Denali Creative - A Stubenbordt Company

05/30/2026

Refractive surgery demand has changed. Refractive marketing should too.

This Market Scope chart tracks U.S. refractive surgery volume by quarter, Q4 2021 through Q4 2025. The peak lands around Q1 2022 at just over 200,000 procedures. By Q4 2025, volume sits under 100,000 — less than half of where it started.

But this isn’t only a volume story. It’s a marketing, technology, and affordability story.

Patients don’t search the way they did five years ago. Google still matters, but the search journey now runs through AI-powered platforms too — Google AI Mode/Gemini, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, Grok, and other answer engines.

They’re not just typing “LASIK near me.” They’re asking:

“Am I a better candidate for LASIK or EVO ICL?”
“Is laser vision correction safe if I have dry eyes?”
“What’s the difference between SMILE, PRK, LASIK, and ICL?”
“Who’s the best refractive surgeon near me?”
“How much does LASIK cost per month?”

That last question matters more than ever. With rising costs and tighter budgets, many patients have less discretionary income for elective procedures. They may want LASIK, PRK, EVO ICL, or refractive lens exchange — but the decision often comes down to whether it feels financially possible.

So financing isn’t an administrative detail anymore. It’s a conversion strategy.

Practices that communicate monthly payment options clearly, surface financing early in the journey, and make preapproval easy remove one of the biggest barriers to scheduling. For many patients, the gap between “that sounds expensive” and “I can actually do this” is seeing a realistic monthly payment before they leave your website.

This is why practices need to think beyond traditional SEO — they need AEO: Answer Engine Optimization. AEO means building website content, videos, FAQs, schema, service pages, and expert-driven patient education that AI search engines can understand, summarize, and surface.

And video may be the biggest trust accelerator of all. As search gets more conversational and multimodal, practices with strong surgeon-led video libraries win. Patients want to see the doctor, hear the explanation, and understand safety, candidacy, cost, financing, and recovery before they book.

At Denali Creative, we believe the next phase of refractive marketing belongs to practices that combine:

→ AEO-focused website content
→ Surgeon-led educational video
→ Short-form social video
→ Procedure-specific landing pages
→ AI-ready FAQs and patient education
→ Clear financing messaging
→ Easy preapproval pathways
→ Smarter Google Ads strategy
→ Better lead follow-up and conversion tracking

The refractive market is smaller than it was at its peak. That doesn’t mean the opportunity is gone. It means patients need more education, more trust, and more financial clarity before they say yes.

The practices that modernize first will have the advantage.

ThinkDenali.com

04/21/2026

ChatGPT Images 2.0 just raised the bar.

With one simple prompt:

“Create a very detailed medical illustration of the human eye, fully labeled, including a cross-sectional view and a separate breakout diagram of the cornea with all anatomical layers clearly identified, in a clean, high-end ophthalmology infographic style.”

…it produced this level of detail and clarity.

This is exactly where content creation is heading—faster, more scalable, and surprisingly high quality when you know how to prompt it correctly.

If you're in elective medical marketing (ophthalmology, dental, aesthetics), this isn’t just interesting—it’s a competitive advantage.

We’re breaking this down step-by-step in our upcoming YouTube video on how to use ChatGPT Images 2.0 for your practice.

📺 Drops this Thursday on

04/09/2026

We’re excited to share that Paul M. Stubenbordt of Denali Creative – A Stubenbordt Company has been selected to present at the 2026 ASOA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
As video continues to become one of the most important tools in marketing refractive surgery practices, this session will focus on how to create content that is practical, engaging, and effective for today’s patients. Video is no longer just helpful for social media. It plays a major role in patient education, practice branding, trust-building, website engagement, and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), helping practices communicate more clearly across the platforms where patients are searching for information.
Paul’s session, “The Complete Guide to Filming and Editing Video: Practical Basics for Content Creation, Patient Engagement, and Digital Marketing Success,” will cover real-world strategies for using video to support social media, strengthen digital marketing, educate patients, and help practices stay relevant in a rapidly changing online landscape.
April 10, 2026
2:45–3:45 PM
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, DC
We’re honored to be part of this year’s program and look forward to connecting with attendees at ASOA 2026.

03/13/2026

The future doesn’t change someday. It changes the moment you decide to do something different—today.

At Denali Creative, we see it every day.

