Storm Eye Institute: Eye Care Conditions & Services

Named after its donor and benefactor, Albert Florens Storm, the Storm Eye Institute (SEI) covers all aspects of eye care, from clinical and surgical care to research, education, and population health. 

At the MUSC Health Storm Eye Institute, you have access to dedicated experts in every aspect of eye health. You won’t find another eye care team in South Carolina with specialists in eye cancer, glaucoma and corneal disease under one roof. Our program draws people from across South Carolina and surrounding areas.

Urgent Eye Care

If you're a current patient of The Storm Eye Institute in urgent need of medical attention for your eyes or vision - you may have the option to be seen by an eye care physician within the next 72 hours. To find out if you meet the criteria, please call 1-843-792-2020.

Call Urgent Eye Care

Specialized Care at Storm Eye Institute

The complex structures in your eyes require specialized care, which you’ll find at MUSC Health. We offer deep expertise in treating both common and complex eye problems.

Highlights of our program include:

  • Focus on Quality of Life: We minimize the impact of serious eye problems on your everyday life. Our oculoplastic surgeons improve eye function and help you achieve your best appearance with advanced treatments. Find out more about our oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery.
  • Innovative Treatments: When new and effective techniques become available we often quickly adopt them. We were the first program in South Carolina offering LASIK vision correction surgery, for example. Read more about our LASIK surgery.
  • Comprehensive Care for Adults: Even if you think your eyes are healthy, the only way to know for sure is with consistent eye care. Our services include testing your vision and examining the structures inside your eye. We also diagnose and treat common eye problems, including cataracts. Read more about our comprehensive eye care.
  • Specialized Services for Children: MUSC Health is home to doctors who specialize in pediatric eye care. Whether your child is flagged for additional testing after a routine eye exam or shows signs of a more serious problem such as cataracts, we can help. Learn more about our pediatric ophthalmology.

Conditions We Treat

We offer expert care and treatment for any condition affecting the eye and nearby tissue, including:

  • Cataracts: Cataracts develop when the normally clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy. We help restore clear vision using the latest replacement lenses. Find out more about cataracts.
  • Cornea Problems: Sometimes injuries or another medical problem affect your eye’s outer protective layer (cornea). Our expertise helps you get the best treatment right from the start. Find out more about corneal disease.
  • Eye Cancer: Storm Eye is the only program in South Carolina with an expert team dedicated to treating cancers affecting the eye. We offer the complete range of treatments, including chemotherapy injections and laser surgery.  Find out more about eye cancer.
  • Glaucoma: Glaucoma happens when fluid builds up in the front part of the eye, putting pressure on the optic nerve. We offer a level of expertise that sets Storm Eye Institute apart in the Lowcountry. Many ophthalmologists refer complex cases to our program.  Find out more about glaucoma.
  • Retina and Vitreous Humor: These complex structures in the back of the eye require a level of expertise you’ll only find in top programs such as Storm Eye. We accurately diagnose problems and tailor treatments to preserve your eyesight. Find out more about care for retina and vitreous humor conditions.

History of the Storm Eye Institute

The Albert Florens Storm Eye Institute (SEI) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has been the premier site for the care of complex and serious eye conditions in South Carolina since its dedication in 1976. Mrs. "Willie" Storm first envisioned Storm Eye in 1961 with a gift of $500,000 in honor of her late husband, Albert Florens Storm. The idea for the institute arose from the need to expand the space available to the current Department of Ophthalmology to allow more patients to be seen, expand the research mission, and provide eyecare to those in need.

The Medical University of South Carolina received the gift in 1967 upon the death of Mrs. Albert Florens Storm at 95 years old. The institute's stated mission at the time was: "At the Storm Eye Institute, vision is our mission. We seek to advance the science of Ophthalmology and meet the eye care needs of the public by committing to care, to teach, to serve, to discover". Construction of the institute began in 1974 along Ashley Avenue in the downtown medical district. The dedication and ribbon cutting of the institute occurred in 1976.

Storm Eye continued to grow, and on April 1, 1990, it became clear that additional space was needed. A capital campaign was initiated to expand the existing space with more administrative, research, and teaching areas. This culminated in the roof-raising ceremony and celebration on October 11, 1996. The capital campaign raised over $8.8 million. It included the participation of over 4800 members of the Lions Clubs and countless other donors. The additional space added four more floors to the physical plant, including two floors dedicated to research and another to the administrative and teaching area, including a state-of-the-art auditorium.

The Storm Eye downtown campus currently includes over 46,000 square feet of clinical and educational space and over 12,000 square feet of dedicated research space. Storm Eye has recently renovated the downtown space to enhance patient care and satisfaction. It now also has a full-service Vision Center to provide glasses and contact lenses to patients and employees of the Medical University of South Carolina. Storm Eye also has expanded its facilities with multiple satellite campuses to bring high-quality care to the communities where most patients live.

Storm Eye has satellite campuses in Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, Nexton, and North Charleston, and a new ambulatory surgical facility in Mount Pleasant. These facilities allow over 60,000 patients to be seen annually, and over 3500 surgeries are performed to provide high-quality care to the citizens of South Carolina and beyond.