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
Jonathan Anderson
The whole process was completley painless (including the actual treatment!) A well organised procedure from initial contact through to after care, which is all included. The proce quoted is what you pay. My aftercare optometrsit says my vision is “perfect”, no need for glasses even for reading. It’s made a hugh differnce in my life- I see things I used to miss before, even with lenses or glasses ! Well happy with the results
B Cook
The standard and quality of the treatment and Advance VisionCare is excellent. The whole process was smooth and efficient and I am more than satisfied with the results. After just one week I have 20/15 vision which was better than I expected at this stage. Mr Pillai and his team explained each stage of the process well and there were no surprises. The positives and negatives were described without any undue bias and during the procedure I felt reassured. I would have no hesitation in recommending Advance VisionCare. Thank You.
Sian Johnston
I would like to thank all the staff at Advance VisionCare and Dr Pillai for their efficient, professional and friendly service. I felt well informed and treated from start to finish which made me feel reassured I had made the correct decision. I am absolutely thrilled by the results and after thinking about having laser eye surgerey for seven years, I wish I’d had it sooner. My aftercare provided locally by Dr Arbutnot was also first class. Thank You for my new amazing eyes!
Matthew Riley
I HAD LASEK as I was prepared to sacrifice a more difficult first few days for the faster overall healing. This is because I play contact sports & did not wish an extended absence. The results have been better than hoped. I feel better with the naked eye now than I used to with contact lenses-seeing has become a completely different experience! A very thorough & professional service from the centre with a great care of aftercare. I particularly appreciated the pre-op counselling when I was deciding between LASIK or LASEK. Recommended!!
Eric Day
I am very pleased that I had this treatment as it has definitely improved my eyesight. I no longer need to wear glasses, this, of course, also saves money. The treatment in received was very good and the staff were very friendly. Mr Pillai was very reassuring and extremely professional. I would recommend this procedure to anyone who is reaching the age when eyesight starts to fail.
Anne Forrest
From being very frustrated with having to wear glasses & then contact lenses, I have gone to perfect vision with neither. This is one of the most worthwhile things I have done, & it was worth every penny. After 9 months, I still have perfect vision, and would recommend the treatment to anyone who needs to wear glasses to read. No more having to ask someone to read the menu for me in a restaurant because I have forgotten my glasses.
Carol-Anne Bourne
I feel total care and aftercare was more than excellent. Very pleased. Thank You All.
K Wright
Excellent experience from start to finish, staff at the clinic friendly and informative. Very welcoming atmosphere. 110 % delighted with everything !
Caroline Chapman
Even if the treatment should only last a year or two it was still worth the money. I’m thrilled with the results. I could read tiny print the same day as the treatment. Sometimes I feel guilty for taking my excellent eyesight for granted as I keep forgetting I had anything done and that I ever wore glasses for reading.
Samantha Hawkes
I had been considering laser eye treatment for several years and chose Advance VisionCare firstly because it came highly recommended by Friends and secondly I felt satisfied with the high level of service that Advance VisionCare offered both pre & post surgerey. The results have been outstanding, with my only regret being that I was not recommended Advance VisionCare a few years ago! Thank you to all staff for their excellent service.
