With 20 years performing vision correction surgery under his belt, Mr Julian Stevens has been a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital since 1988.
The good news? Mr Stevens makes the list of the 10 best laser eye surgeons in the UK, based on thousands of patient reviews since 2002. Hundreds of former patients have left positive reviews, praising his surgical skill and caring manner.
Is there anything I should know? You’ve probably already guessed this, but Mr Stevens’s experience and prime London address also makes him one of the most expensive eye surgeons around. As with all Moorfields surgeons, his prices can be double that of competitors.
So is he the one? If you would like a second opinion, you can find the top-rated eye surgery clinic near you using our simple tool here, and book a free consultation with an eye expert to discuss your options.
1. About Mr Julian Stevens
Julian Stevens won a scholarship to study Medicine at Merton College, University of Oxford, where he was then awarded a Postmaster scholarship. He graduated top of his year in 1980 and was awarded the Oxford University Prize in Medicine for the top First Class Honours Degree.
He continued his clinical medical training at Clare College, University of Cambridge and at the Cambridge Medical School. Higher training was undertaken at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.
2. Training
After completing his general ophthalmic surgical training, Mr Stevens undertook two years of sub-specialist training, with Fellowships in Lens, Corneal and then Refractive Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Mr Stevens was appointed as Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in January 1996. His main interest is laser refractive surgery.
He has been involved in the development and application of wavefront refractive surgery and has personally performed over 10,000 wavefront procedures. Mr Stevens was the first Director of Refractive Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
3. Qualifications
Mr Stevens joins Professor David Gartry in being one of the UK’s most qualified eye surgeons. He is an examiner for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and holds the Certification of the Royal College in Laser Refractive Surgery. He is an advisor to the British Society for Refractive Surgery and is on the Board of the International Society of Refractive Surgery.
He has won prizes from both the American and the European Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. He is the recipient of the 2007 American Academy of Ophthalmology (ISRS/ AAO) Lans award for innovation in refractive surgery.
Internationally recognised as an expert opinion leader, Mr Stevens has published peer reviewed papers on refractive surgery and is regularly invited to deliver keynote lectures at national and international ophthalmic meetings.
Mr Stevens trains Ophthalmic Surgeons in advanced refractive and cataract surgery. He founded the Moorfields basic and advanced IntraLASIK courses and the Moorfields wavefront training course for Ophthalmic Surgeons.
4. Patient Reviews
“My husband and I had lens replacement by Mr Stevens last year, and are both thrilled with our results. After years of wearing glasses, we feel liberated from them from the moment we wake up. I would personally recommend Mr Stevens, and would not hesitate to refer any of my family to see him when the necessity arises for them to seek eye treatment.” – June Clayton
“I had LASIK in 2005, performed by Mr Julian Stevens at Moorfields Eye Hospital. I have absolutely fantastic vision and it stills shocks me just how well I can see. The procedure was quick and painless, and Mr Stevens and his team made me feel at ease throughout the whole process.” – Rosie
“Mr Stevens was fairly brief in his pre-op time given for discussion but you could say, efficient and utterly knowledgeable. His junior doctors were not so well informed and one lady even fobbed me off with false information. His receptionists (especially Janet – a star) were much better informed. Overall I received all the answers I needed (I was annoyingly inquisitive) but had the sense that as a customer of an expensive and commercial procedure, time for chat was necessarily not huge. Delighted with the results.” – Andrew James
5. Prices
As you would expect at Moorfields Private, Mr Stevens does not come cheap.
Laser refractive surgery costs twice the quotes at other leading UK clinics, although the prices for lens replacement surgery are only around a third more, given the higher base cost of the lens itself.
- Consultation: £150 – £600
- Wavefront laser refractive surgery: £4,370 – £4,970
- Refractive lens surgery: £3,825 – £4,430 (per eye)
- Cataract surgery cost: £3,825 – £4,430 (per eye)
Unlike at many other clinics, initial consultations with Mr Stevens are not free – you’ll be paying between £150 and £600, depending on the surgery you’re interested in. If you would prefer to have the option to pay monthly for your surgery, it’s worth looking around, as Moorfields will need the full payment up front. At Optical Express or Ultralase, for instance, you could pay around £50 a month for two years.
6. The Verdict
So, is Mr Stevens the right eye surgeon for you? Of course, that all depends on where you live, and what you’re looking for. His prices are some of the highest in the industry, but he can also justify them, as one of the UK’s most qualified surgeons.
You’d be in trusted hands with Mr Stevens. That said, with eye surgery considered a safe elective surgery by the General Medical Council (GMC), no one should feel obliged to spend any more than they are comfortable with. You can always attend free consultations with a range of surgeons to see where you feel most comfortable.
☝ 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.
Mr Julian Stevens Reviews
Archie Tulloch
Julian recently performed laser eye surgery to correct my short-sightedness. The process from start to finish was highly professional. I would strongly recommend his services!
