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
al kirk
great clinic
Robert Herron
Pain free operation, follow up excellent. 20-20 vision in eye. Glad I used Ms Saw.
Michelle Rivers-Brown
A 5-star experience with Ms Saw. She is very thorough with pre testing and explaining the procedure. After care was excellent and I obtained a great result. The only regret is not doing it sooner.
Thanks again!
Henrietta McCabe
Valerie’s care and expertise have been incredibly reassuring right through from the initial consultation until today (one year post-op).
I was specifically drawn to Valerie because of her expertise in dry eyes. I was nervous about the idea of laser given my dry eyes, and Valerie confirmed that ICL would be more appropriate given my dry eyes, high prescription (-9) and astigmatism.
The surgery was very quick and calm, and I attended the second eye on my own, having seen how straightforward the first eye was.
Valerie’s after-care was incredible. She saw me at very regular intervals and answered all my questions.
I still cannot believe how sharp my eyesight is – I had very poor vision out of my glasses and could not tolerate contact lenses. The surgery has absolutely changed my quality of life and confidence.
I am so grateful that I came across Valerie and her incredible expertise.
Niroshini Gallacher
The treatment was completely successful. Great to be able to drive without glasses and to buy sunglasses without having to get expensive lenses. Wish I’d done it sooner, best money I’ve ever spent!
Pamela Weeks
I found Valerie very informative prior to having my eye implants. The aftercare was first class. I would not hesitate to recommend Valerie to any of my friends who were thinking of having this procedure.
Penny J
I am so grateful to Miss Saw for her expert advice, guidance and care resulting in surgery which has greatly improved my vision and allowed me the joy of discarding two sets of spectacles. My thanks also to the team whose warmth and kindness were much appreciated.
Fash
It’s been a year since my surgery and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results! My vision was -7.00 with astigmatism and I needed a bit of a fine tuning treatment which was explained to me by the surgeon as higher chance with my type of prescription. After the retreatment I can see better than 20/20. The surgery was so easy I wished I just had it done earlier. I did suffer from a bit of eye dryness but I understand that this is quite common of eye surgery. AVC had been very attentive and professional throughout the aftercare and looking after my dryness.
I’ve even recommended AVC to all my friends. Would highly recommend!
Shane
I had treatment with Advanced vision care 3 years ago and could not be happier. I went to them as one of my friends had recommended them after having treatment there himself a few months before. I had been toying with the idea for some time. I had been to other clinics in the past but never really felt comfortable as I felt I was being pressured into having treatment with them. AVC never pressured me into anything. in fact, the patiently answered all my questions and made sure I was aware of all the facts. The consultation lasted about 2 and a half hours and was very thorough. I met Mr Pillai on the day of the consultation who told me that I was not suitable for laser as my prescription was too high, and that implantable contact lenses would be better for me. Dr Pillai was very upfront about all the risks that I may face due to my high prescription. He took the time to show me why I was not suitable for laser and explained why he would be happier if I had the ICL treatment. Dr Pillai even asked me to go to a specialist for retinal opinion first. Even though there was a risk I was confident that I was in the safest place. Even though he had patients waiting to see him he made me feel like I was his only patient and that he was there to make sure I was happy.
I have had some issues but they have all been dealt with with the utmost care. since I have had the treatment I have recommended 6 people who have also had treatment with AVC. Compared to the other clinics I went to for a consultation I am so happy I had treatment with AVC as the whole team really look after you.
Michael O
I am delighted with my lens replacement surgery. I was apprehensive at first however Valerie and her team are amazing I can not praise her as much as I’d like to. I had my lens replaced on 14th and 15th February 2017 right eye 1st then the following morning other eye. and my Vision could not be better.
A few weeks of eye drops after surgery and all good the thing I noticed more is haveing a shower and seeing what was the shampoo bottle.
If you are thinking about it 100% do it as they is no pain what so ever it just nerves and Valerie and her team make the the nervousness go away I’m pleased to say.
Robert Tomkinson
I was 26 when I unfortunately met Dr. Pillai. His team said I was 100% compatible with no issues of dry eyes or astigmatism, just mild short sightedness at -4 in each eye.
My first operation saw my eyesight increase to -1 but I was still short sighted, so I needed a second top up. This worked as I was better than 20:20 but had terrible night vision, halos and starburst, even in the day time, and dry eyes.
6 months later Dr Pillai recommended a 3rd operation called a lift flap and clean to address those issues, which were probably caused by the dryness. I regret taking his advice as this operation made my vision worse, with both eyes deteriorating to less than 20:20, the original issues prevailing and now my eyes have been bloodshot for over 2 months. Note I’ve followed his advice on drops, gels and supplements to the letter.
I was foolish enough to trust AVC due to their branding of being a Harley St. clinic but in reality, having been their customer/experiment for over 18 monts, I know that Dr. Pillai has little compassion, they struggle with high staff turnover, don’t have multiple surgeons as their website claims and most importantly don’t provide a lifetime of after care.
Please think twice about choosing this company. I regret the day I stepped foot in their office.
