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Optical Express has grown to become one of Europe’s leading providers of laser eye surgery. It operates over 200 clinics, of which 100 are specifically designated laser consultation clinics and 54 are laser treatment clinics.
With locations throughout the UK, Holland, Germany, Ireland, France and Croatia, Optical Express has carried out over one million laser eye surgery procedures worldwide. What’s more, over 99% of patients would recommend Optical Express to their friends and family.
Pros: Value for money, caring surgeons, 128 UK clinics, latest technology, dedicated aftercare
Cons: No fixed prices (talk to them for a quote)
☝ Compare clinics: See if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, and use our simple tool to receive a personalised quote.
- Optical Express Laser Eye Surgery Review
- Prices
- Treatments
- The Verdict
- Surgeon Reviews
- 1,806 Patient Reviews
1. Optical Express Laser Eye Surgery Review
I’m very happy with my laser treatment. There’s nothing to worry about – there’s no pain, and I would recommend it to anybody. The aftercare at Optical Express is also very good. I just wish i had done it years ago. – Philip Lavelle
Optical Express uses world leading technology, and their laser platform – the VISX S4IR – delivers safe, accurate and precise results. Fun fact: Optical Express is the only vision correction provider to invest in the iFS150 intraLASE in each of its clinics – the same technology that led to NASA backing laser eye surgery for astronauts in 2007.
Over 99% of Optical Express patients achieved 20/20 vision or better following treatment, according to a study carried out in June 2017.
With over 25 years’ experience in eye care, Optical Express boasts excellent surgical outcomes, and has invested £400 million in technology to offer advanced methods for vision correction.
Optical Express has 128 clinics in the UK alone – far more than any other eye surgery provider. Its locations include London, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dublin, with many more situated in all corners of the country.
Here is how nearly 2,000 real customers rate Optical Express for its clinic, cost, treatments and surgeons:
| Optical Express Rating Overall | Clinic Rating | Cost Rating | Surgeon Rating | Treatments Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (4.6 out of 5) | (4.5 out of 5) | (4.8 out of 5) | (4.5 out of 5) | (4.7 out of 5) |
CQC Rating: Good
- Treating people with respect and involving them in their care
- Providing care, treatment and support that meets people’s needs
- Caring for people’s safely and protecting them from harm
- Staffing
- Quality and suitability of management
2. Optical Express Laser Eye Surgery Cost
True, it was an expensive operation, but I spent £500 a year on contact lenses and optician appointments – I see it as an investment! – Dave Reyner
(4.8 out of 5)
Laser eye surgery at Optical Express costs from just £595, or from £1,995 for lens replacement surgery. Of course, these prices depend on the treatment you choose, as well as your prescription, so you’ll want to pop in for a free consultation to get a tailored quote.
Optical Express is one of the cheapest laser eye surgery clinics in the UK. Its prices are well below average, compared to over 70 leading eye clinics and hospitals nationwide.
There are also a range of pay monthly finance options, so you can benefit from eye surgery for less than £50 a month – and it’s 0% finance for 10 month contracts.
Are there any hidden costs? No, the consultation is free, and you even get free eye tests worth £800. The only downside is not having fixed prices like at Optegra and Optimax, but at least the costs are lower at the end of the day.
Here are the prices of some of Optical Express’ popular lens and laser surgery options:
| Eye Surgery Procedure | Price (per eye) | Finance Options (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| LASEK | From £595 | £49.50 (10 months on 0% APR, £100 deposit) |
| LASIK | From £1,195 | £42.02 (for 18 months on 11.5% APR, £500 deposit) |
| LASEK (with iDesign) | From £1,495 | £41.69 (for 24 months on 11.5% APR, £500 deposit) |
| LASIK (with iDesign) | From £1,495 | £46.35 (for 24 months on 11.5% APR, £500 deposit) |
| Monofocal lens surgery | From £1,995 | £48.89 (for 36 months on 11.5% APR, £500 deposit) |
| Multifocal lens surgery | From £3,195 | £47.39 (for 72 months on 11.5% APR, £500 deposit) |
| Phakic IOL | From £3,395 | £47.39 (for 72 months on 11.5% APR, £500 deposit) |
| YAG | From £595 | N/A |
☛ Want a tailored quote? The only way to compare exact quotes is to see an eye expert for a check-up. These can cost up to £250, but with our simple tool, you can find out how much laser or lens surgery will cost you at Optical Express for free.