Zoe BOTBOL
Julian Stevens has literally changed my life! I was reliant on glasses and contact lenses for over 18 years. My vision before surgery was -2.75 & -3.00 but now (3 months later) it's perfect 20/20. Julian and his team made me feel extremely confident, comfortable and at ease about the whole process and even though I felt anxious on the day of surgery it was over in a flash and Julian made me feel safe - I trusted that he was the best person to be performing the surgery. My partner said that by the time he had listened to 2 songs on his ipod I was in and out. I had extremely dry eyes for the first week after the procedure as I have large Cornea's but I knew what to expect and I knew I could call Julian's team at any point if I was worried about anything. I can now run, swim, practice yoga and ski with out being reliant on glasses. I have also noticed the most beautiful tree out of my bedroom window for the first time :) I would highly recommend Julian and his team, you'll be in the best possible hands.
Fatma Mehmet
Over a year and half ago, I went for a consultation at a leading Optician for laser eye surgery. I walked in feeling very excited and optimistic. The thought of no more messy contact lenses and uncomfortable glasses felt like a dream come true. However that visit was the beginning of very long and scary journey.I was told by the consultant that he thought I had a brain tumour and I should go to A&E straight away (I was only 27 years old), needless to say I was shocked and upset. I had a MRI and was thankfully given the all clear, however doctors could not discover the reason for my poor eyesight and the slight oddness with my eyes and brain. I had seen a number of doctors and also had a further two consultations with different opticians and was told that I could never have laser eye surgery and that I could not drive a car as I would not pass the distance requirement for the eye test. I was devastated and became very down as I felt like a failure. I gave up on the idea of laser eye surgery and began to start trying to accept my contact lenses and glasses, when I saw an article about Dr Julian Stevens and Moorfields Eye hospital. I made the decision to give it one last go, and thank god I did! I instantly knew I was in safe hands when visiting the clinic. Dr Stevens took the time to listen to my story and I could truly see he was touched and wanted to help. I can’t tell you the feeling when I was told I was suitable for the surgery. I walked out and cried to my friends and family, finally I could start feeling optimistic about my future and eyesight. The whole process was quick and easy and Dr Stevens and his team were so caring and put me at my ease. It has been 4 months since the procedure and my eye sight has already improved. It was the best decision I ever made!I want to thank Dr Stevens and his team from the bottom of my heart, I felt they had my best interest at heart and it wasn’t about the money. You have changed my life and for that I will always be grateful.
Darren Murphy
For many years I believed that my strong astigmatism in my left eye would mean I wouldn't qualify for corrective eye surgery. A friend recommended I see Julian for a consultation and I soon discovered that my -7.25 astigmatism wouldn't be difficult to correct. I now have zero astigmatism in both eyes and I have beyond 20/20 vision with an amazing 6/4. Nothing is impossible... Thanks Doctor.
Stefan Arestis
I agree with every review on this review page. I am 28 years old and have worn glasses since I was 6. Pre-Lasik, myopia was –9.25 in left and –8.25 in right eye. Astigmatism: –3/4 x155 in left and –1.5 x10 in right. I have always hated wearing glasses with a passion and have been wearing gas permeable contact lenses since I was 15. But, the damn things cause dry eye, fall out frequently and when in the most awkward places (such as in a club or in client meetings) and are generally restrictive.My optician’s advice to me had always been to go to the best surgeon for an operation involving such a major organ and this surgeon is Dr Julian Stevens at Moorfields. He is the guy that the High Street refer their patients to when they mess things up. His C.V. and online reviews are also very reassuring.Consultation booked for early December, so in preparation I stopped wearing contact lenses (forever) on 1 October 2010 - 3 months beforehand and resorted to glasses for my last time. My initial concerns: is my cornea thick enough to allow me to have laser? Would it work in one go or a follow up laser be required given my high myopia and astigmatism? If I could have it could I have Lasik (ideally?) or that awful sounding permanent contact lens put in? Consultation day, Dr Stevens informs me I can have Lasik. Music to my ears. A month and £4.6k later, I nip into the surgery after work on a Friday afternoon. Papers completed, eye drops plus after care instructions given then I was led into the surgery room. I was told to take off my glasses and place them on the table. This in itself was a magnificent feeling. 10 minutes later, I am told to sit up and look at the clock, I reached for my glasses, then I realised!Vision was very quick to recover. I had no major follow up problems, just the very slight dry eye and glare from naked lights, especially at night. My vision is now perfect – like wearing my contact lenses but stays there all the time. My post treatment consultation with Dr Stevens 3 months later showed:Myopia: 0 left and –0.25 in rightAstigmatism: +0.5 in left and 0 in right. A follow up laser was not required. I was also told a 0.5 difference is negligible because everyone’s vision generally differs by this amount during the day, depending on how tired they are.In short, I now have 20/20 vision. There is no more dry eye from contact lenses, no more solutions, I can now consider things like scuba diving, I can see the alarm clock at night, I can open my eyes in the shower without fear of losing contact lenses – and still be able to see the bottle tops… the list goes on. As I said, I agree with all the reviews on this page. This is quite a life changing procedure and well worth every penny spent. You are paying the premium for the reassurance of knowing that a very experienced and highly commended surgeon is operating on your eye and using some of the latest and best technology around. Dr Steven’s team are all friendly and very professional. It is very interesting to note that most have had laser eye surgery themselves so in a good position to empathise with you when asking lots of questions. Especially Jan.Advice? DO NOT be tempted in any way to watch any of the You-tube videos showing other people’s eye surgery. At least wait until after your surgery before attempting to do this!
