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
lisa walton
I have had excellent service from Mr Pillai and Advance Vision Care. It has been 18 months since my operation and I see 6/4 R+L with no prescription. It has transformed my life-and being trained optometrist I am extremely discerning about my vision.
rachel collins
All round excellent. Very caring environment. The health of my eyes was put above all else. I had total confidence in my eye surgeon. I am amazed at the result. After wearing glasses all my life I now have near perfect vision.
Susan Penrose
My experience of Advance Vision is that all the staff are very professional, approachable and re-assuring. Mr Pillau seems to have a very good reputation and plenty of experience, (based on this site and comments from colleagues and other patients in the waiting room). I felt it was important to meet my consultant from the initial consultation onwards, and Mr Pillau was happy to speak to me about any concerns. I also liked that he explained whether (and why) I would benefit from wavefront treatment, rather than just use it. My actual treatment was 2 days ago (it isn't pleasant because of the thought of what is being done to your eyes, but it is short, and any pain is very brief). I am extremely pleased with the outcome and the speed of recovery. I have been lucky enough to have had hardly any discomfort, not even light sensitivity, or watery eyes immediately afterwards (just a haziness for a short time). Within 24 hours my eyes felt totally normal, and my sight is as good as it was with glasses (100% with 2 eyes). I am also very pleased that my near sight (reading and computers) is not affected - if anything it is better. I did not take the decision to have LASIK lightly, and it is a very personal choice, but my own experience so far is fantastic (I am quite amazed really!), and I have every confidence in the aftercare.
William Cheshire
"When I initially approached Advance VisionCare concerning my Eyes, I doubted whether they would be able to help me, due to my previous treatment of RK & PRK, however, I was delighted to find that they " reservedly" fancied their chances of a successful result. After all the consultation process and referrals to fellow surgeons worldwide, I have managed to get ,my wish, Much improved vision !
Simon McGuire
This is something I have thought about for a long time, but put off as I was not 100% convinced about the safety and the time was never convenient. I had a -5.0 and -4.5 prescription with a slight astigmatism. Three months later I am 0.25 and 0.25. Great! The various clamps used in the surgery were a little painful, whilst the laser was only mildly uncomfortable. Dr Pillai is a cheerful and straightforward guy and I would highly recommend him. 5/5. Thanks.
ROB HILLS
I would for like to thank Dr Pillai and all his staff for the great service that I have received. During the process I had my concerns and due to the operation and subsequent meetings I now have perfect vision. I would recommend the operation and this team to all thank you again.
Ian A holden
Excellent service throughout. I researched both the treatment and the practice extensively before making the initial appointment, even though the practice can recommend by a trusted optician of many years standing. I feel that doing so improved my confidence, and all my positive expectations were met, none of my fears realised, and all my queries answered. Job well done
Emma Deighan
I had my eyes treated by Mr Pillai in December and am so pleased I did. I work for the clinic so there was a bit of extra pressure, but all my colleagues looked after me very well. At the 1 day check up I had most of my vision back and could drive and 2 days after the op it was like I had never needed to wear glasses. I still can’t believe I do not need to mess about with contact lenses ever again. My vision is better than it was before the surgery, especially at night. This is due to the wavefront treatment I received. If anyone would like to discuss my experience or has any questions about laser treatment, please contact me at the clinic.
brett grist
I chose Advance Vision Care after carrying out a lot of research, including on lasik eyes. In the end I decided that although not the cheapest, they would provide the best standard of care and aftercare possible, in the event of a complication-not all clinics provide this. I did suffer a miner complication, which was very quickly resolved; if I had used another clinic I doubt that I would have achieved a satisfactory result. My vision is now 120%, and I would recommend Advance Vision Care to anyone.
allison Hill
I would thoroughly recommend this clinic to anyone thinking of having laser surgery. Mr Pillai and his staff could not have been more helpful and informative, and took time to ensure that all my questions were answered. I am delighted with the results achieved (although I do now need reading glasses.) The procedure is painless, and, in my opinion, well worth undertaking for the end results.