3. Laser Eye Surgery Treatments
Fantastic! I am so pleased I has the treatment – playing sports is so much easier! All the staff were very helpful, reassuring, and happy answering my questions. I’ll definitely be recommending Optical Express to everyone, their service is excellent! – Stephanie Yeadon
(4.7 out of 5)
Laser Eye Surgery
Laser eye surgery is a simple procedure that can correct your vision in a matter of minutes. Optical Express offers the most popular types: LASIK and LASEK (if you are not suitable for the surgical LASIK).
In both treatments, a cool beam advanced laser reshapes the cornea (the surface of your eye). Optical Express uses a technology called iDesign, which is based on Wavefront technology and takes thousands of eye measurements to produce the best results.
Lens Replacement
Optical Express has 20 years’ experience in lens replacement surgery. This surgery is a popular treatment for people with long distance vision, short distance vision, and even cataracts.
An eye consultant can help you decide which surgery best suits your needs:
- Refractive lens exchange (RLE) – This surgery replaces the natural lens with a synthetic intraocular lens (IOL) implant.
- Phakic IOL – This type of IOL is an alternative to laser eye surgery for patients with strong prescriptions.
- YAG laser treatment – YAG laser capsulotomy is a non-invasive procedure used to treat refractive former lens exchange patients whose vision starts to fade over the years.
Cataract Surgery
Optical Express performs the highest number of cataract surgeries – after the NHS, according to its website.
Cataracts are small, blurry patches on your eyes, giving you cloudy vision. Cataract surgery involves removing your damaged lens, and replacing it with a premium synthetic one for sharper near and distance vision.
Aftercare
Optical Express custom-fits its aftercare plan to every patient. This plan includes any medication that will aid the healing process, optometrist-led follow-up appointments, and an out-of-hours medical helpline.
Patients receive 12 months’ continued care as standard, and Optical Express recommends annual examinations to maintain your eye health.
Safety Record
All surgical procedures carry a degree of risk. However, laser eye surgery has an impressive success rate, and is the most popular elective surgery in the world.
99.2% of patients achieved at least 20|20 vision following surgery at Optical Express, based on a study of 190,231 Optical Express patients with the most common prescriptions. That’s why this eye clinic promises 20|20 vision or your money back.
Just be aware that the risks increase the more complicated the surgery. Optical Express will provide a screening service to check whether you are suitable for surgical treatment.
4. The Verdict
I can highly recommend Optical Express. They are very professional, and the procedure was pain free. The best thing now is I can see very well without glasses – and it was only done 3 weeks ago. – Elaine Gibson
(4.6 out of 5)
Optical Express is the best voted place for laser and lens replacement surgery, based on nearly 9,000 independent reviews on Lasik Eyes since 2002. With hard-to-beat prices, leading technology, and fully qualified surgeons, this clinic tops the list of best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, as well as taking the crown for:
- Best eye surgery in London
- Best eye surgery in Scotland
- Best eye surgery in Manchester
- Best eye surgery in Bristol
But is it right for you? The only way to find out is to see if you’re eligible for 20/20 vision or your money back, and to get a tailored quote. That’s why we make it easy to pop in for a free consultation, have free eye tests (worth £800), and talk through your options with an eye expert.
Next steps: Our simple tool helps thousands of readers a day get one step closer to 20/20 sight:
- Find the top clinic in seconds: Answer three questions to be matched with the leading eye clinic in your area
- Check you’re eligible in minutes: Receive a quick call to check you can get surgery (we don’t share your number with anyone else)
- Book a free consultation: Talk to an expert at a clinic you can trust for a free eye test (worth £800) and personalised quote (with no obligation)
☛ Click here to find the best clinic near you, and receive a tailored quote.
Our Testimonials
1,553 reviews written between 2002 and 2021. 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.
No reviews match these filters.
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I had this procedure done on Friday 10th December 2004 – it was my Christmas Present from my partner, I have told him that if I never get another present this has to be the greatest gift he could give me – My Eye Sight Back !!!
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I attended Optical Express in Belfast for my initial consultation around May 2004. My optician (Anjanette) was excellent – she explained everything thoroughly and clearly and was extremely professional and friendly. I had lasik surgery on 30th July in Newcastle – the staff were great – cant remember any names as was a bit nervous so wasnt really taking things in! – surgeon was brillant (Rodney) and I now have 20/20 vision – thank you to all – it has been the best thing I ever did!!
