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
Graeme Paterson
I researched laser eye surgery for around 6/7 months before descending on Advance VisionCare. I chose them because they seemed highly professional, were excellent through out and also had a excellent patient record. From first contact with them until now I have not been disappointed, & have been extremely impressed with the consultation, treatment and aftercare I received. Now at 6 weeks after treatment (LASEK WAVEFRONT) I have 6/6 in each eye, which is absolutely fantastic as I was previously Left eye (-6.00 -1.50 astg) & right eye (-5.75 -2.50 astg). I would have no hesitation in recommending Mr Pillai & Advance VisonCare.
Lorraine Robertshaw
I had wanted this done for so many years but cost and never delayed it. I was still nervous on the day but everyone made me so relaxed. I hastily did not feel a thing. For a few days after I had a little discomfort, followed the aftercare instructions to the letter. Relief when the bandage contact lens came out. My left eye took a little longer to heal than the right but I must admit I received excellent after care from Eyesite Reading and Mr Pillai who rang me personally to assure me I had nothing to worry about. I am free without glasses for the first time in 30 years.
Valerie Hytch
The whole process has been very easy and positive, and I have been kept well informed at every stage. It has always been very friendly and I have felt at ease throughout, I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Anne Byrne
Overall the service was excellent, the staff were extremely knowledgeable, supportive and caring and I am very pleased with the results. I never would believe it possible ! Thank You.
Ely Lawrence
I had the CK procedure 3 weeks ago and have not had to wear reading glasses since that day. The procedure was quick, painless and it really works. I have no hesitation in recommending Mr Pillai and his fantastic team! Due to the natural aging process reading glasses played a major part in my active life. I had glasses in every room! I needed them to thread a needle, write cheques, use the phone and the computer, but now my eyes are perfect again. My thanks to everyone at Advance VisionCare in Harley Street for the superb care and attention afforded to me. Ely
Kathryn Howard
One year on from my surgery I now have better than 20/20 vision and have had since a week after the LASIK procedure. I would highly recommend Mr Pillai & his team to anyone thinking about taking the “plunge”. They were very informative, not “pushy” and let me deicide in my own time in proceeding. Once finally getting over the initial fear of having LASIK I would safely say it has changed my life, waking up to see clearly is amazing. I know take it for granted and have forgotten how “blind” I was before.
Jennifer Hunt
Mr Pillai and staff ensure that the procedure is not at all uncomfortable and I appreciate the “running commentary” at each stage. My overall vision was immediately dramatically improved and now my long sight is fantastic with colours and definition much enhanced. The downside is that after the protective contact lenses were removed (after the LASEK treatment) my near vision got much worse. I realised that I would need glasses for reading but a present I still need them for doing household tasks, have problems at work (I am a chef), can’t see to put make up on etc…. I did not anticipate this but understand this may improve as the healing process continues. I hope so !!!
Meera Rayani
When I came to see Mr. Pillai on a Friday evening, I was most impressed by his commitment to stay behind and run through the consultation with me himself. The consultation lasted 2 hours. That immediately stood out to me. After 2 weeks since I had Lasik Waverfront surgery, I can see perfectly! I have fortunately not suffered from dry eyes but just have to make sure I put in eye drops on a regular basis as I work long hours in front of a PC. I would like to thank Mr. Pillai and his team for their care and all their advice. I am certainly looking forward to my wedding knowing I have one less stress to worry about! I certainly would recommend laser eye surgery at Advance Vision Care to anyone.
Yogesh Savania
01/05/06 To Anyone considering Laser Vision Correction... The decision to have laser eye surgery was a big one for me and I had been contemplating it for 4 years. As a Dentist any failure in vision could have jeopardized my career and that was my primary concern. I am also keen on Martial Arts and was concerned by the possible risk of traumatic injury to the Lasik flap. Various other clinics had conflicting opinions on this but none were totally convincing or reassuring. I carried out a vast amount of research talking to many eye clinics, opticians, patients and the internet. I did bombard the Advance Visioncare team with questions via phone calls and email but Lela, Donna and Mark very patiently answered them and never seemed put off by my constant badgering. Mr. Pillai even called me back to answer some queries and I felt confident enough to proceed with treatment. All the way thro’ from initial assessment to treatment to aftercare it truly was a “Personalised Laser Treatment” I opted to have Lasek and was worried about after pain and light sensitivity. I needn’t have worried as the treatment was quick and pain free. I travelled home by train and was able to see the countryside and even watched TV in the evening!! At my 5 day review my bandage contact lenses were removed and I was passed fit to drive. I resumed dentistry after 10 days though I could have returned earlier. At 2 week review I was 20:20 vision!! I never had any night vision problems and no dryness (though I kept using the drops as recommended). The only downside was tired eyes towards the evening. I would like to thank the team for their care and especially to Lela for her patience. And a big thanks to Mr. Pillai for his clinical expertise and for giving me freedom from glasses and contact lenses. I have great trust in Mr. Pillai and would definitely recommend him to anyone. Y B Savania BChD MFGDP(UK) -3.75 corrected by Lasek with Wavefront
Charlotte
I did a lot of research before going to this clinic for bilateral wavefront surgery - I had a prescription of -10 in both eyes and most clinics either refused to do me (in case they messed it up and I affected their statistics) or I simply didn't feel they were professional enough. I didn't have any of those problems with Advance. The surgeon, Mr Pialli, did all the important tests - unlike other clinics that allow their sales people to do them - and I felt they really knew their stuff. They were friendly, helpful and honest with me. It is surgery and does need to be seriously thought about - I was asked about my resons for wanting it and my expectations. The surgery went well and by the next morning (about 19 hours later) I had driving standard vision. By the next week I had 20/20 vision. I cannot reccommend them highly enough. My night vision was a bit affected for about 3 months but now it is better than ever. It really was lifechanging and I would reccommend the clinic to anybody. If they can sort out my -10 vision I think they could do pretty much anybody!
