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Focus is a well renowned, prestigious specialist laser eye clinic based in the London Harley Street medical enclave. It has a reputation for treating celebrities, and claims to have a 99.7% success rate (excluding very high prescriptions).
What makes it different? This is a consultant led clinic, meaning UK-trained eye surgeons combine their advanced surgical skills with the specially selected laser systems that are 100% committed to achieving 20/20 vision.
Is there anything to look out for? Yes, check what you are comfortable paying. Focus is one of the pricier options for vision correction, and the success rate barely differs from clinics that charge half the price.
1. Focus Eye Surgery Treatments
Focus has often led the way in terms of technology advancement over the years. It was the first clinic to correct reading vision using Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) radio waves, which uses radio waves rather than lasers to reshape the eye surface (cornea). The chief surgeon, Mr David Allamby, has performed more CK procedures than any other surgeon in the world.
Mr Allamby is also the first surgeon in the U.K to pioneer and perform the first Z-Lasik Blended Vision (another treatment for reading glasses). He remains at the forefront of specialist surgeons for presbyopia in the UK, and has provided surgical training to visiting surgeons worldwide.
So what’s on offer? The standard procedures at Focus include: Z-LASIK, LASEK and PRK (all with Wavefront technology). The clinic additionally specialises in these popular lens replacement surgeries: refractive lens exchange (RLE), implantable collamer lens (ICL), cataract surgery.
2. Focus Costs
Focus is one of the most expensive places in the UK for laser eye and lens replacement surgery, along with its friends on Harley Street: the London Vision Clinic and Moorfields Private (just around the corner).
Nearly 200 patients told us they paid on average £6,200 for laser eye surgery and £6,700 for lens replacement surgery at Focus. These prices are among the highest out there, and around double what you can pay elsewhere in the UK.
Laser eye surgery costs (both eyes):
- LASIK cost: £6,500
- LASIK specialist cost: £6,000
- LASIK blended vision: £5,400
Lens and cataract surgery costs (both eyes):
- Refractive lens exchange cost: £6,500
- Cataract surgery cost: £6,500 (standard lens) – £7,500 (premium lens)
- ICL surgery cost: £7,500
Then there’s the VIP Package for £12,000, all in. Focus doesn’t reveal what’s involved in this eye-watering price tag, so we’ll go out on a limb and say you may not find great value for money here.
Are there any hidden costs?
You’ll be please to learn that the quotes above are fixed prices, meaning you should avoid some nasty surprises. These costs include a generous 10-year guarantee, and initial consultations are free.
Interest-free finance options are also available, from £179.17 per eye per month, with a £500 deposit. Other clinics, however, offer monthly payment plans for around a quarter of the price.
So is it worth paying more?
Well, it may be if you are looking for: the most up-to-date ophthalmic tech, some of the UK’s most experienced surgeons, and being treated like a king in general. Plus, all procedures use Wavefront technology as standard: a slightly pricier add-on that improves the accuracy of the laser by measuring the eye’s exact measurements.
But don’t feel pressured into paying more than you feel comfortable with. Laser eye surgery is considered a safe procedure, with over 95% of people being satisfied or very satisfied with results, according to NICE. Optical Express, for example, is so confident of achieving 20/20 vision, it has a moneyback offer if you don’t. And prices there are half what they are at Focus Clinics on average.
3. Focus Review: The Verdict
FOCUS Clinics features as one of the best places for laser eye surgery in the UK. Plus, with friendly staff and a “Good” CQC rating, it also makes its way onto the list of the 10 best laser eye surgery clinics in London.
But is it right for you? Focus Clinics does offer plenty of excellent perks for the higher price tags: cutting-edge lasers, pioneering eye surgeons, and hard-to-fault customer service. That said, your money will also fund perks no one really needs: things like the prime Harley Street location, spa-like rooms, and VIP treatment.
Anyone looking to bag a bargain eye surgery should keep looking. Well-reviewed high street clinics such as Optical Express, Ultralase and Optimax might be a better fit if that’s the case.
