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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
737 reviews written between 2003 and 2020. Sorted by newest first.
Treatments are as each reviewer wrote them. Reviews that don't mention laser or lens surgery only show under All treatments.
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It is now just over 5 weeks since I had the surgery and I am very pleased with the results.
I had my eyes tested yesterday and have 20/20 vision! My initial prescription was -1.25 and -1.50. I had some pain in one eye after surgery, but only when I put the drops in and this went after the first night. No complications at all, but I did religiously put all the drops in.
I do still have some problems at night with car headlights, but not enough to stop me driving.
It has been great for me, no regrets at all. I went down the day before surgery for my assessment and came home by train after the surgery the next day. All very easy.
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For anyone considering laser-eye surgery, I would just say–DO IT! Like a lot of other people who have written on this site, I am wondering why I waited so long. I was about -8.5 in both eyes, and thus totally dependent on glasses. I had had glasses or contacts for 32 years, and then one fine afternoon I walked out of the Advance Vision Care surgery without them!
The scariest part about the surgery is the clamp going on your eye, but it really is only your fear, it didn’t hurt at all. The treatment itself (I had Lasik) was quick and easy (and the sedative beforehand helped keep me calm, as I was quite jittery!) I was able to travel by train that afternoon, though I needed help finding my seat: my long-distance vision had improved miraculously, but reading was difficult. In fact, the only warning I would give to anyone who like me makes a living from reading (I am a university lecturer) is to be aware that your near vision is weak for a while: I had my treatment 1 week ago and still am having trouble reading paper and computer text. I wish I had made sure to have time off afterwards. My charming Woolworth’s reading glasses make my friends laugh, after the snazzy designer frames I used to wear–but I should be able to pitch these in just a few weeks at most.
The staff at Advance Vision Care are friendly and professional, and I knew I was in very good hands the whole time. It really felt like a miracle, and it helped to meet a few other patients in the waiting room as I awaited my turn. I’ll never forget the man who was resting after his surgery, with a look of wonder on his face as he blinked around the room! And I know I am in good hands still with the extensive after-care plan, available locally, though I live in far-way Glasgow.
So–what are you waiting for?
Laura
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For anyone considering laser-eye surgery, I would just say–DO IT! Like a lot of other people who have written on this site, I am wondering why I waited so long. I was about -8.5 in both eyes, and thus totally dependent on glasses. I had had glasses or contacts for 32 years, and then one fine afternoon I walked out of the Advance Vision Care surgery without them!
The scariest part about the surgery is the clamp going on your eye, but it really is only your fear, it didn’t hurt at all. The treatment itself (I had Lasik) was quick and easy (and the sedative beforehand helped keep me calm, as I was quite jittery!) I was able to travel by train that afternoon, though I needed help finding my seat: my long-distance vision had improved miraculously, but reading was difficult. In fact, the only warning I would give to anyone who like me makes a living from reading (I am a university lecturer) is to be aware that your near vision is weak for a while: I had my treatment 1 week ago and still am having trouble reading paper and computer text. I wish I had made sure to have time off afterwards. My charming Woolworth’s reading glasses make my friends laugh, after the snazzy designer frames I used to wear–but I should be able to pitch these in just a few weeks at most.
The staff at Advance Vision Care are friendly and professional, and I knew I was in very good hands the whole time. It really felt like a miracle, and it helped to meet a few other patients in the waiting room as I awaited my turn. I’ll never forget the man who was resting after his surgery, with a look of wonder on his face as he blinked around the room! And I know I am in good hands still with the extensive after-care plan, available locally, though I live in far-way Glasgow.
So–what are you waiting for?
Laura
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I was nervous before the procedure, but everyone at Advance VisionCare were so kind and explained exactly was was going to happen. The procedure took between 10-15min and at no point did I feel pain. I now have 20/20 vision after wearing glasses since I was 8, with the prescription of -9 and -8.5. As a result I am free of needing glasses and can go traveling.
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The before and after care was superb, with everything fully explained.
The actual surgery does not last long, a matter of seconds, and you do not feel anything at all.
Within 24 hours my eyes were fine and I could see long distance without my glasses.
I ONLY WISH I HAD IT DONE EARLIER!!