Vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation in 135 Neurosurgery clinics in Europe

Context: Foreign patient/tourist Lack of signage for foreign patients is what exacerbated this horrible experience not knowing what is the correct entrance, the fact that you can't go any doctor and must go straight to the emergency reception for example (flat fee is also 200 EU which luckily was refunded by my travel insurance) 1 receptionist out of 7 was friendly, rest were horrible to an ill person despite being polite as possible 1 doctor in the emergency ward was pretty careless after dismissing me from the hospital (and was dismissive), not even providing a proper dressed bandage for my wound after removing a drip needle that was never used to give fluids (something usually done for pain or dehydration - I was expecting some for relief but none was given) A trainee had better bedside manners The doctors in the gyni section were absolutely fantastic, explaining everything, being friendly etc. However, nothing was found for the cause of my pain which was distressing and no pain relief was offered even. A traumatic experience for someone traveling alone. I hope this review helps someone in the future. Will never be traveling back to Cologne as the reception to tourists is 99% of the time cold as ice.

First , I can not comment on medical services , but the buildings and the arrangements, the wide variety of specialties and advanced equipment all are amazing. Well organized campus.

My wife gave birth there. This was the only good experience we had in hospitals. I want to give thumbs up for the best team in the world and especially to Frau Hannah. 🙏

The hospital oncology is careless and amateur. They mistreared and misdiagnosed a friend of mine for months with cancer. They told him he is fine, whereas he had severe abdominal pain. What kind of doctors work there? Have they not sworn to do no harm??

They just don’t have the knowledge to be doctors or nurses. Sadly, all the hospitals in Spain are like this. You can find some good specialist and surgeons, but that’s about it. Free healthcare=Poor quality.

I have been in Emergency hospitals here in Spain, was first time I got decent treatment, from receptionists, nurses and doctors was perfect the attendance. Do not give 5 stars because they did not make any treatment, because was not my reference Hospital. I think it¨s absurd, anyway was the best I have been in Spain so far.

Great experience. Went there on a Sunday evening urgently for our kid. The paediatrician on site suggested that a specialist should see her. They called him and he was there just for us in less than an hour.

Exorbitant prices were charged for a single D-DIMER blood test. We were charged 120 euros for this test, whereas at a private microbiological practice in the heart of Thessaloniki, without any insurance, the cost was only 10 euros. If you need to undergo basic blood tests, it's advisable not to choose this facility, unless you have private insurance. Furthermore, the staff responsible for blood sampling seemed to lack experience, and they appeared quite inconvenienced when I requested the use of a smaller needle.

Truly grateful to this hospital, my mother has been receiving treatment there for the past year and a half. The oncology department as well as the department dealing with international patients have truly showed exemplary service. The doctors that have helped us have been beyond amazing and I would not have chosen any other hospital. The nurses have also been helpful, joyful and kind. We now do all our medical services there, and travel cross country to get there, including myself and other family members.

As a study abroad student, this hospital was great at providing me the medical assistance I needed. If you need to see a general practitioner, head to the ER and walk to the international desk. They’ll get you all the help you need. Come prepared with documentation and ID!

I highly recommend Dr Gabriel Cardenas Rivera for his exceptional surgical skills and compassionate care. My recent surgery was a success because of her expertise. I had a great experience at HM Delfos. The staff were caring and the facility was clean and safe. I wholeheartedly recommend it for medical care.

My first negative review ever, but the situation calls for it. Please, be aware that the hospital charge EUR 450 for a visit - this is NOT something they will tell you in advance. They charge a deposit and when you ask them how much the visitation costs, they will not give you a straight answer. Naturally, as a private hospital the cost will be higher, however, with this one, there is 0 transparency. The doctor spent 1 minute looking at my symptoms with 0 examination (not even checking my temperature), and my case was re-directed to a public hospital, and then took EUR 450. I would be very careful before wasting time and money here.

Came with toothpain on sunday,didnt wait too long cca 2 hours, doctor and nurse were very kind,spoke English,helped me with pain,so im happy i came there,just parking is pretty expensive.

The emergency department is just a disaster. Organisational chaos. As a result- hours in a waiting line.

I really hope Google will someday let me give negative score to this place. I had to wait 2 months for an appointment, only to come here and sit in the waiting room for 1.5 hours (and the appointment is for a 2 minute consultation). The level of inefficiency and incompetence is just astonishing

I have been to this hospital twice, and both times I got disappointed. First time I needed a paper from the doctor that I was sick. She wrote incorrect information on the paper, and I only noticed it when I was home. My documents were not accepted by my uni as a result. Then, today I went to the Blutbank to donate my blood. I have a rare blood type, and I already had experience donating. I am also completely healthy and have enough muscle mass to donate without any conscequences for my own health. First, when they took a small sample of my blood from the ear, they put a plaster straight onto my hair. It was very hard to get it out of my hair later, and, mind you, very hurtful. Then, I had a talk with a very incompetent doctor/nurse. I speak english better than german, and at one point I asked her if she spoke any english. By the way, I do speak german, I just understand english better. So, I was told: "We speak german here, if you cant speak our language then there will be no donation." Excuse me?? I didn't know that the people I wanted to donate to have such a LUXURY to only have blood from people speaking fluent german. You would refuse half a liter of healthy blood on such a basis? So, in the end I did not donate, I got told to "come tomorrow". Honestly I don't think I will come here ever again. In less than 30 minutes all my will to help people got destroyed. I will make sure to avoid this hospital at all costs, and you should too.

