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
Ronald Rdrigues
I have been wearing glasses for over 40 years and my prescription was getting pretty strong. I also suffered a little bit of blurred vision in one eye so CLE was suggested. The operation was fine and I was well looked after. The only problem was that there was a delay of a couple of hours each time. Like I said, the operation went well and it did not hurt any much more than giving blood. The nurses and surgeon were very nice and put me at case. Now I have very good long distance vision but due to my age so I now require reading glasses but I was told that would be the case at my initial consultation.
Lynda Videgrain
The best thing for me was that there was absolutely no surprises, everything was explained in detail so I knew what to expect at all stages of the treatment. The results were better than I expected as I had a really complicated prescription.
Jill Cook
Every day for the past 52 years I have had to wear glasses because of my short sightedness. But not any more, thanks to the excellent Mr Pillai and his wonderful team. Many, many thanks to you all.
RUPTI PATEL
The Service was outstanding. I did have complication in my right eye which Dr Pillai dealt with and monitored every week. My left eye went more smoothly, they took extra precautions due to my experience in my right eye and no complication accrued.
My prescription was -12.50 in both eyes, NOW I HAVE 20:20 VISION.
Everyone that works for Advance VisionCare is very friendly and professional. They cater to all your concerns and needs regarding your eyes.
RICHARD LINDSAY
On the day of the first CLE it might have been useful to explain some of the temporary effects to expect as these concerned me at the time. Cloudiness and double vision in the eye! Rationalised that these would pass after a while which they did, but it was a bit concerning at the time. Second eye was therefore easier because I know what to expect. Excellent service, no pressure to make a decision Would recommend (have been) to anyone of my age and prescription. Surgeon Dr.G. is very reassuring and competent. The resultant vision is excellent!!
Michael Davidson
Thank you all at Advance VisionCare for a fantastic service, although I need to have a second procedure. It is possible to get rid of the glasses. Many thanks. The vision now is perfect! Since my wife has had successful laser surgery in 2008
Humphrey Boyd
I was very pleased with the whole service, Mr Pillai was very confidence inspiring.
EVA CHILDERSTONE
I was disappointed not being suitable for laser treatment and not at all keen on the clear lens extraction- it scared me. After two more consultations and excellent explanations/counseling I eventually decided to go ahead with CLE. The treatment at the clinic again was excellent- all the staff was helpful and efficient and made me feel at ease calming my anxieties. The surgeon again explained everything carefully and the whole procedure did not take more than 15 minutes. My sight improved within an hour which was amazing. I had been extremely shortsighted since the age of 7, but now have nearly perfect sight. My only regret is that I did not have the operation done earlier. My thanks to all the staff at Advance VisionCare and especially Mr. Pillai for being very patient.
CAROL EVERARD
From the moment I walked in the door at AVC I know I was in good hands. Everyone was so professional and caring. I was very worried about the procedure but everyone put me at ease. I have had severe short sight for 32 years -9.75 right eye, -7.75 left eye and had worn contact lenses for 28 years. Last year my optician told me I may not be able to wear contacts for much longer and it was this news that made up my mind. I spent a long time researching and finally found Mr Pillai and the team here at AVC. My eyes were not suitable for laser so I had implantable contact lenses. The whole process from start to finish has been wonderful. I now have 20/20 vision and can see so clearly. The team at AVC have been great and I can’t thank them enough. I cannot think of any way that you could improve the service as it is excellent already!
Dennis Cheng
For the initial consultation through to the aftercare appointments, Advance VisionCare staffs were all thoroughly professional. I felt well informed and confident at all tines, and would recommend this service to anyone. Being able to have a family member observe the procedure allowed me to relax and to be confident in the success of the operation.