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There are plenty of stories about the procedure on this site, so I'm going to tell you about my recovery. I had Wavefront Lasik 2.5 months ago at Optical Express, Shaftesbury Avenue with Mr Giledi. I previously had a prescription of -3.5 in each eye with astigmatism. I had been happy wearing glasses for nearly 20 years, but the reason I decided to have surgery was because I had to wear contact lenses for sport, parties, etc. and absolutely hated them. It came to the point where I needed new glasses, new prescription sunglasses (which I used for skiing), as well as new contact lenses. I totted up the cost and realised that I’d be spending nearly as much on that lot as having surgery!! I had the initial consultation and was told I could have Lasik, which I was very happy about because of the shorter recovery times and reduced discomfort compared to Lasek. For anyone who wants to have surgery, but is squeamish about people touching your eyes, I would recommend going for a consultation. There is quite a lot of eye-touching involved, so if you can handle the consultation, you’ll get through the op just fine! I also went for Wavefront, not for any clinical reason, but simply because I wanted to get the best possible outcome. I had to pay £800 more, but I my reasoning was that if you’re gonna mess with your eyesight, you may as well do it properly! I had the Wave Scan a couple of weeks before the surgery date. There seems to be some kind of technique to getting a good reading. Apparently some people just don’t get the hang of it. I got very tired about half way through so the technician sent me out to have a cup of tea and a rest. The operation itself was fine – I had the Valium and I took some strong painkillers as soon as I went into the recovery room. The following day when I went in for my check-up, my distance vision was 2 lines better than 20/20 which I was absolutely amazed about!! However, for the next couple of weeks, I had problems focussing on anything which was a metre or two away, so shopping was a nightmare! When I went back to work, I couldn’t look at the computer screen for very long, my eyes got terribly dry and I got really bad headaches. In the end I had to resort to wearing sunglasses in the office, to cut the glare of the lights and allow me to close my eyes while on the phone without people noticing. I ended up wearing sunglasses for a month – much to the hilarity of my colleagues! Additionally, I found I was also slightly longsighted – I could read fine, but I couldn’t pluck my eyebrows! The optometrist was blasé about it, but I was distraught at the prospect of a werewolf mono-brow!! During this time, I also managed to get a stye so I had to go back on the antibiotic drops. I wore the eye-patches at night for about a month, as I didn’t want to risk rubbing my eyes, as they were so dry and sore. All in all, I wasn't able to wear eye make-up for 5 weeks either. My boyfriend was an absolute star; he insisted on playing nurse and applying my drops, eye-patches, washing my hair and generally wrapping me in cotton wool! When I had my 1-month post-op check-up, I was told to use Viscotears, which are a gel instead of a liquid to combat the dryness. These worked like a dream – I could even stop using sunglasses at work! About a week after that, I noticed I could see to pluck my eyebrows again – woo-hoo!! It turned out that the muscles in my eyes had to get used to a whole new way of focussing, so it just took a few weeks for them to adjust. My vision is still stable at 2 lines below 20/20, I haven’t had any problems with night vision (possibly thanks to the Wavefront) and can see brilliantly at all distances. I now would not hesitate to recommend Laser Eye Surgery, but do be aware that things can take a while to settle and you just have to hang in there. Good Luck!!
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I had Lasik surgery done in Belfast on both my eyes 2 days ago and the result is amazing, this was the first day they started doing this in Belfast and all the staff were very friendly. I was slightly nervous while waiting my turn but once I stepped into the surgery room it all disappeared as everyone was so nice, the nurses introduced themselves and I had already met the surgeon as he has a last look at your eyesight and explains the procedure before you go in to have it done. Drops are put into your eyes to numb them and then everything happens so quick it is over in no time. At no time did I feel any pain and when I sat up when it was over and opened my eyes I was amazed that I could see, it was a bit blurry but I could see better than before without glasses. When travelling home my eyes were stinging with the brightness of the light but I kept my eyes closed and went to bed when I got home. 5 hours after surgery I was able to take sunglasses off and the light didnt affect me too much, I went to my daughters Christmas concert that same night and was able to watch her glasses and contact lens free. When I go outside I still wear tinted glasses but that is only to keep dust and wind out of my eyes. I have been telling everyone and would advise anyone if they are thinking about it to go ahead, there is no pain and it was the best £1200 I have spent.
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The Otricians, Surgeons and everyone else at Optical Express are as helpful and friendly as is possible. You want to go back and see them all again, to share the wonderful experience of being a two-eyes again. If you live near Bristol then Optical Express must be high on your list for the operation.