☝ Ask the eye experts: To see if there is a better rated laser eye surgery provider near you, just click here to use our simple quote tool, and get a tailored quote from a clinic you can trust.
Our Testimonials
190 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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I feel totally transformed by my experience. Even now, a onth later, not an hour goes by when I am not amazed at what I can see and how my life has changed. I went surfing – something I could never have done properly with lenses. Just waking up is fantastic, seeing the world, falling asleep watching telly, small things that make all the difference, let alone now feeling like a primed human being rather than a faulty one!
The surgery itself I found a little traumatic but this side of it, I can say it is worth the 30 seconds of pain (on each eye). The laser itself is painless and the operation was SO quick (seven minutes each eye) but for me it was the suction, the pressure that hurt. Although I was told that this was because I have quite high cheek bones – so every cloud….
I cannot recommend it highly enough because the result is so incredible. i now have better eyesight than anyone i know as it corrected my vision beyond 20/20.
Price wise I thought it was really fair considering I won’t ever need lenses again and to be honest, there is no price on perfect eyesight.
The only thing that might be a good idea is to have a big jar on the way out where you can put all your old lenses and glasses and they could be given to people in third world countries who really need them.
But my surgeon was so calm and comforting and professional he allayed all my fears, told me to count to thirty and it would stop hurting, which was correct.
The pre care and after care was faultless. Thank you so much.
Beg steal or borrow the money….Go for it! -
A friend at work convinced me to look into having the operation to correct my short sightedness. He recommended Moorfields but the cost was way in excess of what I paid as was the waiting time for an appointment.
Having read the article on Focus Laser Vision in the Telegraph I decided to go for a consultation and an hour and a half later was under no doubt that I would definitely benefit from the operation.
The consultation left me sufficiently confident that my nerves on the day were minimal. Dr. Mearza has an unbelievably reassuring manner and whilst it is rather alien to have someone take control of your eyes, the pain/ discomfort was purely psycological. Within 15 minutes it was all over and an hour later I was in a cab on my way home.
Within hours my vision was perfect and 10 days on I can see a huge improvement from the side effects (mainly feeling tired and having slightly scratchy eyes).
There is no doubt that life will be totally different from here on. I went for a run yesterday and found my balance greatly improved and it was lovely being able to see people on the other side of the room at a wedding the other day. Previously I came accross as arrogant / stand-offish purely due to the fact I couldn’t see or recognise people until they were under my nose. If only I could have had this operation when I was at school, I might not have been the last person picked for team sports and I might have been able to catch the ball.
My advice would be – don’t deliberate!
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If you want the very best – choose FOCUS Laser Vision.
From my very first phone call to the clinic, I immediately felt confident enough to go ahead with surgery and throughout the entire process, I maintained that confidence in this marvellous company. The initial consultation is very professional and thorough. Everything is clearly explained step by step. All the members of staff are polite, friendly, helpful and welcoming…. a pleasure to visit.
Dr David Allenby is amazing, an absolute genius and delightful to speak with. He is totally professional, yet easy to talk to and immediately made me feel at ease. He performed my surgery and I truely think he is the best in the Country. Choose FOCUS Laser Vision…. honestly you wont regret it. -
FOCUS is definitely a place that I recommend to have laser eye surgery. As a medical student with an interest in ophthalmology I wanted to ensure that I was completely happy with the place chosen, the staff were extremely friendly and provided me with adequate details that made me confident in my decision to carry through with the treatment. I was happy and felt more secure that there were lots of tests to ensure that the surgeon and the staff was provided with the maximum amount of information regarding my eye to carry out the procedure. The aftercare was amazing, with clear instructions of what to expect afterwards and how to use the drops provided, and prophylactic antibiotics were reassuring also. The staff at FOCUS were extremely reassuring and friendly. It has had a huge impact on my life, and even to some extend is beneficial to my migraines. It is definitely a place that I am recommending to anybody I know who is considering laser eye surgery. Thanks you all for everything and creating a pleasant experience. :)
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Outstanding customer service, evrything was explained cleraarly during all the processes.
After care s very good.
I have recommended the clininc to many of my friends and collegues who are thing of having the treatment done.