Mark Gillah
As someone who has worn glasses since the age of 8 (now 25) and had quite a strong prescription -6 and -5 in either eye respectively, I cannot stress how amazing it is to be able to see for the first time without the use of glasses! I had the Wavefront Intra-Lasik surgery and the whole process was relatively pain free and easy from start to finish. Mr. Stevens and his team were very helpful and informative putting me at ease throughout. I am somebody that absolutely hates having their eyes touched in any shape or form but can safely say surgery was a relatively pain free experience. I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't nervous or scared at all about the end results but I really needn't be. Immediately after surgery I could already see pretty well with vision slightly cloudy around the edges. As the afternoon/evening progressed my vision improved and started to become clearer (however I did wear sunglasses when watching tv as screen appeared extremely bright). When I woke up the next morning I opened my eyes with fairly decent vision but still had a bit of a blur when looking at my phone screen/tv etc, and did feel a little bit disappointed to tell you the truth. Once given the all clear from my follow up appointment that day I stepped out of the hospital and walked into what seemed like a whole new magical world. Everything suddenly seemed ultra clear, in HD quality, and I literally couldn't believe my own eyes. I was able to read everything with such clarity and ease even better than when I previously wore glasses. On my way home I tried reading everything in sight and couldn't wait to get home and annoy my girlfriend by telling her the long list of things that I could now read! Almost a week on from surgery I can report that I have had no side effects or problems. It still amazes me what this has done for me and can definitely say this has been a life changing experience. To anyone thinking of having the surgery I would thoroughly recommend it and the surgeon Mr. Julian Stevens. If you are scared or worried I would simply say don't be as you are in safe hands. I hope this has been helpful as it was this forum that persuaded me to take the leap and have my eyes lasered at Moorfields Hospital. I have no regrets and you won't either!
Nicola Shubrook
Lasek surgery with Mr Stevens has been a huge success and he personally was very reassuring throughout the whole procedure which did require more recovery time by nature of it's process. However, four months on and my eye sight is now a zero prescription for the first time in 30 years - I genuinely don't think about it anymore or remember what it was like worrying about contact lenses. I have already recommended people to see Mr Stevens if they are considering corrective eye surgery both for his expertise and his reassurance ... and sense of humour!
Orietta
After 30 years of contact lenses and glasses I had Wavefront Lasik surgery in December 2009. It was emotional to be able to see clearly without lenses, I wished I’d done it sooner! Mr Julian Stevens and his team have done a fantastic job. Mr Stevens was really amazing: the result is 20/20 vision. Thank you Mr Stevens!
Adisa Pamukcic
Had my Lasek surgery with Julian this April and after a week or so of recovery i have never looked back. My prescription was -5.75 plus astigmatism but this was not a problem at all. The difference in price between Julian and the high street was not much at all so i would highly recommend him.
APM
A modern day miracle! That is what Mr Stevens achieves with his considerable skill and state of the art technology. This formidable combination has achieved what I never imagined to be possible after 25 years of wearing contact lenses; namely fantastic vision without glasses or contact lenses. If you are considering surgery then do not hesitate otherwise when you do eventually have the surgery you will be wondering every day why you waited so long. Mr Stevens and his team are professional, kind and highly skilled. They will take you in hand, allay any concerns you may have and before you know it you will be marveling in your own modern day miracle.
Kim Dowdeswell
Over the past few years my vision has deteriorated to the point where I needed to wear glasses which I refused to do! After several years of bumping into things and ignoring people I knew in the street I decided I had to do something about this. Julian Stevens was recommended to me by a friend and after some research it was clear that he is one of the top surgeons in his field. I met Mr Stevens at the first consultation and was able to ask him as many questions as I wanted. He really took the time to discuss the options and talk through my worries and fears. I was also given very informative literature about the procedure to take home to read. I was very nervous having never had any eye surgery before but Mr Stevens and his team really put me at ease. I still cannot believe how quick and painless the procedure was. The results began to show within hours and by the next morning I had 20/20 vision - better than I have ever had.
