The Best Laser Eye Surgery in Manchester

You miss a lot in Manchester if you don’t have perfect vision. From Castlefield to the picturesque banks of the River Mersey, there’s a lot for the eyes to feast on.

But if you’re reading this, you probably have your sights set on a trip to the Royal Manchester Eye Hospital, Optical Express Manchester, or any of the other hotspots for laser eye surgery in town.

Every month, hundreds of people seek laser eye surgery in Manchester. And each one wants to find the top-rated eye clinic that’s not too far from home.

To help you, Lasik Eyes has used over 8,900 independent reviews left by real patients since 2002 to find the five best eye surgery clinics in Manchester.

☚ Read the full list: Check out the best-rated places for laser eye surgery in Manchester below, including real customer reviews.

☛ Find your clinic: Or, to see if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, use our simple tool at the top of this page.

The 5 Best Laser Eye Surgery Clinics in Manchester

To help you decide the best place for laser eye surgery in Manchester for you, here is a list of the top-rated clinics, based on customer reviews on Lasik Eyes:

In our ratings, we’ve focused on what you told us matters most: clinic standards, surgeon communication, surgery experience, value for money, and aftercare.

1. Optical Express Manchester

Best for: Value for money

“I have to say the staff and the surgeon at St Johns Street in Manchester made the whole process easy to understand, and 60 minutes later I was heading out of Optical Express with 20/20 vision. A week later, now that the misty vision has subsided, I can see perfectly – better than I was expecting.” – Darren Turner

Optical Express tops Lasik Eyes’ competitive list of the best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, based on independent customer reviews – and the reputation of the Manchester clinic is as strong as those of the other 128 clinics nationwide.

This clinic isn’t just the go-to for those on the hunt for cheap laser eye surgery. It also offers that all-important value for money thanks to generous pay monthly finance options at 0% interest, a free consultation, and a low price that some customers have even been able to negotiate down.

And the quality? As a member of the most trusted governing bodies in eye care – including the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO) and the General Medical Council (GMC) – Optical Express complies with and exceeds the industry standards for refractive eye surgery, as well as investing in the same laser technology as NASA.

So what do the patients say? Nearly 2,000 reviewers on our site have left five-star ratings for Optical Express – one of the highest numbers of all the clinics. Plus, Optical Express claims 99% of all patients achieved 20/20 vision or better following treatment in a 2017 survey. And the company is so confident in these success rates, it’s offering 20/20 vision or your money back on all surgery.

• Average cost of eye surgery: £2,432, pay monthly finance available
• Areas of expertise: LASIK and LASEK surgery, corneal cross-linking, cataract surgery, lens replacement
• Address: 7 St John Street, Manchester M3 4DN
• CQC rating: Report pending; general rating: Good
• Read review: 1,805 Optical Express laser eye surgery reviews

2. Manchester Royal Eye Hospital

Best for: Outstanding CQC report

“I would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Arun Brahma and the rest of the team at the LaserVision Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Having worn glasses and contact lenses for most of my life, the laser treatment has been life changing for me.” – Janet Harrison

The Manchester Royal Eye Hospital is run by the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Sadly, this is still a private clinic owned by LaserVision – you won’t be able to receive vision correction treatment on the NHS here. That’s unless an ophthalmologist diagnoses a very rare and debilitating eye condition, with a risk of blindness if left untreated.

The cost of laser eye surgery at this Manchester eye hospital is also reasonable – £1,250 (per eye) for LASIK or LASEK surgery, or £2,673 in total (based on 30 user reviews). Such low costs are impressive, given how the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated the clinic “Outstanding” for safety, cleanliness, and staff care.

Former patients praised consultant surgeon Mr Arun Brahma for his skill and reassuring manner, whilst the complaints (parking and the like) were notably minor.

• Average cost of eye surgery: £2,733
• Areas of expertise: LASIK, LASEK, SupraLASE, implantable contact lenses, refractive lens exchange (RLE), cataract surgery
• Address: Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL
• CQC rating: Outstanding
• Read review: 30 Manchester Royal Hospital reviews

3. Optegra Manchester

Best for: Lens replacement surgery

“My experience with Optegra was wonderful! The operation was explained in a very straightforward way, and I was informed step by step what was happening. The actual procedure did not hurt and it was over in a matter of minutes. By the time I left the hospital, I could see almost clearly and better than I had in years. After a few days, my sight was perfect – it felt almost unbelievable that I had even had a procedure!” – Lucy Burrell

Optegra is another popular option for laser eye surgery in the UK, with 30 clinics sprinkled nationwide, and one in Manchester since 2011. It prides itself on being a team of ophthalmic experts (not cosmetic surgeons), and it’s already treated over half a billion people.

