1. Review of Advanced Vision Care
Advanced Vision Care (AVC) is an independent surgeon-led clinic founded in 2003 by Mr Pillai on Harley Street, London. With no affiliation with any manufacturers, you should be able to count on treatment that’s best suited to your needs.
AVC’s Medical Director and lead surgeon, Mr Pillai, has nearly three decades of ophthalmic experience and is one of the few surgeons to have fellowships for both refractive laser surgery and cornea treatment. Patients even enjoy the benefit of speaking to Mr Pillai during the initial consultation, and can look forward to a stress-free aftercare plan, including any retreatment if necessary.
What makes AVC different? This clinic prides itself on being able to treat any eye prescription using a wide mix of treatments, meaning it may just be able to help you, even if other clinics have turned your down. Its patients also give this clinic the thumbs up, leaving hundreds of positive reviews on our site over the years.
- AVC tailors treatments to its customers’ specific visual needs.
- You can receive eye care from a small team of eye experts, each with 25 years of experience.
- Laser and non-laser treatments sit under one roof, for customer convenience.
Is there anything else I should know? As you’d expect, cutting-edge eye surgery on Harley Street comes at a price, and this time it’s higher on average than you’ll find at some of the other top-rated eye clinics dotted around the UK. And unless you happen to live in central London, there may not be a clinic near you.
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2. Treatments
Advanced Vision Care specialises in laser as well as non-laser vision correction treatments, including all the usual suspects: LASIK, LASEK, implantable contact lenses (ICL surgery), lens replacement surgery, cataract surgery and keratoconus treatment.
- Advanced Wavefront LASIK / LASEK – Highly accurate laser surgery for those with thin eye surfaces or active lifestyles.
- Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK) – Therapy for treating long-term eye conditions.
- Implantable Contact Lens (EVO Visian ICL) – Suitable for patients with complex eye prescriptions, thin corneas or dry eyes.
- Lens Replacement (Refractive Lens Exchange) – Eye surgery for those over 40 with a reading prescription.
- Cataract Surgery – Removes cloudy lenses, and replaces them with artificial clear ones.
- Corneal Implants – Reshape irregular eye shapes to make contact lenses more comfortable.
As is standard with eye surgery clinics, all AVC treatments come with a 12 month aftercare package, which includes: regular check-ups, 24-hour eye expert support line, and post-op medication for the first month.
In the unlikely event that you require eye surgery enhancement, any laser fine tuning or YAG laser capsule thickening removal (following cataract treatment) is available at no extra cost.
3. Technology
Advanced Vision Care was the first clinic in the UK to house the complete Alcon Refractive Suite, which it claims is the safest non-laser technology in the country. It creates a personalised treatment plan that starts with a Verion Image Guided system in your first consultation, and continues throughout the surgery with devices that ensure superior visualisation.
The laser eye surgery treatment is also advanced. The femtosecond Intralase 5F Laser works blade-free by using pulses of harmless light to create a corneal flap, and the Bausch Teneo 317 Excimer Laser takes just 3 to 5 seconds to correct your vision.
What’s more, the highly accurate Advanced Wavefront technology is included in all laser treatments as standard, and an Eye Tracking System tracks eye movements, so you don’t need to worry about blinking during the procedure.
4. Advanced Vision Care Prices
AVC has some of the most reasonable payment options out there. It’s not the cheapest – high street clinics such as Optical Express and Ultralase take the crown for cost – but the free consultation, fixed prices, and flexible interest free finances all help their treatments work around you.
Is it worth paying more? Of course, that’s for you to decide. But to give you an idea of the prices, laser eye surgery at AVC costs £2,100 (per eye), compared to well-reviewed alternatives such as Optical Express and AccuVision which come in at around half that on average.
| Eye Surgery Procedure | Price (per eye) | Finance Options (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Wavefront LASIK | £2,100 | £66.67 (24 months, 0% APR) |
| Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK) | £2,100 | £66.67 (24 months, 0% APR) |
| ICL Surgery (Simple Lens) | £3,450 – £3,750 | £122.22 – £138.89 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| ICL Surgery (Specialist Lens) | £4,150 | £161.11 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Monofocal lens surgery | £3,150 – £3,450 | £105.56 – 122.22 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Multifocal lens surgery | £3,750 – £4,050 | £138.89 – £155.56 (18 months, 0% APR) |
| Keratoconus Treatment | £2,150 – £2,450 | £91.67 – £108.33 (18 months, 0% APR) |
Are there finance options?
Yes, AVC has partnered with Hitachi Finance to offer flexible payment plans, meaning you can pay the full cost of eye surgery in bite-size monthly installments.
For example, you could pay for laser eye surgery in chunks of £66.67 a month for two years interest free, or £33.59 for 60 months at 9.9% APR. That’s generous – most clinics require 11% APR, and only the first year at 0% interest.
Does medical insurance cover the surgery costs at AVC?
