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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
Optical Express were simply brilliant. Everything from the warm welcome of the counselling staff (shreeya Mistry), consultation with Pretti Khakhar to the treatment with the surgeon was seamless. Throughout the process I felt totally comfortable and in control – thanks to the staff and their attention to detail and care. I would recommend the treatment and Optical Express without any hesitation to anyone!
Great results. Achieved 20/20 vision. Should have done long ago.
I would recommend Optical Express.
Dissapointed , Very dissapointed , I was quite excited when I was told that i could have fantastic eyesight for £1790.00 with the best of the best treatment , I signed up to it straight away , I was told that I was a great candidate for treatment and it would be straight forward procedure , On the day of treatment I travelled to Leeds (an hour and a half away), the staff where very friendly and they put me at ease , they told me I could go in straight away which made me feel a bit rushed but I thought let’s go for it , the procedure itself didn’t hurt but it feels uncomfortable , within ten minutes I was sorted , my eyes where very sensitive to light so I closed them all the way home , the pain of extremely gritted eyes was at times awful so I took some strong painkillers put the goggles on and went to bed and in the morning the pain had gone , the right eye was I fine and I could see clearly but the left eye was a totally different story it felt like I had something in my line of vision , at the check up the next day they told me I had inflammation which I thought was the case but as time went by and with many more drops and creams the problem carried on , my anxiety went straight through the roof and with many sleepless nights it was started to become a real life changer, after 5 months I went to see the surgeon and he told me that it was debris and that he could clear it by lifting the flap and washing it away ,so with a great sense of relief I thought brilliant BUT THIS IS WHERE IT REALLY ERRKED ME a guy who was in patient relations said to me after I had seen mr Kahn I GUARANTEE YOU THAT THIS WILL BE SORTED !!!!! I SAID YOU CAN GUARANTEE IT ,, HE SAID TWICE MORE I CAN GUARANTEE IT ,,, so as you can expect I walked out of there on cloud nine , I even asked if I could jump on the days list and get it done that day , so I went back two weeks later to have the second procedure done , whilst I was having it done the surgeon checked if it had all been cleaned away , he said to me sorry but we will have to go back in to clear the rest off but i I thought no problem if it’s going to do the trick , unfortunately they didn’t put the patch back on my right eye so I could see the procedure through the reflective part of the machine , it’s not what I wanted to see , but by then my eye drops had warn off so I could not only see it but I could feel it , it was awful , so with it all done and dusted and I went home , that was just before Christmas and although the debris has cleared my vision is still very very blurred , before I had the second treatment I had what’s called ghosting where you see a double of everything like a second image ,well I still have that which is a massive shame because I would of been happy if that had cleared up , I have nothing but dread for the future , I don’t think they can or will do anything to correct this , this is all on top of one other massive failing with the original treatment . When I first had my consultation I was told that I would be able to see really clearly at night time but nothing could be further away from the truth , even in the day when I see any lights eg .on cars ,street lights or even at home it has changed my eyesight to so blurred that its similar to squinting my eyes on a permanent basis , most people who have this treatment are happy straight away , I feel nothing good will come of this and it’s made me feel very very depressed , please please please think very clearly about having this treatment , I CAN SAY I TOTALLY REGRET HAVING THIS DONE, it would be brilliant if i could come back on here in the near future and say it’s all cleared now and it’s great , but I don’t think that will happen ,,,,
i was very shortsighted and fed up of wearing specs so I decided to go for a chat about laser eye surgery at optical express. they checked my eyes out and told me the surgery was available in two days time for me! as i had only gone in for a chat i was shocked at how quickly my vision could be permanently fixed. I went for the surgery, as a student i opted for a finance option, meaning I payed a £200 deposit and the rest is to be paid monthly.
The surgery itself lasted only 10 mins and although a little nerve racking it was over before i knew it. i didn’t feel a thing but the thought of “eye surgery” never goes down well! but it really is a simple and quick procedure. My eyes are now better than 20/20, waking up the day after the surgery is surreal! healing time for me was about 2 days. during those 2 days my eyes felt a little dry but not painful.
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hope this was helpful, Joel.
I had my Lasik carried out just over 2 weeks ago on 14 December 2012. I was originally going to have monovision but on surgery day my surgeon advised that it would only be a very short term fix and that I would need reading glasses anyway within as little as 1-2 years (I am 49).
My prescription was -4.00 in both eyes prior to surgery and my distance vision is perfect, HD now. My close up vision is still a little blurred (however, I am still managing to type this without reading glasses).
Does anyone know if the blurriness does improve for close up vision? I do think that it will as I have been experimenting on my Kindle with large and regular sized text and the blurriness is pretty much the same with both.
I would recommend Optical Express as they are very thorough and my surgeon in particular was excellent.
Sandra x
Ed – Removed text mentioning vouchers.