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
Sarah Pipes
Excellent Service right from the start. Despite my worrying it didn't hurt a bit and was over before you know it. Would recommend to anyone - it's a life changing operation.
Nichola Burkett
I am Very pleased with the results of my eyes. Everyone was very friendly.
David Chaloner
My brother and I were both very short sighted. We have been doing lot of research into laser surgery, for some years. One of our relatives works in the industry, and hence it helped us to find out more in detail . Two important things played a part in our decision.The best and the latest laser, and a reputable surgeon. We settled for the Bausch & Lomb laser, as it is the longest established laser in Europe. The latest Z100 has some unique features, and is also the fastest laser. We chose Mr Pillai as our surgeon, due to his reputation and importantly the continuity of care offered by advance vision care.You can see the surgeons whenever you want. My prescription was about -10 D, and I underwent WAVE FRONT LASEK procedure in both eyes. Mr Pillai used some special drops to prevent haze formation post operatively, due to my high prescription .I believe the special drug is used in the USA commonly, and Mr Pillai is one of the few surgeons to use it in Europe. I was given a very realistic expectations due to my high prescription , but even so I am overjoyed with my results. After four days ( when the contact lens was removed ) , I could drive my car for the first time in my life, without my glasses ??? I have full trust in AVC as they are a dedicated and very professional clinic team, and there was no hard sell at any point. My advice to all of you - Don't be afraid of laser surgery but do your research - choose a good surgeon and a clinic with a reputable laser and most of all the COST should not be the deciding factor
Darren Self
Every one of the staff at AVC were incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and went a long way to reassure and calm my nerves. Even though there were minor complications on one eye I would thoroughly recommend AVC to my frinds and family!!
Christina Dooley
I was very impressed by the level of care and service I received. I was seen promptly and given full information so I entirely understood the procedure, the risks, and the rscovery process. I especially appreciated meeting the surgeon beforehand as it really put me at ease and gave me absolute confidence in his abilities. The surgery has made such a huge difference to my life and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Advance VisionCare to others.
Yvette Bilton
I previously used . I've now had lasik treatment and can read without glasses and see distance. I've thrown two pairs of contact lenses, several pairs of specs and loads of solutions away - a new lease of life. Thank You!
Nik & Roberta
Many thanks for all your care & attention that has been given over the past 18 months to me & my wife after treatment. Excellent care from start to finish.
Shirley Collen
I thought I would have the inconvenience of reading glasses for the rest of my life. I'm delighted to be able to read again unaided. No more rummaging around in my bag, pockets etc.. for grubby scratched glasses. I used to have a pair in every room in the house.Car, greenhouse, etc... I would say the treatment cost was economically viable when you consider how much I used to spend on designer frames etc... I'm trying to get my husband to have it done - his life will be revolutionized by it!!!
Amanda Whale
Service was second to none, I was very concerned and very nervous, and everyone put my mind at ease and made me feel very comfortable. It's the best thing I've ever done, it was quick and painless, and now I'm free of glasses + contact lenses!! Thanks a million.
David Vowles
It is now five weeks since my treatment. I could be very boring and repeat all of the comments of the 300 or so before me; but I won't. All I will say is have no fears. The treatment is painless. The surgeon and staff are magnificent. The results are outstanding. Enough said!
