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
Justin Laur
Extremely professional and a great result.
Rebecca Ford
For anyone out there considering having laser eye surgery, I cannot recommend Julian Stevens and Moorfields enough. I had Wavefront Lasik laser eye surgery in October 2009 after having thought about it on and off for the previous few years. The final push for me to get it done is that I’m going travelling around the world in May and don’t wish to carry contact lenses with me and deal with the hassle of using them every day, however I wish now I’d had it done when I first considered it.I booked an appointment with Julian Stevens as I knew 6 other people who had been to him and spoke very highly of their experiences. From the initial consultation to the follow up appointment 3 months after the surgery I was looked after in a highly professional manner. For those interested in further details about the procedure itself: after putting covers over your shoes and hair and having anaesthetic drops put in your eyes, you’re led into a room with the machines and lay down on a chair a bit like a dentists chair. The most uncomfortable bit is when the machine is used to create the ‘flap’, but all it feels like is suction on your eye and it doesn’t hurt in the slightest. After that’s been done on each eye (lasts less 10 seconds per eye), Julian then does something to your eye (sorry this isn’t very specific but because you’re only aware of light and dark and cannot ‘see’ properly I’m not sure exactly what he did!) and moves the laser machine over your eye. You’re then asked to concentrate on a red flashing light whilst the laser works – again this lasts for about 20-30 seconds per eye and you don’t feel anything. After this Julian puts eye drops in and does something else – again not sure exactly what – and that’s pretty much it! After sitting up I could instantly tell I could see better than before, albeit through soft focus vision. You’re given all the aftercare instructions and drops before leaving.The main piece of advice I would give is to have someone come with you to help you get home. I hadn’t been bothered about someone coming with me, but my sister insisted and I was very glad she did. About half an hour after the surgery was completed I became very sensitive to the sunlight with my eyes stinging slightly – even with sunglasses on I didn’t want to open my eyes and she helped me navigate the bus and train home! This lasted for about 4-6 hours gradually getting better every hour that passed, but did mean putting the eye drops in myself was quite difficult over this time. This doesn’t necessarily happen to everyone – the next day when I went back for my initial follow up appointment and was in the waiting room (has to be the happiest waiting room!) not everyone had experienced this. By the evening on the day of my surgery my eye sight was practically perfect and I haven’t looked back – it was confirmed when I went back for my 3 monthly check up that it’s now better than 20:20 vision!Finally it is obviously quite expensive (I paid about £3.5k) and you can’t help but see adverts all over the place for £299 an eye, however I would recommend paying extra and going with Julian Stevens. It’s quick and painless, but most importantly the aftercare is fantastic and I now know 9 people (including myself) who have had no issues and now have perfect eyesight.
Megan Daniel
I cannot recommend Mr. Stevens and the team at Moorfields highly enough. After 10 years of contact lenses my morning is now totally hassle free, and I keep amazing friends with my new super-vision!
K Katechia
Having been thinking about having laser treatment for years I was recommended Julian by a patient of mine.He has been superb , I had bilateral wavefront INTRALASIK and my sight has been restored.I am able to comfortably read even the smallest print and can honestly say the result is better than I expected.The procedure is very quick, easy and painless.my presc pre: +3.75/-3.50x7 6/5, +3.62/-3.25x172 6/5 post: +0.50/-0.50x15 6/4 +0.05/-0.37x171 6/4It has been 8 months now and my sight is just as good as the day after it was done.
Anna Thomareizi
All I can say is that I'm absolutely amazed by the whole proceedure and it's results!!! I've only had the surgery done 3 days ago (4th June) and I can see perfectly! It doesn't feel like anything was done to my eyes actually. The whole proceedure lasts a very short time and it is painless. You feel a slight discomfort for a couple of minutes, but I think when you've been wearing contact lenses and glasses for 17 years it's a very small price to pay! It was a little bit blury for a couple of hours with a slight discomfort but I used the drops they gave me and even that was gone! And I couldn't recommend more Dr Julian Stevens! He is very pleasant and friendly, happy to answer all your questions and explain everything before and during the operation. I felt very calm and confident in his hands!! And the people working with him are very friendly and helpful as well, so if you're thinking about it....I would recommend it strongly!!
