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
Randall Martin
I would certainly recommend Advance VisionCare to everyone considering eye LASIK surgery, the staff are very helpful & reassuring, nothing is rushed or stressful and I was very calm and relaxed. The surgery was quick and stress free and expertly carried out by Mr Pillai and his team. I have every confidence in Mr Pillai and he has changed the way I see things forever.
Sally Blewitt
From my first contact I felt confident that this clinic was the right choice. Lela dealt with all my queries and efficiently booked my consultation and hotel stay (in order for my husband to accompany me our 3 young children had to come too!)Mr Pillai boosted my confidence and resolve further on the consultation day and the procedure was pain-free and straight forward the following am. Now 12 days on and vision is crystal clear most of the time with a few minor fluctuations in quality from time to time (but these are becoming rarer and are not significant). Truly amazing result. I am so glad I was treated by this expert surgeon - thankyou.
Keith Brown
I needed a re-treatment, after this my right eye was a little sore. That Night when I saw my son off to work (he is a barman) I realised I could see and read number plates much easier than I could before even with lenses. Now my eyes have settled I can see better now than since my teens, overall it was just like a visit to the west end. If I could I would have had it done years ago, your professional attitudes were impressing.
Bhavini Shah
Mr Pillai and his team were fantastic. i had the consultaion on friday, procedure on saturday and by saturday was enjoying a glasses free life. All went very smoothly. The team ensured I knew what was going on at all times. Thanks to Mr Pillai and his team again.
Abigail Cox
I have been very impressed with everything so far, which made the process a lot easier and less stressful that I would have expected. And I am delighted with the results !
Sherry Willison
It went very went. Mr Pillai is a wonderful person. He doesn't rush any of his appointment with you. The hotel was very, very good. My friend and i really enjoyed staying there. It took awhile for my eyes to settle (about a month), but Mr Pillai was very reassuring and gave me confidence. Apart from still putting drops in to my eyes a few times per day (it has been less than 3 months since I had it done) I have completely forgotten that I have ever worn glasses !!! Thank you very much. I will defiantly be recommending you to friends.
Mark Smith
My wife had this proceedure at this clinic recently. Both eyes were -5.75 and both are now -0.25 i.e 19/20 vison. This is a real miracle although it did take her 4-5 days to really get over the operation during which time she was in some discomfort.
Nigel May
An excellent and painless procedure, which I would not hesitate to recommend. It is amazing the next morning to lie in bed and to be able to watch TV without glasses or contacts, such great results.
Isabel Wakely
I have no hesitation in recommending Dr Pillai and his staff for this treatment. Advance Vision Care are excellent and I do not understand why I did not have this operation sooner!
Carol Bingham
Two months ago I had successful laser eye surgery performed by Dr Pillai of Advance VisionCare in London and I already have better than 20/20 vision. It is just wonderful to be able to see further than the end of my nose again after 38 years of being shortsighted. I can thoroughly recommend this clinic to anyone thinking of having laser surgery. My grateful thanks go to everyone at AVC for all their expertise, thoroughness and their care and support.
