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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
Mr Allamby and his team were most caring and professional throughout.
The result is outstanding – perfect vision. I’m most grateful to them all.
The only clinic I visited where I got to meet the surgeon before the day of the op. David put me at ease, made me feel better about LASIK over PRK (when I sometimes do contact martial arts). The staff here all seemed to know what they were talking about, unlike other surgeries I visited.
Not only the most comfortable experience, but also the cheapest?!
Day of surgery: I was a bit nervous, I’d have been worried if I wasn’t!. There was some slight discomfort in the last 10th of a second when the suction thing for flap creation was applied other than that, painless. So strange to be sat up afterwards and be able to see.
Led to a room to lie down for 10 minutes. Told to keep eyes shut, but tricky to do when all I wanted to do was look about.
Taxi ride home was incredible (I’m sure my partner and the taxi driver was annoyed with all my – I can see that, and that, and those, and read that!!), after 20minutes just need to close eyes. Not painful, not uncomfortable. Just need to close eyes. Went to bed once home. Too excited to sleep! Nodded off after a mild Nitol, woke up 1 1/2 hours later and I could see! Better than I could with contacts. And it was only going to get better!
Went outside, night vision is better than contacts or glasses, my glare is gone, instead I have ‘haloes’, over crystal clear nights. I’m told even that will improve with time, and 3 days on it seems it is.
Using drops every two hours as instructed. Only slight discomfort when I forget and leave it longer. Or in bad hot aircon. But less so than I had with contacts.
Can’t recommend the treatment or Focus, highly enough.
Very happy with the treatment. My surgeon was Mr Ali Mearza; he was very professional, had a good manner and kept me at ease throughout my treatment and check ups.
24 hours after my surgery I had 20/20 vision and now I’m 20/12 so I’m very happy. Highly recommended clinic and surgeon!
Totally amazing, best present to myself in 2008. I would recommend getting your eyes lasered to anyone, especially at FOCUS Laser Vision, the team there are truly amazing, extremely friendly and very caring to ensure you feel at ease before, throughout and after the surgery.
The joy of driving, playing sport, watching DVDs etc without the need of glasses is fantastic.
Thanks again to all those at Focus for my pain free surgery, I would get it done again tomorrow if I needed it.
Kind regards,
Sam
The pre-op appointment went extremely well and I instantly felt in the safest hands. All the staff at the clinic were incredible, answering every question I had and helping with settling my nerves on the day of the operation. I found the whole experience really personal and I still now think it is brilliant how the receptionist, I didn’t catch her name, was so on the ball and remembered my name even after only one visit. Mr. Mearza was amazing before, during and after the operation. He talked through the procedure, answered the silliest of questions and generally made me really sure of the massive decision I was making with going ahead with the op. On the day of surgery he was attentitive and spoke through the procedure once again, reassuring me things would be fine and over before I knew it. The nurse was also absolutely lovely and we had a little chat and giggle before going into the surgery whilst she was talking me very clearly through all the drops for after the surgery.
When on the operating table I felt really nervous however with Mr. Mearza chatting to me and keeping my mind off the procedure it was over so quickly.
This was a massive decision for me to make at 21 and an awful lot of money to pay but I could not have made a better choice. I love the fact I don’t have to wear contacts or glasses and can see better than I have ever been able to. I would recommend this procedure to anyone.
Thanks so much everyone at Focus Clinic for a much clearer 2009 and rest of my life!!!