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Mr Pillai is the Medical Director at Advance Vision Care (AVC), which he founded back in 2003. Today, he is considered one of UK’s most respected, highly trained and experienced Consultant Refractive Surgeons.
With over 25 years’ experience under his belt, Mr Pillai has personally performed over 30,000 eye surgeries – more than many other ophthalmologists. He is also licenced to practice both in the UK and the USA, after having worked for years with the NHS, and in Indian eye hospitals.
As one of the first eye surgeons in the country to conduct bilateral LASIK (bladeless eye surgery on both eyes), Mr Pillai still performs all laser procedures at AVC.
1. Qualifications
Today, Mr Pillai is a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO), as well as the Royal College of Surgeons, and is registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). Membership of these bodies signals a stamp of approval within the ophthalmology industry.
Mr Pillai’s Formal Qualifications:
- 1990: Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists
- 1989: Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- 1988: Diploma in Ophthalmology, Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow
- 1982: Diploma in Ophthalmology, Madras University, India
- 1980: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, Madras University, India
Mr Pillai’s Professional Affiliations:
- Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO – UK)
- Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh
- British Society of Refractive Surgery (BSRS – UK)
- British Medical Association (BMA)
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO – UK)
- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO – USA)
- American Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS – USA)
- International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS)
- European Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS)
What’s more, Mr Pillai is one of the few eye surgeons in the UK to receive a Fellowship in both Corneal and in Refractive Surgery: one at the University of Texas in the USA; and the other at The Queen Victoria Hospital in the UK.
And – as you would expect from someone who founded his own private practice – he is helping to innovate laser eye surgery technology through collaboration with the Technolas group think tank.
2. Experience
After working as an NHS Consultant for five years, Mr Pillai founded his own private clinic, AVC, in 2003. In addition to performing laser eye surgery himself, Mr Pillai still finds the time to present at international conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and help train other surgeons in the UK.
Quite a few accolades help Mr Pillai stand out. Rare among them is his pioneering of the co-management approach. He gathered a network of clinical partners (all of whom are experienced and accredited optometrists) in England to act as a referral base for initial consultation and aftercare.
As a result, patients are able to receive qualified advice on their eye conditions, from an optometrist close to home. This is part of the AVC’s focus on personalised patient care.
Area of expertise:
- Corneal neovascularization (CNV), or the growth of new blood vessels in the eye
- Amniotic membrane transplantation
- Specular microscopy in uveitis
- Excimer laser surgery (such as LASIK and LASEK)
- Dry eye conditions
3. Mr C. T. Pillai Review: The Verdict
So, is Mr Pillai the right eye surgeon for you? Of course, that all depends on where you live, and what you’re looking for.
If you’re seeking laser eye surgery in London, you’ll be pleased to know Mr Pillai operates largely in the Harley Street AVC Clinic. Plus, Lasik Eyes reviewers comment on his compassionate, personable approach.
But depending on your budget, you may like to shop around. In any case, it’s always worth trying to meet your surgeon at an initial consultation to establish a good connection before the surgery.
☝ To find a top-rated laser eye surgery clinic near you, just click here to use our simple quote tool, and receive a tailored match and quote from a clinic you can trust.
Testimonials
I am really impressed with the service I received from Advance VisionCare. I was nervous about the whole concept of letting a laser near my eye, but now I am so happy that I have had it done. After 15 years of glasses it really is life changing!If you are not sure about lasers near your eye I urge to just to go along for an initial consultation – yes, there’s a fee but you definitely get your money’s worth (compared to some of the other clinics initial consultations). You even get to meet Mr Pillai and get to see where the treatment happens.This helped me relax on treatment day as I knew the surroundings and the team were really goof at talking you through the surgery letting you know what is the next steps. It is really surprising how quick and pain free the treatment is (30sec per eye, and less than 5 mins in total!)There’s a reason why so many people have awarded this clinic 5 stars and it’e because they really are better than the other clinics. I wouldn’t suggest that you scrimp on your eyes and I strongly recommend laser treatment at Advance VisionCare – it’s amazing!
I always thought one day I might have laser eye surgery, but was a bit scared, and couldn’t afford it (even the rates advertised on tv, “from £400 per eye” etc). Then a friend had eye surgery, and I figured I could be as brave. And with a bit of credit card assistance and planning, I could afford it.First thing I did was research – and realised very quickly that the “£400” per eye quote I thought it might be, was just too low (I had some friends who we far more clued up on this, rightly pointing out that you really don’t want to scrimp on your eyes). I wanted to go to a top clinic, with the latest technology. And although I was tempted by one offering 100% success rates… That seemed a little too good to be true (seriously, 100%? When, who, how measured?)Then I found this website, and an excellent deal on Groupon, and I made my selection: AVC has excellent reviews, and when I called to speak to the receptionist before buying the discount voucher I felt very reassured. I felt reassured by the website, reviews, and person I spoke to on the phone. I paid £2200 for the top of the range option – wavefront, blade free (I upgraded to blade free because I didn’t fancy a blade near my eye, and the recovery times etc are meant to be less). I had eye surgery only two days ago – and am absolutely delighted!! The consultation was very thorough, and I booked surgery for less than two weeks later. I met Mr Pillai, the surgeon, and had about 45 minutes of time in addition to his colleague – I felt this was very important, and felt reassured and like I was more than a number. The surgery was so quick! About 35 seconds of laser time once the flap has been made (and about ten minutes of eye cleaning / other surgery time). I could see better straight away, and stayed over night in a pleasant hotel on the edge of Hyde park – all included. By today (first check up) I can see 20/20 with both eyes working together! Easily beyond driving standard.The surgeon and his team were truly excellent, and spoke to me the whole way through the procedure. I am really delighted with my choice of clinic, and of course had a discount voucher. I am sure there are many excellent surgeons and clinics out there – just do your research, get comfortable with the team, and go for it :-D
The service was perfect; everyone was helpful and very well informed on the procedures and complications. I felt very comfortable with the whole thing. I had a previous appointment with Optical Express who showered me with money off vouchers and desperately tried to make me pay a deposit. You really can’t put a price on something so important.
I was fed up with the fuss of wearing contact lenses which would dry out my eyes, as well as being concerned with the ‘creeping capillaries’ the optician mentioned during every contact lense check up. When a colleague had her eyes lasered at Advanced Vision Care (AVC) and said, other than getting married and having her two daughters, it was the best thing she’d ever done in life I knew I wanted it done too and at 77 Harley St with Mr Pillai! The whole process at AVC, from the initial consultation, through to the procedure and the follow-up appointments has been a breeze and I still can’t believe as I sit here typing that my eyes have been ‘fixed’ and I now have 20/20 vision – it is truly amazing! The team is extremely professional and friendly and totally put you at ease; knowing that the equipment is top notch too means that you really don’t have anything to worry about; as Pawel, the Clinic’s Deputy Manager, says ‘you can’t go blind’ and the worst that can happen is that your prescription doesn’t end up as good as it could and if that is the case they will do it again a few months later. I can’t recommend getting your eyes corrected at AVC enough and have spent the last week since having it done singing its praises (I should be their new rep!).
I decided to have treatment because I have been very short-sighted for years and I hated wearing thick glasses.My experience with AVC was very good. If they can get someone like me through it, they can help anyone!I can see when I wake up and I can swim etc. I also don’t have to worry about eye infections anymore.The service was excellent and I don’t think it could be improved.