Yes, AVC is an accredited provider of ophthalmic surgery for many of the UK’s leading insurance companies, including:
- Allianz
- AVIVA
- AXA PPP
- BUPA and BUPA International
- Cigna
- Simply Health
As always, you’ll need to confirm how you would like to pay before booking your surgery, both with your chosen clinic and your medical insurer.
Read more: Laser eye surgery costs explained
5. AVC Review: The Verdict
Advanced Vision Care consistently receives a five-star rating from hundreds of patients, which is why this clinic makes it to our list of the best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK.
With in-depth consultations providing an honest assessment of whether eye surgery is right for you, Advanced Vision Care also takes the prize for being one of the top places for laser eye surgery in London.
☝ Is Advanced Vision Care for you? To see if there is a better reviewed laser eye surgery clinic near you, just hit here to use our simple quote tool, and get a tailored quote from a clinic you can trust.
Surgeons
Advanced Vision Care Reviews
al kirk
great clinic
Zoe Woodhams
Throughout the consultation, operation and aftercare I feel much looked after and in the care of caring professionals. All of the consultants were friendly and efficient and explained everything thoroughly. I was made to feel at ease during the operation and felt very well cared for when the consultant rang me the same night at home to check how I was. They have been there always to answer any worries I might have had and make sure that my eyes are perfect which they now are. I have gone from an under confident short-sighted person to a confident 120% visioned person who can swim under water with eyes open-not much to some people, but wonderful for me.
Paula Sumray
The service received at Advance Vision Care was excellent. Everything was explained in detail and all questions regarding progress and aftercare were fully answered. My prescription was (-8)+(-9) and I could not get out of BEO without my glasses. Now one year on, I have 20/20 vision and I am delighted. This progress has changed my life! I wore glasses for thirty years and now I do not know myself. My thanks to the wonderful Dr Pillai and his team
Philippa Crome
Decided to try Advance Visioncare after being unimpressed with initial contact with Boots at Bluewater, and reading the excellent reviews on this site. Prescription -4.75, -3.50. with -2.25 astigmatism in both eyes. My best-corrected vision with glasses wasn't brilliant, only reading the driving standard line at best. Went for initial consultation on the 30/7/2004, was there for 4 hours, all very thorough to make sure all the results tallied correctly. Advised to have the Wavefront due to having many higher order aberrations that was reducing quality of vision. Corneal thickness slightly above average, which was good. Had complete faith in Mr. Pillar and his support staff throughout. Relaxed quite setting which was nice while having the tests. Booked operation for 17/8/2004. Day of operation quite nervous but the provide Valium tablet helped! The operation went fine taking about 30 minutes in total my Husband watched the entire procedure behind the glass partition. Was given the various aftercare medication and the nurse carefully explained all the details. As I live outside the M25 my Husband & I were entitled to a free overnight stay in a local hotel (very nice I might add). This was great as you don't feel like doing a lot of traveling straight after. That evening had a bit of pain in one eye but the provided painkillers worked a treat. Watched a bit of TV, quite blurry vision at this point. Didn't get watery or itchy eyes at all. Following day went back to the clinic for the 24-hour checkup. Had the protective contact lenses removed, all fine. Eyesight checked and could read the driving standard, which was excellent considering this was by BCV before the op. At home the following week no real problems, no dry/itchy eyes occasional bit of eyestrain. My left eye was slight better than my right, at about a week later my right improved to be better than my left! At the one-week checkup I could read a line below the driving standard that I had never done before. Just had the 6 week checkup and can now read some of the letters two lines below the driving standard now -0.25 in both eyes with virtually no astigmatism. My vision driving at night is better than it’s ever been before. Overall excellent service, my thanks to Mr. Pillai and his staff.
M.Ahmed
The services offered were beyond my expectation. I was very sceptical about the treatment as I rely mainly on my vision for a living but Advance Vision Care were very understanding and supporting and offered me a realistic expectation and more reliable one. I would recommend anyone to them. I have now achieved 20/20 vision and do not have to wear glasses. Thanks to their professional work.
SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ
I am a professional test cricketer from Pakistan and I also play for Surrey. I came for a regular check-up and found out shortsighted. My optician recommended wave front lasik Surgery for me. I was hesitant but I still went along. I went to Advance Vision Care and found Dr Pillai and the staff reassuring, now after three months, I feel very good, and I am amazed with my progress of my sight.
LESLEY SHIPSEY
Came to see Mr Pillai as I needed to pass a medical and knew that with my current shortsightedness-6.25 lefteye-5 Right eye this would be a problem! I had Lasek wave front treatment two and a half weeks ago and the results are fantastic. I now have 20/20 vision in each eye something. I never dreamed of having without the use of lenses or gasses. I would recommend anyone to come here to see Mr Pillai and my husband is now hoping to have the same treatment done in the future.
