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
Louise White
All the team were good and very professional. Couldn’t rate the whole experience more highly. I have definitely been recommending you already!
Taranjit Mastana
The service I received throughout the process has been excellent. From my initial phone call, to the assessment to check my suitability and also on the day of the surgery. I was both nervous and excited of having laser eye treatment as I knew the risks involved but also the potential it had to change my life. I was recommended by a friend to choose Advance VisionCare over the other surgeries that you constantly see being advertised, and I would not hesitate to recommend a friend of mine to consider Advance VisionCare. Overall, the first week has been a little difficult as my eyesight has been blurry and it has been difficult to watch TV or use the computer, but I'm sure this will improve as my eyes become more stable.
Petter Wagstaff
Difficult to think of any improvements as I was and still am delighted with the professional yet most friendly service.
Andrew Howard
I had taken sometime to build up the confidence to go for Laser treatment, so I was a little shocked when I was advised the Laser may be problematic and I.C.L (Implantable Contact Lenses) may be a better route. I had a quite strong prescription so was keen to get rid of contact lenses. After researched and reading the literature, I elected to go ahead with the procedure. The day of the surgery came and I went to the clinic in North London. I met the staff and the surgeon who were all excellent. The procedure itself lasted 15 minutes and was a little uncomfortable at times, but 4 hours after the procedure, I could see (although a little cloudy) through my corrected eye. The next day I was virtually back to normal (corrected) vision. A week down the line and my vision is absolutely fantastic! I cannot thank the staff and Mr. Pillai in AVC enough. As I have read so many times…Why didn’t I do this earlier? Andrew Howard.
Varsha Velani
Overall the service and treatment was excellent. I was pleased and convinced that I was in good, capable hands. Everyone made me feel at ease as I was worried about this treatment for four years and once, it was done, the whole team’s support was fantastic. I would highly recommend Advance VisionCare to all my friends& family as they are extremely professional, polite and know exactly what they are doing and most importantly value for money as to me they are the best!
Marie Wright
I can only say how thrilled I am with the service I received from beginning to end. It was professional yet friendly & all the staff made me feels completely at ease. I felt totally confident that I was going to be well cared for & that I would receive the best treatment possible. Having laser eye surgery isn’t a light decision to make, but for me, it the best decision I have made. I would recommend Advance VisionCare to anyone considering it - I have come away with 20:20 vision-the best gift ever. I shall be eternally grateful to the team- Thank you so much! Anyone considering having it done should just do it!
Caroline Hobson
All the staff were extremely friendly and made you feel av ease. I would and have recommended Advance VisionCare to friends and colleagues.
MRS SUSAN BYSZEWSKI
The equipment used to measure my eyes was state of the art so gave one confidence, especially taking multiple readings. All the staff were very friendly and ind. During and after surgery I had excellent care and I felt like I had the VIP treatment. I was never in any pain and enjoyed being able to see from the moment I came out of the operating room. It felt quite miraculous being able to see without glasses or contact lenses, having been very short sighted. I never wanted to wear reading glasses, and now I know I will never need them with my multifocal IOL’s. The surgeon was wonderful throughout too, I enjoyed talking to him.
Adrian Witter
Firstly it must be said that there is no better laser clinic. The level of service is unrivalled and is backed up by the highest levels of professionalism. From my first consultation and meeting the staff, the experience was nothing but pleasurable. Staff understand the major decision you are making and are very open and approachable, constantly looking out for your own specific needs. They even managed to calm my extremely frantic mother, which in itself is a MASSIVE achievement. I received the latest technology in my surgery and the results are amazing. Having worn glasses/lenses for over half my young life (22) I was used to and fed up of life behind a lense. Now I’m FREE! Going away on holiday where ill actually be able to go to the beach, scuba dive etc. Without being restricted. Mr Pillai and his team have given me a new life. So to sum it up -Unrivalled service which sets AVC apart -Latest Technology has given me optimum results (from L/R -3.75/-4.25 to 20/20... and getting better!) -Great people in the team, all the way through You’ll never make a better decision.
Peter Bridge
Like most people I talk to I was concerned at the thought of having my eyes operated on. However I needn’t have worried – the reassurance by Advance Visioncare people all the way thought the process and the expertise of the surgeon made it a happy experience. I have already lowered my golf handicap by a couple of strokes after two weeks. The freedom of not having to wear glasses is amazing! Thanks to you all.
