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
Elaine Nicholson
Truly wonderful! The only thing 2 would add is that for me preciously it would have been helpful to have been advised to wear in addition to sunglasses after the op, a baseball cap for additional protection re light sensitivity. For me, the sunglasses were not quite enough. However, the light sensitivity that I experienced only lasted for 1 day, after which 2 started to wonder of eyes without glasses. Thank you Mr Pillai and his staff for making my life so much better!
Mr R.C Barlow
The attention to detail given by all the Advance VisionCare staff was beyond reproach. Everyone was most professional. I was nervous but was reassured by the kind considerate way I was treated. The treatment given by Mr C.T. Pillai was completely painless and once again handled most efficiently. I have attended one lot of aftercare at Davis of Kettering, and again was treated most respectfully and it was confirmed that my eyes were professionally nicely.
Elizabeth Gaire
Results are spectacular. As I had already had successful laser surgerey to correct my short-sight. I was worried about having a further surgerey feeling I may be putting my eyes at risk. From the first phone call I was put at ease. The procedure was completely painless and the results noticeable on the first day. I haven given away all my glasses and lots of friends and family are interested in the procedure. The staffs are friendly and helpful and the surroundings are clean and comfortable-Highly recommended.
Brian White
Excellent level of service from first consultation, through treatment and the aftercare. The staff were very good and their professionalism shone through.
K Austin
My eye sight after CK treatment is so much better I wish I had this treatment years ago. I was looked after very professionally and would recommend the treatment to all suitable persons.
Frances Woodley
The clinic and all members of staff inspired confidence in their skill and experience and freely consulted with each other. I felt they offered me the best type of treatment for my condition rather than the most expensive.
Jennifer Beck
Very professional service, staff both helpful & caring. As a patient with extremely bad eyesight and astigmatism (-8) both eye. I was not suitable for treatment at any surgeries. However, a friend had recently had surgery at Harley Street and was more than happy with the whole procedure from the initial stage to the surgery. I was confident this was the place for me to have an important procedure to gain maximum results. I now have 20/20 vision which I never thought possible and this in itself is great value for the expense I have incurred. Thank you so much!!
Aideen Howard
Very professional service, staff both helpful & caring.
Bob Carter
From the moment I received the first call back from my original enquiry, I have been impressed by the professionalism, friendliness and the attention to detail by everyone I have met. Any and every question has been openly answered and the procedure itself went smoothly, quickly and most importantly to me, painlessly. The two times I needed to call, including one on a Sunday, due to a nobule on my eye, were answered promptly and resolved immediately, via a appointment at my earliest convenience At no time to date, have I ever felt that anything is too much trouble. I would, and have, strongly recommended Mr Pillai & his team..
Adrea Lane
As a photographer I am really pleased with the results of my CK treatment 5 months on. It was a nightmare with reading glasses, through the view finder, put glasses on to check the photo on the screen, then take them off again for the next one. That’s all stopped now. I can get on with my working life without constantly putting specs on and off. Also I can see much more details in photographs now. Fab ! And the people at Advance VisionCare are lovely!