Ian
I had wavefront performed on me 3 weeks ago and am very happy with the results. I found the operation itself quite painful due to having high cheekbones which caused problems with the clamps. On the whole I would recommend this clinic to anyone thinking of having the op.
Bob Neate
I thought I would leave it a while before giving feedback - I am surprised to find that my 1 year post-op appointment is next week!. How time slips by. I had been monitoring Laser correction for years. I wore glasses, then GP contacts from the age of 7 and hated it. However, I was extremely short-sighted at -10.75 and -10.5 with astigmatism of about 1.5 per eye, consequently I was outside the safely treatable range until recently. With the technology advances made in recent years I decided to book some consultations and entered dialogue with some leading surgeons by email. I decided on Advance Vision Care for a couple of reasons: - The initial consultation was the most thorough, it felt 'medical' rather than 'sales' - I was introduced to the surgeon, Mr. Pillai. Nice man, clearly very bright, but also very delicate hands...felt good for micro surgery - Despite having the opportunity to take my money straight away Mr. Pillai told me to wait a couple of months as he was aware of planned algorithm changes to the software that should give me a more secure outcome. I liked that approach. - The zyoptix system had the best results for high myopia under the independent FDA tests. -I would not entrust my eyes to a high street conveyor belt process. I wanted a surgeon with lots of experience and credentials. There are plenty of descriptions available about the procedure so I will not bore, except to say that it was quick, efficient, not as uncomfortable as a trip to the dentist, BUT in an anxiety league all of its own - eyes are precious! The outcome: long-term - fantastic. I see better than 20:20 on the charts with both eyes. But more importantly how does this translate into real life vision which is different from the laboratory. Hopefully the following gives a realistic view that will be helpful: Mr Pillai warned me that with my extreme myopia not to expect 'miracle' vision the next day. It took almost a week before my vision begun to feel settled, though after 3 days I was able to go to the cinema and marvel at seeing without glasses. I suffered a little from 'starbursts' and 'double vision' at night. This settled very quickly though. Now I barely notice it - and my night vision is more than good enough. Like most people I had dry-eyes, but nothing Viscotears drops 4 times a day could not cope with. I begun to forget to take the drops after a couple of months. I do not need them at all now, except if I get dehydrated through too much vino! My main impact is that I now get floaters in one eye (a sort of shadow that you notice when you move your eye, due to viscosity changes in the 'jelly' that fills the eye). These are common in people of my age, but I did not notice them before. I suspect, but cannot prove, that the suction thingy used in the procedure accelerated the onset. However, whilst they are noticeable they do not affect either my pleasure at being able to see unaided, or the visual accuity I get. Real vision is not like charts. I believe I got slightly better correction with GP contact lenses, but not with glasses. However, lenses often got dirty and with age were becoming more uncomfortable (despite having worn them for 25 years). My vision now is very good for everyday use. No smudging or 'tunnel vision'. No bits of grit under lenses. I wake up in the morning and can clearly read the time on the small digital clock on the other side of my bedroom, about 8 feet away. To put that into context, before the operation I literally could not focus more than about 6 to 8 inches in front of my nose. Clear vision has quickly become the norm for me such that I do not think about it much - but every now and then I am awestruck by how much better life is as a result. So overall - I am delighted and still view it (pun deliberate) as the best money I have spent. Please note though I am fortunate, I minimised risk by ensuring that I had a skilled surgeon using the best equipment for my particular myopia, but I also had the little bit of luck with healing profiles etc. necessary for a great outcome. I never advise anyone to have the procedure as you need to assess the risks for yourself. However, if having done your research you want to proceed further I would recommend you include the AVC team and Mr Pillai as one of the centres you visit for a consultation. I found them excellent.
Vasos Constanti
After extensive searching on various websites with different eye surgery clinics I decided to have a free consultation with Dr Pillai. After my appointment, I left feeling not like another number but by someone who genuinely wanted to help me and had a passion to better my eye site. As I am a fanatic sports person, having the option to play sports without contacts was a great feeling. The surgery was quick and easy and I felt comfortable throughout the process pre and post care was fantastic as the whole team made me feel comfortable. I even got a phone call 3 hours after surgery to see if I was OK. Opting to have eye surgery is scary enough, however having been treated like I was by Dr Pillai and his team my doubts were eased away. I would recommend this service to anyone.
Pauline Lowry
I would have written something sooner but I've been busy: Walking in the rain, taking food out of the oven, swimming and body boarding with my children and learning to play Rugby, not to mention looking at my clock in the night. Anyone who wears glasses will know how they interfer with all these activites! As for the procedure day itself, the girl being treated after me was having corrective surgery following a poor job by another clinic. That speaks volumes for Mr Pillai's abilities. Apart from feeling like I'd peeled a bag of onions for a few hours afterwards there was nothing to it. Please don't be tempted to save a few pounds by going with a cheaper company, it really isn't worth risking your eyesight for. I doubt that anyone can improve on the personal service I received from Advance Visioncare.
