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1. Review of Advanced Vision Care
Advanced Vision Care (AVC) is an independent surgeon-led clinic founded in 2003 by Mr Pillai on Harley Street, London. With no affiliation with any manufacturers, you should be able to count on treatment that’s best suited to your needs.
AVC’s Medical Director and lead surgeon, Mr Pillai, has nearly three decades of ophthalmic experience and is one of the few surgeons to have fellowships for both refractive laser surgery and cornea treatment. Patients even enjoy the benefit of speaking to Mr Pillai during the initial consultation, and can look forward to a stress-free aftercare plan, including any retreatment if necessary.
What makes AVC different? This clinic prides itself on being able to treat any eye prescription using a wide mix of treatments, meaning it may just be able to help you, even if other clinics have turned your down. Its patients also give this clinic the thumbs up, leaving hundreds of positive reviews on our site over the years.
- AVC tailors treatments to its customers’ specific visual needs.
- You can receive eye care from a small team of eye experts, each with 25 years of experience.
- Laser and non-laser treatments sit under one roof, for customer convenience.
Is there anything else I should know? As you’d expect, cutting-edge eye surgery on Harley Street comes at a price, and this time it’s higher on average than you’ll find at some of the other top-rated eye clinics dotted around the UK. And unless you happen to live in central London, there may not be a clinic near you.
☝ Compare clinics: See if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, and use our simple tool to receive a personalised quote.
2. Treatments
Advanced Vision Care specialises in laser as well as non-laser vision correction treatments, including all the usual suspects: LASIK, LASEK, implantable contact lenses (ICL surgery), lens replacement surgery, cataract surgery and keratoconus treatment.
- Advanced Wavefront LASIK / LASEK – Highly accurate laser surgery for those with thin eye surfaces or active lifestyles.
- Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK) – Therapy for treating long-term eye conditions.
- Implantable Contact Lens (EVO Visian ICL) – Suitable for patients with complex eye prescriptions, thin corneas or dry eyes.
- Lens Replacement (Refractive Lens Exchange) – Eye surgery for those over 40 with a reading prescription.
- Cataract Surgery – Removes cloudy lenses, and replaces them with artificial clear ones.
- Corneal Implants – Reshape irregular eye shapes to make contact lenses more comfortable.
As is standard with eye surgery clinics, all AVC treatments come with a 12 month aftercare package, which includes: regular check-ups, 24-hour eye expert support line, and post-op medication for the first month.
In the unlikely event that you require eye surgery enhancement, any laser fine tuning or YAG laser capsule thickening removal (following cataract treatment) is available at no extra cost.
3. Technology
Advanced Vision Care was the first clinic in the UK to house the complete Alcon Refractive Suite, which it claims is the safest non-laser technology in the country. It creates a personalised treatment plan that starts with a Verion Image Guided system in your first consultation, and continues throughout the surgery with devices that ensure superior visualisation.
The laser eye surgery treatment is also advanced. The femtosecond Intralase 5F Laser works blade-free by using pulses of harmless light to create a corneal flap, and the Bausch Teneo 317 Excimer Laser takes just 3 to 5 seconds to correct your vision.
What’s more, the highly accurate Advanced Wavefront technology is included in all laser treatments as standard, and an Eye Tracking System tracks eye movements, so you don’t need to worry about blinking during the procedure.
4. Advanced Vision Care Prices
AVC has some of the most reasonable payment options out there. It’s not the cheapest – high street clinics such as Optical Express and Ultralase take the crown for cost – but the free consultation, fixed prices, and flexible interest free finances all help their treatments work around you.
Is it worth paying more? Of course, that’s for you to decide. But to give you an idea of the prices, laser eye surgery at AVC costs £2,100 (per eye), compared to well-reviewed alternatives such as Optical Express and AccuVision which come in at around half that on average.
| Eye Surgery Procedure | Price (per eye) | Finance Options (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Wavefront LASIK | £2,100 | £66.67 (24 months, 0% APR) |
| Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK) | £2,100 | £66.67 (24 months, 0% APR) |
| ICL Surgery (Simple Lens) | £3,450 – £3,750 | £122.22 – £138.89 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| ICL Surgery (Specialist Lens) | £4,150 | £161.11 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Monofocal lens surgery | £3,150 – £3,450 | £105.56 – 122.22 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Multifocal lens surgery | £3,750 – £4,050 | £138.89 – £155.56 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Keratoconus Treatment | £2,150 – £2,450 | £91.67 – £108.33 (18 months, 0% APR) |
Are there finance options?
Yes, AVC has partnered with Hitachi Finance to offer flexible payment plans, meaning you can pay the full cost of eye surgery in bite-size monthly installments.
For example, you could pay for laser eye surgery in chunks of £66.67 a month for two years interest free, or £33.59 for 60 months at 9.9% APR. That’s generous – most clinics require 11% APR, and only the first year at 0% interest.
