessity, so they do not cover the upgrade. They do cover the cost of surgery if cataract removal is medically necessary.
If you choose a toric IOL, we ask that you pay for your premium IOL in advance. This is because the implant must be ordered before surgery in your chosen focusing range. Your advance payment covers this cost.
The Right Lens for You
Because your eyes are so important for everything you do, selecting an IOL is a very personal decision. At Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons, we will spend the needed time with you to help you consider all your options.