Eye care goliath Bausch & Lomb may be looking to go public this year, a move that would signal renewed confidence in the company following a bit of a rough patch.

Bausch was taken private in 2007 by Warburg Pincus for $4.5 billion after accounting discrepancies forced the company to restate its earnings and contaminated contact disinfectant solution resulted in a high-profile recall.

The company has been on the path to improved valuation, padding its portfolio with acquisitions in advance of a long-term plan to return to public markets, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited "people familiar with the company."

Bausch may launch an IPO before the end of the year or early next year, the paper reported, although the company hasn’t enlisted bankers or begun going through the paperwork just yet.

Bausch, best known for contact lenses and related products, also makes ophthalmic surgical equipment, prescription drugs and over-the-counter vitamins and drops.

The company earlier this year announced that it was looking toward medical devices, including a new cataract surgery system up for FDA approval, as it aimed to put aside a slew of recalls and reposition itself in the market.

Last month Bausch touted new FDA wins for its Biotrue ONEday disposable contact lenses and for its enVista hydrophobic intraocular lens.