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
Sandra Thirtle
It took one treatment centre less than 2 minutes to advise me that I wasn’t suitable for treatment due to an eye condition I had suffered many years previously. Advance VisionCare gave me a comprehensive initial consultation ant to my great joy explained that I could still have laser eye surgery. They also explained how they would take preventive measures to prevent any re-occurrence There was no pressure to make a decision straight away and when I underwent treatment I was talked through the whole procedure which only took a few minutes. The treatment was without pain/discomfort and I have not had any irritation/ soreness since. Six weeks on and I can now see better than when I was wearing glasses! Why go anywhere else when you can have a highly personalised service at Advance VisionCare.
Lesley Coleby
The service I have received from the first phone call, through to surgery and aftercare, has been exceptional. I would like to thank all the staff for making the whole experience so pleasant
Robert Tustin
Having suffered with extremely poor eyesight since early childhood , from the stigma of wearing very thick spectacles to the comparative “comfort and ease” were short lived owing the constant purchasing, sterilizing, irritation and occasional splitting or loss of a lens.
I decided to have a consultation with Advance VisionCare. After which I agreed to undergo Clear Lens Extraction (CLE) treatment which just as there staff had assured me was a simple, quick and painless operation, which took approximately six minutes per eye. This has improved my vision and eradicated the spectacle and contact lens problems and after all these years has enabled me to take my driving test.
Many thanks to all at Advance VisionCare.
Emily Homer
The initial consultation was thorough and the treatment was explained in a clear concise manner. The treatment itself was painless and pretty quick. The results amazing. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Mr N Kalsi
I was recommended to Advance VisionCare from a fellow professional who had treatment with Mr Pillai four years ago and was extremely pleased with his results and service he recived from Advance VisionCare. From start to finish I was impressed with the amount of knowledge everybody had and there professional and clinical approach on assessment day, I must admit I was very nervous at this stage as it had taken me all these years to come for a assessment and then I was worried I would not be suitable. To my relief I was found suitable for LASIK wavefront. On my treatment day I was very nervous but Mr Pillai and his clinical team put my mind at ease and my treatment took 20 minutes, it was all over so quickly. It has now been 18 months since I had treatment with Mr Pillai and it has been a life changing procedure, I now have the freedom to live life without the need for facial furniture and start new hobbies that I would never have the confidence to do prior treatment. Mr Pillai skills and experience was worth every penny…at the end of the day you only have one set of eyes. A big thank you to all the team.
Leonie Newton
I felt completely comfortable with the procedure throughout, even though it is a very nerve-wracking process, because I felt I was in safe hands with Mr Pillai and his team. I am so glad I decided to have laser eye treatment at Advance VisionCare, as everyone made the procedure so easy to cope with. I would definitely recommend Advance VisionCare to anyone considering laser eye treatment. I trusted Mr Pillai completely, and was impressed by his skill and expertise. The other optometrists and technicians were very friendly and put me at my ease immediately. The nurse explained everything to me very clearly. I was extremely impressed with the service and treatment from Advance VisionCare .
Bronwen Lloyd-Davies
The referral from my Optometrist and transition to consultation was seamless. And the technicians had done their background work. Though I had completed much of the research myself, they made sure I fully understood the test, the procedures and the aftercare. All the clinic staff were friendly, approachable and put me totally at ease- I never felt that my questions or concerns were trivial or left unanswered. It has been a really positive experience dealing with Mr Pillai and the team, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.
Holly Law
Brilliant service throughout. I carry out a though sales pitch every time somebody asks me how my eyes are!
Alan Kelly
Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable, and take the time to explain everything and answer questions.
The procedure was over quickly and was relatively painless. Everything was explained at every stage and you feel at ease.
Thoroughly recommend!
Charlotte Dossing
I had my LASEK surgery just less than 1 month ago and I can honestly say that both the experience and the outcome have been excellent! All staff at the clinic makes you feel relaxed and in safe hands; everybody is extremely helpful and professional. The actual procedure and recovery were completely painless. Only draw back was not reaching driving standard until 10 days after surgery! I would highly recommend AVC.
