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
bala
I had the wave front Lasik technology surgery with Mr Julian Stevens and I'm still so pleased with my wonderful vision like crystal clear , I would highly recommend Mr Stevens to anyone considering Laser Surgery.The procedure took about 10 minutes for both eyes, good thing is after surgery no pain and you can’t find any bruise. I can honestly say that it is the best place to do laser vision correction. I start driving on same day, from next day it comes normal .THANK YOU MR STEVENS!!
Alex Wheldon
I had Wavefront LASIK in October 2009. I am a slightly unusual case in that I have a different eyelid shape to most people and wanted to find out if I was suitable for LASIK. Mr. Stevens was very professional and I was able to discuss all my queries with him before undergoing surgery. My vision is much improved and is considerably better than it was with glasses. I would definitely recommend Mr. Stevens if you are considering LASIK. I would also like to thank the other patients who have contributed to this website as it was very useful when it came to making a decision whether to have the surgery or not. My surgery was painless and the only side effect I have had is the occasional dry eye. If you are considering having surgery then I would recommend Moorfields and Mr. Stevens!
Joseph Good
I had Wavefront Lasek in March 2009. I had done a considerable amount of research into laser eye surgery for about a year prior to having the procedure and after reading many articles, also a recommendation from an eye surgeon friend, I decided the only place to have the procedure was with Julian Steven at Moorfields Eye Hospital.I had the option to have either Lasik or Lasek. I opted for Lasek as I wanted to continue doing Martial Arts and other contact sports. In my consultation with Julian Stevens, he answered the queries that I had in a clear and concise manner which gave me a great deal of confidence in his ability. If you are the sort of person that needs to be convinced to have the procedure this may not be the place for you, as I had no pressure put on me, he just provided me with the facts. To be honest there was a queue of people outside the waiting room after he'd seen me, so I don't think they need to pressure sell.I went for my procedure about a month after my initial consultation, but I had to see a specialist before the procedure, as I had squint surgery when I was 18, but it was all ok. I then went upstairs to the laser eye suite, where I waited with about 5 other people who were all having laser eye surgery. It was actually quite a relaxed environment so I felt ok, although I had been nervous in the day.I was the last person to have the procedure and most of the other people were having Lasik as oppose to Lasek, which I was having. There was a guy who had been sitting next to me who was very nervous and keep asking me lots of questions, which seemed to help calm his nerves a little. When the guy came out of the procedure he was a different guy, all smiles as he could see perfectly and he said don't be nervous it's nothing. I then went in for my turn. Firstly you go into a room where they take some final measurements and then into the laser room it all takes around 10-15 mins. The procedure can be a little uncomfortable in places, but it isn't painful at all. I was concerned that with Lasek I wouldn't be able to see straight after the procedure, but I could see fine. My vision had improved considerably, however it was a bit hazy. The first few days after the procedure was a bit boring as I couldn't do a lot. I couldn't use the computer and watching the TV was a little uncomfortable. I had to put drops in regularly, however by day 3/4 things started to improve and by the time I went to see Julian Steven a week later me vision was great.I continued using the different drops for about another week or two and then just used comfort drops. I did suffer from dry eyes, so I regularly used Hycosan comfort drops which I found really good. I went back after 3 months and my vision was better than 20/20, but I didn't really need him to tell me that, as my vision was so clear, even my night vision is great. I did used to get some halos at night with my glasses, not any more.My eyes do still get dry and I do still use the comfort drops, but a lot less frequently. I would be more than happy to put in the odd eye drop for the vision I have and also the freedom of not wearing glasses.I hope this helps someone. My advice is do lots of research, not on the high street laser eye clinic websites, as they do tend to put a gloss on everything and generally pay a celebrity to advertise the service.
Harry
In November 2007 I had surgery. I am 34. My eyes were -2.75 and -3. Until the age of 31 the prescription was changing marginally but I still wish that I had had the surgery many years ago: there is no problem with a touch-up.I have always been very active and opted for lasek as the possibility of having an unstable surface on the eye very much scared me.I opted for slight over-correction as this is better for night vision. (Now +0.25 and +0.5)Eyes were painful after surgery for a week and for another couple of months I would wake in the night with a feeling of gritty eyes. After 3 days one suffers 24 hours of total mistiness (very unsettling). Recommend taking a couple of weeks off work. There was also shadowing and minor starbursts but these effects continued to disperse for a year and were hardly noticeable after 4 months. Now every thing is brilliant to see. I just love it.Questions were well answered, especially by the brilliant girls at reception.
Simon Wright
My eye surgery took place in September 2009, 30 minutes after the surgery I was having a pub dinner and two days later I was lying on a beach in Cyprus. The whole process from start to finish was so smooth and the results have literally changed the way I view life. The surgery itself was pain free, Mr Stevens was so calm and confident I felt constantly reassured, he delivered exactly what he promised.
Christos Polydorou
The results speak for themselves and I now have the pleasure of excellent vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses!The initial consultation was thorough and all the options available to me were explained in detail and advise given on which type of surgery would suit me best.I was made to feel completely at ease throughout the whole procedure and would thoroughly recommend Julian Stevens to anyone looking to undertake this surgery.
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.
