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.
☝ Compare clinics: See if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, and use our simple tool to receive a personalised quote.
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
Robert Tomkinson
I was 26 when I unfortunately met Dr. Pillai. His team said I was 100% compatible with no issues of dry eyes or astigmatism, just mild short sightedness at -4 in each eye.
My first operation saw my eyesight increase to -1 but I was still short sighted, so I needed a second top up. This worked as I was better than 20:20 but had terrible night vision, halos and starburst, even in the day time, and dry eyes.
6 months later Dr Pillai recommended a 3rd operation called a lift flap and clean to address those issues, which were probably caused by the dryness. I regret taking his advice as this operation made my vision worse, with both eyes deteriorating to less than 20:20, the original issues prevailing and now my eyes have been bloodshot for over 2 months. Note I’ve followed his advice on drops, gels and supplements to the letter.
I was foolish enough to trust AVC due to their branding of being a Harley St. clinic but in reality, having been their customer/experiment for over 18 monts, I know that Dr. Pillai has little compassion, they struggle with high staff turnover, don’t have multiple surgeons as their website claims and most importantly don’t provide a lifetime of after care.
Please think twice about choosing this company. I regret the day I stepped foot in their office.
Darren Grady
I had a truly awful experience.
Had CLE in both eyes but in my right eye, I suffered a detached retina. I had to undergo 6 operations at Moorfields (who have been fantastic) but I must undergo a 7th operation in January 2018. I approached Advanced Vision Care in August 2014 to say I was dispapointed and Mr Pillai sent me a letter stating I had signed the terms and conditions. I missed my eldest boys leaving assembly at his Primary School, cancelled a family holiday to Portugal and business trip to Barcelona. Forced to take 11 weeks off work and have so far spent over £900 on eye solutions as I am now suffering from Glucoma in my right eye. It’s easier to write a bad review than a good one. This is not just a bad review. It’s an honest one.
Rick B.
Lens replacement surgery in Nov 2016 with Valerie Saw.
Not needing reading glasses is amazing!
Leonardo L.
Extremely pleased with the surgery. It is life changing. Valerie was fantastic all way through, very professional and thorough in her explanations. Surgery was painless and results were already incredible after a few hours. After care support was brilliant. I have been recommending Valerie to my family and friends since then!
Lauren A.
I highly recommend undertaking laser surgery with Valerie Saw at Advanced Vision Care. I had a very high prescription (-8) and was wearing spectacles and then contact lenses since I was 5 years old. I was a bit apprehensive at the start but Valerie was very reassuring from the beginning. I received all the information I wanted allowing me to make my choice. The surgery didn’t take long at all and the discomfort only lasted a couple of hours. I was provided with a range of drops including anesthetics drops against the pain which were very efficient. After a few hours, I was seeing and my vision settled very quickly after then. I was driving my son to school after 48h. Valerie gave me her mobile number allowing me to call her, anytime (even during the weekend) if I had any concerns. This was really reassuring. She is making herself available for her patients and is very caring. My vision is now perfect, which is an amazing and crazy feeling! Whenever friends mention laser surgery, I encourage them to see Valerie as I know they will be in very safe hands. The clinic facilities are very clean and modern, as you would expect for private facilities. You are very well looked after all way through.
Graham R.
Dr Saw completed my LASEK surgery at Advanced Vision Care in November 2017. Her team completed a thorough pre-assessment of my eyes and determined I was suitable for surgery. On the day of the surgery I was walked through the process step-by-step to ensure I was comfortable with what was going to happen as well as information about how long different things would take. After the surgery I went home and after a few days was able to get out and about and returned to work 2 weeks later. I’ve had several follow up appointments and have reached out to Dr Saw multiple times with questions all of which have been responded to promptly. My vision is now better than 20/20. My wife is also looking to get laser eye surgery and we’ll definitely be going back to see Dr Saw!
Chris Gray
AVC were Professional and Efficient in all our dealings with their staff from our initial enquiry through to completion of the treatment process.
They offered clear and precise explanations of just exactly what the treatment + surgery entailed and answered any questions and concerns with consideration
We are delighted with the results of our eye surgery and would happily recommend anyone with similar problems with their sight to consult with AVC
Selina Talliss
The service I received at AVC was amazing. I was put at ease very quickly by the staff + Mr Goran Helgason and extremely happy with the final result.
The lovely lemon drizzle + carrot cake from Pawel also helped in recovery!
Peter Jeff
Everything is more than I thought of, great service.
Life is much clearer!
Shirley Russell
From start to finish an excellent service was provided, all staff were friendly and helpful.
