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
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.
Paul Marsh
I was very pleased with the outcome of the surgery, the procedure seemed very routine and this helped me to relax (along with the valiam). I would like to convey my thanks to all members of the team.
Karen Horner
I have been very pleased with both the service I received and the results of surgery. I was extremely impressed with Mr Pillai and will certainly recommend Advance VisionCare to my friends & family.
Petra Smith
Was very happy with the service provided, in particular Mr Pillai Cassie & Lela all helped me to make me feel comfortable and answered any questions I had prior to surgery as well as on the day. A very professional service & one that I will be happy to recommend to friends and family.
Cherisse Cohen
Laser eye surgery has really transformed my life already. I couldn’t have wished for a better Christmas present and Dr Pillai & his team could not have made the whole process more comfortable if they tried. A fantastic team who do everything in their reach to achieve fantastic results time & time again.
Carol Mc Crindle
If I had known how easy it was, I would have had laser surgery years ago. Mr Pillai and his staff all have caring and calming manner. You allways feel at ease and are encouraged to ask questions in order that you fully understand the procedure, the outcome and the post op care required. The surgery has changed my life and given me so much more confidence.
Nicola Nazer
The staff at Advance VisionCare at Harley Street made me feel at ease before the operation. Dr Pillai introduced himself to my Mother who came with me on the day, and this made me feel very welcome as I think she was more nervous than me! I would recommend Advance VisionCare to anyone considering laser eye treatment. I left relieved and safe through out the procedure and the aftercare process.
Helen Morris
The service has been excellent from start to finish. Everything was thoroughly explained, great care was taken & at no point did I feel under any pressure. Even more importantly I am delighted with the results. My vision is better than it ever was with glasses or contact lenses-what more can I say. Thank You.
Jeremy Knowles
I would have no hesitation in recommending the excellent Mr Pillai & his staff. From the initial consultation through to the surgery and the aftercare, the service has been very professional. I now have 20/20 vision.
Simon Ngo
Mr first impression of AVC was excellent. All the staff were friendly and very informative. They answered all my questions which until I was fully satisfied. I had previous consultations with Ultralase and Optical Express, but Advance VisionCare made me feel like an individual patient rather than a person on a conveyor belt. Everything was explained clearly until I was fully satisfied putting my eyes under the laser with Dr Pillai. Six weeks post treatment (Wavefront LASEK) I now have a 0 prescription in both eyes (-6.5 previously) I am extremely happy with the level of service and the outcome of the treatment. I would fully recommend Advance VisionCare to anyone considering laser eye surgery. Thank You AVC !!!
