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
J Gwilliam
The actual operation was very simple and pain free. Afterwards has been excellent I would recommend CK to anyone. Healing process so far has been very good with no problems to me at all. I found that I didn’t need to use my reading glasses at all after the operation and my vision is improving every day.
Richard Stammers
An absolutely first class service! In hindsight I can not believe I was so concerned about the procedure. I was in and out in a hour and half and felt absolutely fine. The staff, particularly the nurses, really made me feel at ease.
Saleem Ghani
The care and professional treatment I’ve received from Mr Pillai and his dedicated team, have resulted in me having much better vision than before, beyond my wildest expectations. Thank you and keep up the good work. I will certainly be recommending Advance VisionCare to my friends, family and work colleagues.
Dawn Cannon
Mr Pillai and his team are absolutely the best! My consultation with each member of the team was very thorough, and carried out completely professionally. The team are friendly and I felt reassured that I made the right decision to go to Advance VisionCare for laser correction. Mr Procedure was carried out the next day and although I felt anxious I was excited as well at the prospect of not wearing glasses. I recommend Mr Pillai and his excellent team to anyone who is considering laser eye treatment.
Yvonne Cox
I was delighted with the service and care I received from Mr Pillai at Advance VisionCare and his staff. I have found that my eyes get better day by day. I can go shopping look at sixes and prices without having to put my glasses on and off. Road in the sunshine without my prescription glassed on, even write testimonials without glasses. FANTSTIC A MIRACLE I would recommend CK to anyone who haves reading glasses.
Eric Day
I found the CK treatment and service was of a high standard and all the information that was sent to me via point was of a very useful nature. I would recommend anyone to this clinic as I and my wife have had good treatment here.
Charles Storey
I am very pleased with what I’ve had done. As a matter of fact I’m over the moon, brilliant, superb! All the staff where brilliant, running commentary on the day of treatment. Brilliant & Thanks.
Rachel Harris
My treatment has given me the opportunity to join my children in activities such as swimming. The level of care goes beyond excellent; outstanding is more appropriate. Thank you Dr Pillai and your wonderful team. I feel I have a new world to explore!!
Lisa Smith
I wish I had it done years before. The treatment was so quick and painless and the results were brilliant even straight after the surgery. All the staff were great and made me feel at ease. Now I don’t have to mess with glasses or contact s and don’t have to worry when I go swimming etc. Thanks to you all for everything! Worth every penny !
Laetitia Laine
Being a scientist I am a little obsessive about doing research about everything I do. After many hours of talking to people, I came to the conclusion that this clinic was the one for me. I a am terribly nervous patient so I had to find the right surgeon who would make me feel at ease. Mr Pillai did just that. The aftercare was also very thorough and I though the healing took a little longer than expected (everyone heals at differently) I am very happy with the outcome so far and it has only been 6 weeks!
