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
Emma Thompson
I have wanted laser eye surgery for many years but due to “ nerves” and the occasional horror stories hear delayed my pursuit to find the right surgeon. If I knew then what know now I would have had it done years ago. Throughout the whole process from initial consultation to the aftercare I was treated professionally & received a very personal service, the staff are very genuine, caring & Dr Pillai is thorough and makes you feel very relaxed. My sight was very poor –I can now wake up in the morning and “see”-it is truly amazing my life has changed –I would recommend Dr Pillai and his team highly. Thank You so much!!!
Lisa Campbell
I have been extremely impressed with the level of professionalism received as a patient with Advance VisionCare. In addition to this they are all very helpful and friendly and put me at ease during each stage of treatment. Before surgery the procedure was thoroughly explained so I knew exactly what to expect and aftercare was given clearly and written down so nothing was forgotten. All in all an excellent service from a lovely team, very highly recommended-thank you for making my eyes work!!! 20/20 vision after 6 weeks wow !
Susan Burrows
I received A1 treatment from the initial phone call to having treatment. The whole team were great in allaying any fears I had.
Matthew Mezger
The procedure and post op healing process was explained very well…no surprises !!! The operation went very smoothly and I was very happy with the level of care during and after the operation.
Eileen Smith
Everything was great, I love not having to wear glasses & enjoy being able to choose sunglasses.
Jonathan Waltho
If anyone had made the decision to have laser eye surgery, I would have no hesitation in recommending Mr Pillai and Advance VisionCare, from start to finish, they have been incredibly professional but without missing out on a sympathetic and empathetic Customer care. My only minor concerns were with some of the administration and in particular the inconsistency of detail in the supporting literature, on the website and in the consultations.
Steve Drage
The treatment was not at all painful, at worst just a little uncomfortable. The whole procedure was carried out very quickly in less than 30 minute, I could see out both eyes straight away. Within a hour of surgery I was on a train back home –without any problems. I have had no irritation to either eye-and my sight was improved well enough for me to legally drive a car the very next day. I am delighted with the results.
K Hajichristou
From start to finish this has been an outstanding experience. As soon as you put your trust in the whole team then there is no looking back. Fantastic service, fantastic results, at no point did I feel any anxiety it was the most exciting thing I’ve done in a long time. Oh yes and the shopping and restaurants were a real added bonus !!!!
Matt Coates
Mr Pillai & his clinical team gave me complete reassurance before, during & after the refractive surgery. The procedures were clearly laid out with all reservations I had were satisfied during my visit to Harley Street. I would certainly recommend Advance VisionCare to anyone considering the surgery due to their “one-point of contact, confidence in surgeon & quality of clinical team plus outstanding technology.
Roger Coates
Excellent staff to compliment Mr Pillai, who seems very competent in the field of optometric and laser surgery. Whilst I have had to return to Harley Street for an “enhancement” treatment last week, I do feel confident in the treatment to date and that my aspirations will be achieved given time. The single point of contact and personal service by Mr Pillai was the main reason for choosing this practice, which has proven to be the right decision for me. My son also had laser treatment, to correct a lesser prescription, which has proven to be a complete success. For these considering refractive surgery I would have no hesitation in recommending Advance VisionCare.