Nadine Z
I cannot praise Mr Stevens and his team highly enough. A big thanks to Janet for her people and organisation skills, you’re a star. With a -10 prescription in both eyes I had multi focus lens replacement in Nov 09. after wearing contact lenses for 30 plus years I am truly seeing things for `the first time`. There is no problem with distance or near vision, its wonderful.immediately after the first operation, I was still on the table, I was so overwhelmed with my vision I couldn’t speak and it just got better and better. A few days after having the second eye done I was driving and caught sight of a rainbow, well I could hardly drive for the tears. It was so wonderful to see the colours they were so bright and clear to me for the first time in my life. I did have to have a slight correction as one of the lenses had moved a little but again Mr Stevens was wonderful and as with the initial operations it was quick and there was no pain at all.If anyone has doubts about the lens replacement op, put yourself into Mr Stevens hands and `do it`. Its best thing I have ever done for myself and even 7 months on I marvel every day that i wake up and `see` the world without any aids.Thank you so much
Jackie C
I had multifocal lense inplants performed by mr Stevens in may and it has been fantastic, after wearing glasses for 15 years i can't decribe the wonder of being able to see again.He has a great team who care for you the moment you're admitted, from Janet his pa to all the nursing staff.Mr Stevens was so kind and reasurring that i wasn't in the least bit worried and had absolute trust in him.
Lucy Williams
This guy is an eye God. I was -10 each in eye with astigmatism. I couldn't do a thing without my specs/lenses. I was totally reliant on them for everything, and I hated it. Its been a couple of years since I was treated by Julian, and I still wake up everyday amazed that my eye sight is perfect! It has changed my life completely. Its the best thing I ever did, and I can highly recommend Julian. I really can't thank him enough.
John Rippon
Having had a very high prescription for being short sighted and being told by my high street optician my eyes may not be suitable for laser eye surgery i decided to approach the eye clinc at Moorfields to see if this was infact correct. After reading the biographies of the surgeons at the hospital, I decided Julian Stevens was the right choice to work with. From the word go both Julian Stevens and his team were fanatastic. Very welcoming from the first consultation, very professional, helpful and friendly. I was told i could have the proceedure done and went ahead. I did have a degree of concern and i suppose nerves about having this done to my eyes, but Julian Stevens experience and confidence in the technique and his ability soon laid these to rest. I had the Op on a Friday, follow up on a Saturday where i was told at this point my eyes were good enough to drive without glasses!! unbelievebale...From this point Julian Stevens said my eyes would get better and better over the next few months. He was spot on and although suffering from dry eye in the early stages which is totally normal and expected, the vision and the dry eye vastly improved. I have just had a check up six months after the Op, my eyes have never been so good, i can read the smallest letters on the opticians board and everyhting has healed prefectly and my dry eye now a distant memory.If anyone is thinking of having this done, not only can i recommend the proceedure but i cannot rate Julian Stevens and his team highly enough and if you are undecided as to who should carry this out for you, then it has to be Julian and his team. A truly amazing team who really have made a massive impact to me and i am so glad i chose them and Moorfields to do this.
Natalia Maksimova
Please add me to the fanbase and long list of very grateful patients of Mr Julien Stevens. I have had my eye surgery on Friday 24th September (I was short-sighted last 20 years since I was 13 years old -7 both eyes) and I am sooo amazed and pleased with the result and the whole experience! Its the best thing I have ever done!!! and I am glad I have done it with Moorefields and Mr Stevens! For the last 10 years I was thinking about eye surgery but was too scared. Then I have heard about Mr Stevens from couple of friends who were his patients and decided to go and see him. I cannot praise Mr Stevens and his team (Janette is an absolute star) highly enough!!! They all were very professional, kind and very very nice! My eye surgery was on Friday morning and I must admit I was scared. Mr Stevens was absolutely amazing, so calm, professional, kind. The whole procedure was totally painless, not uncomfortable in any way at all and lasted for about 10 mins max. It was surreal, you dont feel a thing at all and I wouldnt even say I was uncomfortable or anything like that! The amazing thing was I could see straight away after the surgery, it was a miracle! It was a bit blurry but after about 3 hours, my vision was almost perfect! My eyes were not even red or soar after the operation. My family and friends could not believe I had surgery done that day, my eyes were normal. I did not feel any pain, discomfort or soreness at all, not the day of the operation, neither now 3 days later! 24 hours later I went to see Mr Stevens and he confirmed my eyesight was perfect! It is unbelievable and I am soo happy! I am forever grateful to Mr Stevens for his magical, amazing work! He is truly the best surgeon out there! Trust me I ve seen colleagues and friends who had eye surgery done else where and there was discomfort, few sore days etc! None of that with me! It was an unbelievable experience and I would totally do it again! I am soo happy to say my vision was perfect same day and even more perfect 24 hours after and my eyes were not even red at any point! Mr Stevens is the best and I would highly highly highly reccomend him to anyone who is thinking about the surgery! It took me 10 years to get here and I wish i have done it earlier! Its a miracle! Mr Stevens and team Thank you from all my heart! You truly are the best! I am forever grateful! Thank you
