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
B
I had a consultation at Boots (Reading) today, and have arranged an appointment for the treatment on Friday (8th Aug). I also had an initial consultation with Advance VisionCare (London) at my local optician - Eyesite, a couple of days ago. I am now quite confused as whom to go with: Boots - I found that they were very general about things, didn't explain what the test were I was having done, very little detail was given, was passed to about 4 different members of staff. even though I told them that I had read up on the subject, I still feel that they should have explained things further. When I met the surgeon - Joanna M McGraw - she was very nice. However, the risks were explained to me in very small detail. The enhancement process was not explained in detail either, like, when would they don't do an enhancement. The aftercare is only 3 visits - is this enough? I explained that many other places offer a lot more, she informed me that I was able to come more than 3 times, they wouldn't turn me away. But they have found that people just don't want to come to appointments a year later. (I would want to?!?!) I asked whether Boot's used Wavefront, Joanna told me that if I needed it, I would be given it at the time of the surgery. Advance VisionCare (AVC )- My assessment was done at Eyesite in Reading. All the tests were explained throughly as to why they were being done. A counsellor from AVC came from London to explain all the risks and complications and to answer all my questions. She spent approx 30 minutes explaining the process and the risks involved. Boots must have spent about 2 minutes explaining it!! The aftercare offered by AVC is up to 18 months - 24-48 hrs, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 18 months later. Are there many places that offer this much aftercare? AVC also use Wavefront - is this laser the best one to use? My main concern is getting to London, having to spent the night there at a hotel (which I would need to pay for), and for someone to take time out to come with me. Any advice/comments would be most grateful. Thanks :-)
Adam Shiu
My prescription was R-5.5, L-5.0. I had my lasik treatment on 24 July 03. During the procedure, I felt no pain at all, only slight discomfort when the lid guard and suction ring was placed on my eye. On my way home after the treatment, I could see clearly, just a bit hazy. After the check-up the next day, I could drive home. A week later, my eyes achieved 20/20 vision. I am so happy I can see clearly now, except I need my reading glasses for reading because of my age. Thanks to Dr. Jenkins who carried out the assessment, Mr. Pillai MD who did the lasik treatment, and the rest of the team.
Harry Bagwandeen
As this is the only eye surgery I have ever had, from the initial consultation through to post op check ups the service and treatment have been beyond my wildest dreams. I had been wearing glasses and lenses since the age of 6 I'm now almost 38 and after having all the annoying things that go with glasses and lenses i.e. wet glasses in the rain ,steamed glasses tired and sore eyes after wearing lenses all day, all of these things I no longer have to suffer. The surgery was realatively painless, a minor discomfort when the speculum was used and that was the only discomfort I had suffered apart from about 1hr of light sensitivity that is it Its now 2 weeks post op and the only discomfort I feel is the discomfort of wearing lenses(not much at all). The day of the op after surgery my eyesight improved by the hour and since then it has got better and better to the point of 100% in one eye and 110% in the other, Its clear and sharp with no haze at all, my night vision has also improved as I nolonger get glare from headlights. This treatment is absolutly amaizing and I have been recomending it to all my glass wearing friends and work collegues. Thanks a million to all at AVC a job superbly done.
Alan Harris
Fantastic - like a miracle!! No pain and hardly any discomfort. I used plenty of comlimentary eye drops for lubrication, and sunglasses as eyes were slightly sensitive to the sun. Vision improved every day throughout the first week and finally stabilised at better than 20/20. Couldn't see this well with my glasses or contact lenses.
Alison Verkroost
I have had poor vision ( almost -7 and astigmatism in both eyes ) since I was small, and have been unable to find contact lenses which I can wear successfully, so I was very interested to hear about this clinic from my optician. I found the staff very professional, and also very friendly and willing to explain everything in great detail. In my case one eye could not be fully corrected due to the thickness of the cornea, but the other was able to be fully corrected. The treatment itself was fine, I was given comprehensive instructions for after care, and an emergency 24 hour number for any problems. Everything worked exactly as they said it would, and I can now drive and manage all day to day activities without glasses. One eye is slightly undercorrected, as they said, and in due course when my vision has settled down I can decide whether and how to correct it. One aspect of this clinic which appealed to me greatly, was their partnership with a number of opticians around the country. This meant that whilst I had to travel to London for the consultation and treatment, I could have all subsequent check ups with my local optician who understands the procedure fully. I would highly recommend this clinic to anyone thinking of laser surgery, particularly with more complex prescriptions who may not have been suitable in the past.