Does medical insurance cover the surgery costs at AVC?
Yes, AVC is an accredited provider of ophthalmic surgery for many of the UK’s leading insurance companies, including:
- Allianz
- AVIVA
- AXA PPP
- BUPA and BUPA International
- Cigna
- Simply Health
As always, you’ll need to confirm how you would like to pay before booking your surgery, both with your chosen clinic and your medical insurer.
Read more: Laser eye surgery costs explained
5. AVC Review: The Verdict
Advanced Vision Care consistently receives a five-star rating from hundreds of patients, which is why this clinic makes it to our list of the best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK.
With in-depth consultations providing an honest assessment of whether eye surgery is right for you, Advanced Vision Care also takes the prize for being one of the top places for laser eye surgery in London.
☝ Is Advanced Vision Care for you? To see if there is a better reviewed laser eye surgery clinic near you, just hit here to use our simple quote tool, and get a tailored quote from a clinic you can trust.
Our Testimonials
I always thought one day I might have laser eye surgery, but was a bit scared, and couldn’t afford it (even the rates advertised on tv, “from £400 per eye” etc). Then a friend had eye surgery, and I figured I could be as brave. And with a bit of credit card assistance and planning, I could afford it.
First thing I did was research – and realised very quickly that the “£400” per eye quote I thought it might be, was just too low (I had some friends who we far more clued up on this, rightly pointing out that you really don’t want to scrimp on your eyes). I wanted to go to a top clinic, with the latest technology. And although I was tempted by one offering 100% success rates… That seemed a little too good to be true (seriously, 100%? When, who, how measured?)
Then I found this website, and an excellent deal on Groupon, and I made my selection: AVC has excellent reviews, and when I called to speak to the receptionist before buying the discount voucher I felt very reassured. I felt reassured by the website, reviews, and person I spoke to on the phone. I paid £2200 for the top of the range option – wavefront, blade free (I upgraded to blade free because I didn’t fancy a blade near my eye, and the recovery times etc are meant to be less).
I had eye surgery only two days ago – and am absolutely delighted!! The consultation was very thorough, and I booked surgery for less than two weeks later. I met Mr Pillai, the surgeon, and had about 45 minutes of time in addition to his colleague – I felt this was very important, and felt reassured and like I was more than a number. The surgery was so quick! About 35 seconds of laser time once the flap has been made (and about ten minutes of eye cleaning / other surgery time). I could see better straight away, and stayed over night in a pleasant hotel on the edge of Hyde park – all included. By today (first check up) I can see 20/20 with both eyes working together! Easily beyond driving standard.
The surgeon and his team were truly excellent, and spoke to me the whole way through the procedure. I am really delighted with my choice of clinic, and of course had a discount voucher. I am sure there are many excellent surgeons and clinics out there – just do your research, get comfortable with the team, and go for it :-D
The service was perfect; everyone was helpful and very well informed on the procedures and complications. I felt very comfortable with the whole thing. I had a previous appointment with Optical Express who showered me with money off vouchers and desperately tried to make me pay a deposit. You really can’t put a price on something so important.
I was fed up with the fuss of wearing contact lenses which would dry out my eyes, as well as being concerned with the ‘creeping capillaries’ the optician mentioned during every contact lense check up. When a colleague had her eyes lasered at Advanced Vision Care (AVC) and said, other than getting married and having her two daughters, it was the best thing she’d ever done in life I knew I wanted it done too and at 77 Harley St with Mr Pillai! The whole process at AVC, from the initial consultation, through to the procedure and the follow-up appointments has been a breeze and I still can’t believe as I sit here typing that my eyes have been ‘fixed’ and I now have 20/20 vision – it is truly amazing! The team is extremely professional and friendly and totally put you at ease; knowing that the equipment is top notch too means that you really don’t have anything to worry about; as Pawel, the Clinic’s Deputy Manager, says ‘you can’t go blind’ and the worst that can happen is that your prescription doesn’t end up as good as it could and if that is the case they will do it again a few months later. I can’t recommend getting your eyes corrected at AVC enough and have spent the last week since having it done singing its praises (I should be their new rep!).
I decided to have treatment because I have been very short-sighted for years and I hated wearing thick glasses.
My experience with AVC was very good. If they can get someone like me through it, they can help anyone!
I can see when I wake up and I can swim etc. I also don’t have to worry about eye infections anymore.
The service was excellent and I don’t think it could be improved.
Geoff Hann geoffreyhann@gmail.com
The whole process is very well organised. The CLE treatment I received was straightforward, painless and most professionally carried out. Also the lens exchange itself only taking about 15 minutes on each eye. After having worn spectacles for over 53 years the end result is amazing and highly recommended. The +9 prescription I previously had and being at the limit for wearing varifocal spectacles meant that I would need to have 2 pairs of spectacles going forward. Peripheral vision is superb and being able to see others clearly when swimming is a whole new experience.
Many thanks!