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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
The surgeon and support staff were excellent and deserve five stars but the general eye clinic staff, call centre etc messed me about a lot initially and I feel could do with some training. Therefore overall four stars Lora Kennedy l.kennedy@wkac.ac.uk I had LASIK surgery at The Eye Clinic/Optical Express in Southampton on 22 February 2004 with Mr Giledi. My eyesight was -4.25 in my left eye with slight astigmatism and -4.75 in my right eye. I found the procedure itself very uncomfortable and unpleasant although I do have small eyes and am a bit of a wimp! Mr Giledi and the nursing staff were excellent, really friendly, answered all my questions and went through everything with me. After the procedure yesterday, I slept all day and night except when putting my drops in. I went for my checkup today, my vision out of right eye is really good. Although my vision is still quite blurred out my left eye and I can't really see close or far away writing very well. There's lots of double vision in that eye and blurring. Almost as if something has been smeared on my eye and it is still very gritty where as my right eye is fine. It's quite distressing at the moment because it's so much worse than my right eye but the optometrist today said to wait a couple of days and return if the blurriness has not gone. She said that it could be because the healing is taking longer on that eye or because of the swelling or could be undercorrection but for the moment I have been keeping my eyes closed as much as poss and everytime I wake up see if my eye has improved but it has only been a day and so I need to wait and see now.
I went for my assessment yesterday at the Milton Keynes Eye Clinic. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the staff are friendly. I was first led to one room and had the pressure testing on my eyes. I was then introduced to the Clinical Manager, a really nice lady called Dasi. In a further room she carried out sight test and a measurement of the shape of my eye. 3 types of drops in all, one to see a certain part of the eye, one drop to dilate the pupil and then a 3rd drop was a slight anaesthetic when she had to use another machine which was a very small probe that touched my eye, with Dasi holding and this measured the thickness of my cornea. Dasi was explaining every step of the way during each test and made me feel very comfortable. At this point I suggest my husband come back to meet me as the counselling session would begin and he too could ask questions. My eyesight at this point had taken effect to the dilation and wow, what an experience that was! The counselling session with Michelle was very useful – she explained in simple terms with the difference between LASIK and LASEK and also summarised the main risks of surgery. She answered all our questions and showed us around the laser room. The counselling session was carried out in the quiet cosy area within the laser area which is where you go and sit to recover after surgery.
The assessment was what I expected and was pleased to learn that I am suitable for surgery, I am -2.50 in each and pupils are normal size and thickness of cornea is good. I have decided to go ahead with surgery but have not as yet decided whether LASIK or LASEK. I did not realise that the choice is mine.. but I can now take my time and decided what is best for me.
Some 24 hours after the assessment I still have some of the effects of the dilation. I did not realise that it would make my vision go a bit weird, this is all normal apparently. As I am short sighted, I have had some long sightness which is very confusing and the pupils are almost back to their
normal size. However yesterday my pupils were bigger than my cats! I must
admit I did feel the need to lie away from light and to stop focusing so went to bed for a few hours. Walking away from the shops with busy shoppers made me feel a bit weird, although not having an breakfast probably did not help!
I would certainly recommend MK so far – word of mouth is the best recommendation and my friend’s friend has been and had surgery last year there and has no complaints. I did not realise that the appointments for surgery are just 5days a month so am planning to fit in with busy diary sometime in end of May.
The clinic was very busy yesterday and obviously the offer is popular but I did hear that the offer is unlikely to end…. seems like the cost of surgery is coming down and patients can benefit.
MK does have 24 hour telephone support and will do any unfortunate enhancements for no extra fee.
Overall I was very pleased with the assessment although wish I knew that the dilation bit may take more than just a few hours to recover. Good luck to anyone thinking of going to MK and let me know how you get on.
It’s now exactly one year since I had me eyes operated on. The results are perfect, im so pleased I made the decision to proceed with lasik treatment and would recommend anyone to have the treatment.
I was the most nervous patient for laser eye surgery that you will meet, but I decided to go through with it, and now have better than 20/20 vision! I would not hesitate to recommend Laservision in Harley Street. Everybody I have met there has been so helpful and friendly, and they take all the time that you need to answer your questions. Mr Williams was not at all grumpy (like I have seen other people mention on this site) but very professional and reassuring while he was operating. It is a difficult decision to make to have the surgery, but the people at Laservision did all they could to help make my decision as informed as possible and have really looked after me (and my nerves!) before during and since the operation.
I would definitely encourage anybody thinking about laser treatment to go ahead with it. I am really pleased with my results. I have gone from -6.50 to -0.25 which is fantastic. Mr Aziz and all the staff at Manchester are great. I was a little negative early on in the year but following my enhancements I can honestly say I have no regrets. Feel free to email me if you wish.