Very long waiting times and you get send from one place to another. Some of the places have no real waiting areas. Once I did get seen the nurse was very friendly and helpul though.

Most racist doorkeeper ever :(

I was transferred back to the emergency department where I waited for hours in excruciating pain to be seen by J. Straub and Dr. med T. Mederer for less than 5 minutes each completely ignoring my recent scans and the notes from the referring hospital. One of these supposed medical professionals told me they have a program that could help me but that I couldn’t be treated any further because I only spoke English. They administered Iv pain medicine that made me feel worse and pushed me into the waiting area until my family could pick me up. I am requesting a formal response from the hospital administration and the head of Neurochirurgie Prof. Dr. N. O. Schmidt. I will also file a complaint against the hospital through Tricare.

US military here. I would definitely not recommend this hospital. Poor communication, rude staff (case management). Make sure they can 100% confirm your appointment on the first day of your visit (at least on your pre-op appointment)! Make sure your surgery is not "selective", otherwise they would schedule you and let you know 24 hours prior that your surgery was rescheduled for in another 6 weeks (almost like on aspace-available basis). This happened to me. If you are an active duty military member feel free to reach out to me. Unless you wanna be your commander's favorite and put in and cancel your convalescent leave as if you're a civilian... Also talk to your local Tricare office about this hospital.

I was extremely honoured to have been at Regensburg University Hospital. They outmost trained professional students and their highly educated doctors. Their program is unmatched and superb. Simply the best!

Two weeks ago I got a fixed appointment to see a specialist. When I showed up on time for the appointment, we were told that no doctor would be there today and the appointment would not take place! I was kept there for 4 hours with unsuitable staff and in the end I was just given a piece of paper with a different phone number so that I can try to arrange a next appointment. I was present with my mother in a wheelchair, who is chronically ill and in severe pain. The emergency room didn't help us either! Thank you, I hope you stay healthy!!

I had vomited 4 times, was in sever pain and fever. I went to the emergency for some assistance at 6am in the morning, the doctor and the receptionist refused to take me in and instead said you won’t die if you dont eat for another 2 days. Extremely rude and racist behavior. Never EVER anybody with a person of color should go there. Don’t deserve even 1 star.

Extremely rude attitude even at the reception. Then we visited the eye clinic and there the "head" of the department was arrogant, rude, mean and disturbingly angry. I would not recommend EVER! We were waiting for an examination of a child, but it never happened.

I want to give Zero star. There is not a single thing good in this hospital. I broke my foot (multiple hairline fractures) on 17 July. I went to the emergency department (Notfall) and waited almost 6-7 hours (there were hardly 5-6 patients). The doctor did only the XRAY and said no bone is broken. Please take Ibuprofen and sent me back home with an appointment to see me again after 5 days. On Monday i went again, the pain was unbearable. I told the doctor and they did CT scan (waiting time was again 4-5 hours). She told me later that my bones are broken and they put Gips on my foot. After every two weeks, i came for a basic check-up with an appointment but still had to wait 4-6 hours. Today, 04 Sept, i had an appointment at 11:00. I came on-time and still waiting (it’s been more than 4Hrs+). Is this how a developed country’s hospital should be? Why they are unable to manage a small amount of patients? There are hardly 20 patients. I’m really irritated, disappointed and angry on the public health care system of Germany. Better to get treated from a developing nation, where doctors are more competent and you get better service and treatment.

The worker here are so lovely and caring…despite I don’t understand German but I was loved

I made an appointment on Friday at 11:15 . I come to the appointment and they say they don't have it. They send me to the emergency room instead, where i wait for 3 hours. You sit there, without any clarity, afraid to going to the toilet so not to miss your precious turn, getting hungry and anxious, watching all your day plans crashing apart. Story #2: I've made an appointment, at "Notaufnahme", the doc told me "make it early", so I scheduled for 8:30. I spend 130eur on taxi to reach the Klinik from Clausthal (the only way to reach at this time). They have a complete haos (bad weather, understandable). Aftet 6h of waiting, it turned out that THEY LOST MY FILE. (and I asked about my file at the 6h of waiting and received then a rude "you have to wait", instead of them checking if my file was present). In total, my waiting time: 8;30-20:30, that is 12 (TWELVE) hours. From the nurses/admin I received no apologies nor kind words nor anything of this kind. The doctor was the only person who got into situation, and applied good "comm skills", kudos to him. So it happened twice: first, they lost my appointment and told me they didn't have it. (story #1). Second, they lost my documents (story #2). Story#3: that is a normal interaction: had an apntmt at Notaufnahme at 8:45, waited 1h, got invited, then doc said "surgeon is busy wait for more 30min, go have a tee if you want", came back after 30min, got "serviced". Thanks to the doc for clarity ("go have tee for 30min"). That is a positive interaction: only 1h30min waiting in total, everything was clear. Added one ⭐ (now one, prev 0zero). On the negative side: turned out my Monday visit with 12h waiting was absolutely useless. Story#4: so they gave me a receipt for physiotherapy, but put the WRONG name on it. I ve an appointments with the physio, waited for three weeks, attended 3 sessions, and the physio now cancelled all the other appointments bcs of the wrong name on that receipt that they gave me. Now I need to get another physio prescription from UniKlinik, then wait another three weeks (?) for new appointments with physio. And all this while doctors are urging me "you really need therapy, or you have big troubles with your joint". Lesson: always check the documents they give you, they make mistakes.

