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
Simone Harris
I often still feel like I am wearing contact lenses because I can watch the television and see the view from my window. Then I realise that the laser eye treatment has been a miracle and I can now see with clear vision every minute of everyday. I would definitely recommend this surgery as an absolute must because it is wonderful feeling to have your eyesight restored in a safe and pain free operation.
Laura Cuschieri
Absolutely brilliant !!!! A dream come true so a very big thank you.
Brian Berry
Excellent pre & post operative service and care.
Harry Bagwandeen
It has now been over two years since surgery, and my eyes are still great. I regularly find myself testing my eyesight to see what the smallest print I can read at distance in seperate eyes and it's still very small, far away I've had no problems at all and my night vision is still good. Thanks once again to all the team and I will be seeing you all soon with a step daughter when she gets to 21 for more of the same. Harry
Mrs A G Robinson
Having grown tired of wearing glasses for some twenty years or more I decided to do some research. After having read practically all that is available on the Internet regarding laser eye surgery. I finally contacted my optometrist for his advice/opinion. Although he was anxious to let me know that he had no affiliation whatsoever with any of the clinics, he was happy to confirm my own conclusion: that Advance VisionCare was probably the best. I was very impressed from the word go and felt confident nothing could go wrong and fixed a date there and then for the operation to took place without a hitch a week later. The procedure was far less uncomfortable than I expected. I had none of the after effects mentioned here and there (no weepy, sore eyes and no pain) and spent the evening after watching TV (without glasses-Bliss!) I slept very well and the painkillers were unnecessary but I did apply the drops and gel tears regularly (as prescribed) and wore my goggles at night for a week afterwards. 6 weeks on and my vision still fluctuates slightly; for instance, I’ll pick up the paper and never know whether I’ll need my reading glasses or not that particularly day. The vision in my left eye is near perfect; in my right eye I am now slightly short sighted as it was over corrected and I need to go back in for a slight adjustment. Mr Pillai talks very casually about the procedure and I feel it is pretty routine work and have no qualms whatsoever. So far I was delighted (driving-as reversing round corners etc-has become a lovely experience: wearing hats, a new pleasure and applying eye make up & joy etc, etc!) I have ticked all of Advance VisionCare questionnaire “excellent” boxes. They could not have performed better in all respect. Mr Pillai has an excellent, very friendly and professional team surrounding him and I have no hesitation in recommending all of them to anyone interested. 17th August 2005. Well, well, well…. I have been home without further ado. 9 weeks on and my right eye have corrected itself of its own accord. My eyesight is pretty good and could even get better apparently. We’ll see…. next appointment is in 4 months time. I am really chuffed.
E Mackay
Very professional team. Gave me a lot of confidence and assurance throughout the process. Would definitely recommend to friends and family.
James Stratford
The level of service, expertise off all the staff and the manner of Dr Pillai, was perfect. They fully understand the concerns and needs of the patients and I had full confidence (and was always informed of) their work on me during treatment. The Wavefront technology seems fantastic I had near perfect vision 15 minutes after the operation, and experienced absolutely no side effects. One week on I was told I have 110% vision and only four days before I was a –4.00. Thank You.
Dawn Wilson
The laser treatment was very worthwhile. My eyes did get quite tired and dry for for about 4 weeks following the treatment but I have not looked back and would certainly recommend Harley Street.
Therese Lord
My treatment and consultation were excellent. I had a very high prescription of -8.75 and was concerned whether or not I was suitable for LASEK treatment, and felt very confident about the surgery thanks to the indepth consultation and the qualifications of Dr Pillai. After two days of most miminal discomfort & light sensitivity, I was able to see quite well and my sight quickly got better and better. Two weeks laster I have almost perfect vision.
Penelope Jane Baatz
What Can I say ! A faultness service from start to finish. Impeccable timekeeping-totally comprehensive explanations delivered in a friendly and non-threatening way by Cassie who gets 10 out 10 for putting me at ease both before and during surgery. Dr Pillai - you have changed my life - thank you so much for that. 20/20 vision-what more could I ask for? You are a star.
