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
Kristy Patel
The service at AVC was excellent. The staff helped put me at ease and made the whole procedure as easy as possible. My sister and I had the procedure on the same day and Pawel was excellent in helping her relax as she was extremely nervous and anxious I would definitely recommend AVC to anyone. Lasik has changed my life, it is amazing to be able to wake up every day and be able to see without glasses. Mr Pillai is an excellent surgeon and I felt very safe under his care. Thank you to everyone who looked after me at AVC
Oliver Gleave
All the staff were extremely friendly and willing to help. They were all very punctual.
As a patient you felt like all the staff were looking after your needs as an individual and not a general patient.
Chris Walker
I was very impressed from start to finish with AVC and the surgery has gone beyond my expectations in terms of clarity of vision I’ve achieved. What differentiate AVC from the “High Street” Clinics is (i) The personal service from Mr Pillai. (ii) The level of care before, during and after, and especially after the procedure. A big thank you to Mr Pillai and all the staff, the operation definitely been life changing!
peter mehmet
the service and staff at AVC were second to none. i was given all the imformation i needed and found the results after treatment incrediable.I would have no hesitation to reccomend AVC to anyone looking to improve their vision
Lindsey
Cannot fault the treatment I received at this clinic from start to finish, I wish I had gone for surgery years ago!! You will not be disappointed.
Sally White
From the first visit to Advanced Vision Care in Harley Street, I couldn't have had better advice or care. I could have had laser treatment but it would have meant me still having to use reading glasses, so i was thrilled when AVC said I would be suitable for Multifocal Clear Lens Exchange. Dr Goran Helgason and his team of nurses and staff were excellent on the days of my surgery. The pricedure itself took a matter of 15 minutes, each eye, on separate following days I suffered no pain or discomfort at all during or after treatment. Within a few days, my distance vision had settled down and is great now. The close vision has taken a little longer to settle but I was informed that this could be the case, but every day is slightly clearer. It is just a matter of being patient. Any concerns or worries I had, Pawel answered or sorted without any hesitation. He has been welcoming, caring and professional throughout my treatment, and it is good to know that he is there to put your mind at rest. It is a fantastic feeling to wake in the morning and see clearly, without having to put contact lenses in or reach for glasses and I would thoroughly recommend anyone suitable to go ahead with this procedure and change their life as I have. My only wish is that I had known about this procedure years ago, it is truly amazing.
Lawrence Goodrum
The service I received from start to now at the afterdacre stage has been excellent. I have just had my 3 month post operative check up with the news that I have better than 20:20 vision, so I am over the moon. I am so glad I decided to have laser eye surgery and it was worth every penny. I had done lots of research before hand and the common factors were the surgeon, technology and aftercare. Advanced Vision Care ticked all these boxes and I would rewcommend them highly.
Rajiv Shah
From start to finish the service was first class and the results were fantastic. I would highly recommend AVC to others.
Teresa Mossey
Everything was excellent from start to finish. The staff were good at making you feel at ease, did think I might change my mind. Have worn glasses for 30 years and now feel like I have a new lease of life. Have to wear glasses for reading but most people do between 40 and 50 years of age, So I didn't mind that. I do alot of sport, play golf and swim and life is much easier now.
Jessica Rose
Impressed that the surgeon saw me for initial consultation, treatment and then for the follow up appointments too - I was reassured by the continuity.