Patients tend to appreciate Optegra for its clear price lists, with fixed surgery costs, free consultations, and interest-free finance options that help you spread the expense. Laser eye surgery costs are slightly higher than at other UK clinics, but the lens replacement surgery costs are around average.

Is there anything I should know? Yes – the latest CQC report deems that Optegra’s Manchester branch requires improvement. Although it’s worth knowing, that in itself isn’t too much to worry about. The clinic gets the thumbs up for effective, caring, and responsive staff, and the markdown concerns administrative procedures, rather than putting any patients at risk.

• Average cost of eye surgery: £4,656, pay monthly finance options
• Areas of expertise: LASIK, LASEK, SMILE, lens replacement surgery, Clairvu
• Address: One Didsbury Point, 2 The Avenue, Manchester M20 2EY
• CQC rating: Requires improvement
• Read review: 119 Optegra reviews

4. Optimax Manchester

Best for: Star treatment

“From the minute I entered the surgery the staff were wonderful. I was very nervous about what to expect from the operation, but my surgeon was very patient, and answered all my questions. I should have done this years ago! Once again, thank you.” – Cherie Brown

With 23 clinics across the UK, Optimax is a trusted hub of laser eye surgery expertise. Since it started back in 1991, it’s performed over 430,000 eye surgeries, and Wavefront technology is available for even greater accuracy during treatment.

Optimax stands out for its transparent prices, and its range of finance options start at around £50 a month for 36 months. It’s not quite as affordable as other high street clinics like Optical Express, but is miles away from what you can expect to pay at Moorfields Private.

So why the four-star rating? Optimax is the only clinic in our top five without top marks. That’s due to the number of complaints about customer care, and delays in receiving the surgery. But you may be reassured to know its leading surgeon, Mr Malcolm Samuel, has received a five-star rating, and is NHS trained.

• Average cost of eye surgery: £2,687, pay monthly finance options
• Areas of expertise: LASIK, LASEK, Wavefront LASIK & LASEK, ICL surgery, cataract surgery
• Address: 1 Albert Square, Manchester M2 3FU
• CQC rating: Quality report pending
• Read review: 891 Optimax reviews

5. Visualase Manchester

Best for: Caring staff

Amazing service, and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Thank you, Dr Stephen Doyle – I have 20/20 vision for the first time in many years! – Susan Unsworth

Visualase has an eye clinic on St John Street – the Harley Street of Manchester – as well as in Bolton, Greater Manchester. It’s been correcting people’s vision since 2005, and its eye doctors have performed over 50,000 procedures between them.

This centre is known for providing treatment using advanced technology at easy-on-the-eye costs: for example, £1,195 (per eye) for LASIK surgery is around half what you’d pay at top London rivals like Centre for Sight and the London Vision Clinic. You can also look forward to free consultations with qualified ophthalmologists – not salespeople – so you get to meet your surgeon before the big day.

But if you’re after lens replacement surgery, keep looking. As the name suggests, Visualase specialises in laser eye surgery.

• Average cost of eye surgery: £2,432
• Areas of expertise: LASIK, LASEK, Wavefront LASIK & LASEK, ICL surgery, cataract surgery
• Address: 19 St John Street, Manchester M3 4DS
• CQC rating: Report pending
• Read review: 83 Visualase reviews

Find the Best Eye Surgery for You in Manchester

If you’re looking for the cheapest laser eye surgery in Manchester, that trophy goes to Optical Express. And if you’re more into your CQC inspections, the Royal Manchester Eye Hospital enjoys the rare “Outstanding” rating.

But if you would like to find the top-rated laser eye surgery clinic near you, and book a free consultation with a specialist ophthalmologist, use our clinic-finder tool here.

Next steps: Find a well-rated eye clinic near you in seconds, check your eligibility in minutes, and get a free tailored quote for your surgery in just three steps:

1. Compare clinics: Answer three questions to be matched with the leading eye clinics in your corner of London (or elsewhere).
2. Book a free consultation: Find out if you’re eligible for surgery over the phone, and get tested for free with an eye consultant or surgeon (worth £800).
3. Receive a personalised quote: Get a clear idea of what laser eye surgery would really cost you.

☝ If you’d like to take the next step in getting 20/20 vision, and discuss your options with an eye expert, click here to find the best clinic for you in or around Manchester with our tool.