The practices that grow…
The brands that stand out…
The companies that lead their markets…

They all have one thing in common:
They decided to think differently.

Better strategy.
Better storytelling.
Better marketing.

The future of your business isn’t waiting—it’s being built by the decisions you make today.

If you’re ready to do something different, we’re ready to help you build what comes next.

— Denali Creative

01/11/2026

Denali Creative was truly honored to film the testimonial of Dr. Don Schwartz, an ophthalmologist whose impact on this field runs deeper than most people realize. Years ago, he trained Barry S. Seibel, MD during his residency—mentorship that helped shape the surgeon Dr. Seibel is today.

Last month, that story came full circle when Dr. Seibel performed cataract surgery on Dr. Schwartz himself. Moments like that are a powerful reminder of how knowledge, skill, and trust are passed down through generations in medicine.

As a fascinating side note, Dr. Schwartz is also the son of Sherwood Schwartz, the legendary creator of Gilligan’s Island and The Brady Bunch. A legacy of storytelling and influence—just expressed in very different ways.

Today, Dr. Schwartz focuses on the second part of his career after he stopped seeing patients. He helps lead the team EyeSonix develop TULIP, an innovative method of treating glaucoma with ultrasound.

This is exactly why we film stories, not just procedures.

12/16/2025

New YouTube Channel and Episode is Live!

Welcome to Episode 1 of The Marketing Doctor—hosted by Paul Stubenbordt, Founder and CEO of Denali Creative.

For this kickoff, Paul sits down with Elizabeth Wagner, Surgical Director at Insight Eye Center in Mentor, Ohio, for a candid look at what it takes to run a highly efficient cataract practice without relying on heavy marketing spend.

Key takeaway: this team is performing 60–90 cataract surgeries per month with only four employees—driven primarily by patient experience, trust, and referrals.

In the interview, we cover:
• How Elizabeth transitioned from education into ophthalmology leadership
• What a “referral-first” practice looks like operationally
• Patient education strategies that build confidence (without pressure)
• Premium IOL conversations and how to handle cost discussions the right way
• Why OD relationships remain one of the strongest growth engines in eye care

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/fBJbGNPzUFE?si=6Yi6SsIH0vY-jfkK

In this episode of The Marketing Doctor, powered by Denali Creative, host Paul Stubenbordt sits down with Elizabeth Wagner, Surgical Director at Insight Eye ...

12/15/2025

Seeing the Future of Denali Creative

Every great company is built with intention—and a clear vision of where it’s going.

This visual represents the future of Denali Creative: not a collection of services, but a fully connected ecosystem designed to drive growth in elective medicine.

From healthcare marketing and digital growth to AI-powered content, video production, web development, and education, every division is purpose-built to work together—strategically, efficiently, and with measurable impact.

Inspired by how visionary organizations have historically mapped their expansion, this is how we see Denali Creative evolving: structured, scalable, and focused on long-term value for the practices we serve.

This is where we’re headed.

—
Denali Creative
A Stubenbordt Company
ThinkDenali.com

12/15/2025

☕️ City Meets Creativity 🌆

At Denali Creative, we’re constantly pushing the boundaries of AI-driven visual storytelling.

We recently created a custom AI prompt that allows any city in the world to be transformed into a miniature work of art—captured as if it’s living inside the foam of a coffee cup. Think iconic landmarks, detailed streets, cinematic lighting, and a top-down perspective that feels part art gallery, part imagination.

This is the power of thoughtful prompt engineering combined with creative direction. It’s not just AI—it’s intentional design.

If you can imagine it, we can build the prompt for it.

—
Denali Creative
Powered by strategy. Driven by imagination.
ThinkDenali.com

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving!
Grateful today (and every day) for my family, my friends, my clients, and everyone who’s been part of this wild journey with me. Your support, conversations, and trust mean more than you know.

Wishing you a day filled with good food, good company, and moments that make you slow down and smile. 🦃🍁

And since the Cowboys play today… may your plates be full, your naps be long, and may the Cowboys actually keep us thankful this year. 🤣💙🤠 Go Cowboys!

Hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving!

11/20/2025

With the rain rolling in, we took a break from the office and headed to Redefined Coffee in Grapevine.
If you’re nearby, swing in, say hello, and let’s talk about elevating your medical practice. ☕️✨