Gelner Optometry
Gelner Optometry
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★★★★★ 5.0 on Google · 18 reviews

Specialty Contacts for Hard-to-Fit Eyes. Designer Frames That Actually Suit You.

Dr. Patricia Gelner has been fitting custom contact lenses for keratoconus, post-LASIK, and irregular corneas for nearly 40 years. Her optical team fits the latest, most stylish frames for West County families.

Independent practice in Chesterfield, MO since 1986

Dr. Patricia Gelner at the slit lamp evaluating a contact lens fitting
Dr. Gelner at the slit lamp

What Patients Say

★★★★★
It led me to an optometrist that I fully trust. Cannot recommend enough!
— Lauren C.
★★★★★
Dr. Gelner spends a lot of time with the patient, explains everything, and even goes out of her way to accommodate their needs.
— Jennie B.
★★★★★
They have been super helpful in getting the right contacts and right prescriptions for my needs. There are many different types of contacts now and they have helped me navigate all the options.
— Alexander R.
Dr. Patricia Gelner

About the Practice

Three Generations of Patients. One Practice.

Dr. Patricia Gelner is a St. Louis native who has practiced optometry at this same Chesterfield address since 1986. She trained under Dr. Paul E. Resler, one of the original Wesley Jessen contact lens fitters — a man who taught optometrists across the country how to fit the new technology of soft contact lenses. Patricia learned the craft from the lineage that built it.

Today she fits the patients other practices send away.

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Slit lamp evaluation

Specialty Fittings

When Other Practices Couldn't Get You Seeing 20/20

If your eyeglasses don't correct your vision to 20/20, there is usually a reason. Most of the time, it's the cornea — and most of the time, a custom-fit contact lens can solve what eyeglasses can't.

Dr. Gelner has spent her career fitting patients with keratoconus, post-LASIK irregularities, scarred corneas, and other shapes that standard contacts won't sit on. Custom soft lenses, sclerals, and hybrid designs.

For many of these patients, the appointment that fixes their vision is the one they almost didn't bother making.

Fitting these patients with contact lenses that provide them with 20/20 vision is my most rewarding experience in optometric practice. — Dr. Patricia Gelner
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What Sets Us Apart

We Don't Settle for "Almost 20/20."

Many of our patients tell us their last exam ended with a script that "felt close enough." Ours don't end that way.

If your best corrected vision isn't sharp, we find out why before you leave. Sometimes that's a corneal issue. Sometimes it's a tear film problem. Sometimes it's something else entirely. Whatever it is, you'll know — and we'll have a plan.

This isn't a five-minute appointment for a glasses script. It's the appointment that figures out what's actually going on.

Around the Office

Small Joys

Forty years of practice accumulates more than charts and equipment. It accumulates personality.

Red cardinal figurine on gold heart-shaped glasses
Stuffed golden retriever wearing Vera Bradley glasses
Owl figurine with Second Pair sign
Vintage I See You framed art
See the Good in All Things artwork

Common Questions

Quick Answers

Do you accept walk-ins?

When the schedule allows, yes. Call 314-434-2626 to check.

What insurance do you accept?

Most major vision and medical plans, including VSP, EyeMed, Medicare, UnitedHealthcare, BCBS, Cigna, and Aetna. Full list on our FAQ page.

How long does an exam take?

Comprehensive exams run 30 to 45 minutes. We don't rush.

Why can't my eyeglasses correct me to 20/20?

There's almost always a reason — usually a corneal irregularity, tear film issue, or higher-order aberration that glasses can't correct. This is exactly the situation Dr. Gelner specializes in. Most patients who come to us after being unsuccessfully fit elsewhere leave with 20/20 vision in custom contacts.

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Visit Us

14386 Woodlake Drive, Chesterfield

Address

14386 Woodlake Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63017
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Phone

314-434-2626

Hours

Monday9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
WednesdayClosed
Thursday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
SaturdaySome Saturdays — call
SundayClosed

Saturday hours vary. Call 314-434-2626 to see if we're open this week.

Ready to See Better?

Whether you need a routine exam, a second opinion on a difficult prescription, or a contact lens fitting that didn't work somewhere else — we'd be glad to see you. Call the office and we'll get you scheduled.