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
Barbara Sago
Advance Visioncare Saved My Sight! Having always been very short-sighted (-9.00DS both eyes), I decided to have laser eye correction at Advance Visioncare (AVC). My surgery went very well and although I did require some fine tuning afterwards to achieve my maximum correction, I was very happy with the final result. However, a few months later I found that my vision in the right eye was distorted and not sharp as it had been. I immediately contacted AVC, who advised that I attend my local hospital straight away. At my hospital visit, nothing was found and no diagnosis for my symptoms was given. Following this, I again contacted AVC who requested that I come back to see the surgeon Mr Pillai immediately. On examination, Mr Pillai discovered a hole in my macula, which could lead to instant blindness. He referred me to a retinal specialist as an emergency case, where I was treated with immediate effect. About 2 months later, I developed a cataract for which I once again approached AVC and Mr Pillai. My cataract treatment was carried out by AVC and in order to regain my original corrective sight, I was also given a re treatment of laser. Overall, I am very grateful and happy with the continued after-care and service that has been provided by Mr Pillai and AVC. Thanks to them, my sight was saved and I am now leading a totally normal life. My decision to attend AVC initially was the best ever, as being a specialist eye clinic they have helped me with a lot more than just laser eye surgery. Thanks Mr Pillai and the team at AVC Barbara
Rachel Shepherd
I found the whole experience very professional especially on the day of treatment brilliant planning to have a big waiting room in which both patients waiting to have surgery and also patients who had just had surgerey were all sitting together. It was very calming when you could see patients coming back into the room looking and feeling on top of the world because they could see and sharing with waiting patients their experience. I think this calmed me more than the valium I had taken. And of course I did the same when I returned, it was just amazing-The results + the day.
Shaun Williams
It has been two weeks since I have had my laser correction. All I can say is that the results have been fantastic. I felt nervous on the day of the treatment and it is quite a surreal experience undergoing the laser surgery but in no way painful. The AVC staff were very professional and reassuring all through the treatment and it was over in what felt like a matter of minutes. Within 24 hours of the treatment I was at driving standard and two weeks later my eyesight is fantastic. I was L –6.00 and R –5.00 before surgery. I did a fair amount of research into choosing who would perform my laser surgery and I would thoroughly recommend AVC. It truly is a dream come true to be able to see without glasses or contact lenses. Thank you Mr Pillai and the AVC team.
Graeme Odgers
After avoiding glasses at all costs and contacts being more and more impractical, I enquired about laser treatment, only to be told my prescription was too high(-11.25) for laser and had considered Implantable Contact Lens (ICL). I was apprehensive before, however the staff were very helpful and informative. If you think too much beforehand about the procedure, it is very nerve racking, but with the help of the surgery staff and the speed and expertise of Dr Helgason. I came out feeling foolish about being nervous. My second eye was a breeze.
Sharad Vohra
The entire experience from the consultation appointment till the surgery was fantastic. The entire team at Advance VisionCare are professional, qualified and do as a fantastic job in my walking you through the entire procedure and what to expect on the day of the treatment. It was very comforting to know that a Surgeon of the calibre of Mr Pillai performance the treatment & the aftercare procedures. I would recommend anyone considering laser eye correction to consider Advance VisionCare.
Robert Clarke
From start to finish the service provided has been excellent. The comfortable surroundings and efficient staff put you at ease and made the whole experience a lot less worrisome than I expected. The surgery took no longer than 15 minutes and I was amazed at being able to notice positive results almost immediately. The aftercare service has been fantastic and now 6 weeks later I almost forget that I had to wear contact lenses for the past 30 years or more. Thanks to all of Advance VisionCare.
Rachel Shepherd
I found the whole experience very professional especially on the day of treatment brilliant planning to have a big waiting room in which both patients waiting to have surgery and also patients who had just had surgery were all sitting together.
It was very calming when you could see patients coming back into the room looking and feeling on top of the world because the could see and sharing with waiting patients their experience. I think this calmed me more than the valium I had taken. And of course I did the same when I returned it was just amazing-The results + the day.
Astrid Holm
The whole procedure was excellent from start to finish. I was confident that during my consultation and the Surgery that I had 110 % attention. It was all so swift and professional that I actually lay there and thought “why didn’t get this done years ago”, whilst the laser was still operating! My aunt has already followed in my footsteps and had her Surgery last week, due to my glowing recommendation. Thanks you!
Jamie Robert Poole
I had my assessment for my contact lens implants with Mr Pillai in May 2008. The procedure was very thorough and I had all confidence in Mr Pillai and the team. My first implant was done five weeks later and the follow up check was the next day. All was well. The whole procedure was so straight forward and successful, I was delighted. The stay at the Corus Hotel was very comfortable, the breakfast was good. This Hotel was a 25 minute walk from the clinic in Harley Street, which was a pleasant walk through Hyde Park. My next appointment for the second eye was two weeks later- same procedure, same hotel. All was great. My surgeon Dr Helgason was such a helpful doctor, answering all questions asked. The nurses were wonderful. All in all, I feel I could not have been treated any better anywhere else. And the results are perfect. Thanks to everyone at Harley Street at the Advance VisionCare Eye Clinic.
Sarah Beattie
Very happy with the care given and results!