Had my appendix removed about two months ago only complains I have are in the emergency department I was told by one of the doctors I was getting surgery, he was then pulled out of the room by a nurse and never returned. When asked do I know what’s happening for my surgery later that night I hadn’t a clue cause the doctor never came back and told me what it was for or when. The nurses on the ward when I went up where amazing looked after me so well really reassured me not to worry. The nurse that took over their shift after was out of surgery was completely different I had gotten sick after coming out of surgery she left the sick bag on my table the entire night along with the blanket I had gotten sick on, I was too unwell to even realise I had been sleeping in my sick the whole night. The next nurse to take over her shift had not been too impressed with me for not throwing the sick bad out or the sheets even though my iv was attached to the bed so I couldn’t physically move from the bed to do anything. It was only these two nurses that made my experience bad at the beacon as I’ve been before for a separate issue and it was absolutely amazing. I would recommend their hospital and I wouldn’t let them two nurses stop me from going to them again, but I would say it really did make me feel worse especially spending so much money to stay and be in their care.

As an American who has always been treated at the top clinic of Mayo Clinic my entire life I was scared to death to experience healthcare anywhere else. After breaking my foot I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how great the staff is here. The nurses, registration, consultants..everyone. I feel a lot of comfort after being seen here now multiple times and having surgery. It’s a different process than I’m used to but that’s a learning curve on my part. Thank you to all the staff for putting my anxiety to the way side.

Just back from taking my elderly mum for a CT in the Beacon Hospital. Lauren in radiology reception was fantastic with her. She was clear, helpful, friendly and very patient with with mum. CT staff were fantastic and efficient, meaning we were in and out in no more than 30min.

Incredible experience from start to finish. Appointment time 230. In doctor's office at 235, out on the road home by 345. Staff extremely friendly. Could not have asked for better. Also exquisitely clean. 10/10

Overall, not a great experience and wouldn't use them again. I went in for a heart ultrasound, stress test and a plaque test. The stress test was a nightmare. I was put on a running machine with a face mask. I kid you not. I was forced to undergo a stress test on a running machine where I could barely breathe. It was an horrendous experience. I really thought I was going to have a heart attack there and then on the machine as they increased the stress on my heart. How they could expect to get accurate results based on that is beyond me. I paid on the day and shortly afterwards got an additional bill....then another bill. I still don't know what the additional costs were for were for. I couldn't work out the statement that accompanied the bill as it was overly complicated. I went to my doctors a few months later about another minor matter and though it might be a good time to discuss my tests. He didn't know what I was talking about. He'd received nothing. I tried ringing radiology several times and it always went to voice mail. The receptionist told me to send an email which I did. I wrote an email and I did receive a reply saying they would send out one of the test results to my doctor but wanted his address. This was odd as my details and those of my doctor were on my initial induction form. I explained in a replying email that there were several tests...not just one and could they forward them onto him as well....nothing. No reply. I've never heard anything back and at this stage have given up trying to get my results posted out. I really would not recommend them based on my experience.

Had an unfortunate accident which brought me to the ED. The receptionists were very efficient and very pleasant to deal with. I was so fortunate to have had Dr David Foley looking after my case, he was extremely empathetic to my predicament and made me feel at ease at such a stressful/painful time. He referred me to Dr Stefan Byrne in Orthopedics who dealt with me very promptly, he was very professional. I left confident in his care and thankful for the kindness of his receptionist. Overall for such a traumatic time I was so grateful to everyone for making it that bit easier.....except for the pay for parking machine which refused to give a receipt one day and also refused to give my ticket back another day after paying

We had the misfortune of Dad being referred to the care of plastic surgeon Catriona Lawlor at St. Vincent's Private for stage 2a Skin Melanoma. She was medically negligent to my father in that she didn't carry out any regular post care checks after the primary treatment. I asked her why and she came up with lies regarding covid, despite the National Screening Service telling me that there were no restrictions on cancer checks at the times she claims she didn't check my father for his own safety. She is a liar. My father again had the misfortune of coming under Prof. John Crown (or Professor Clown as we came to know him due his ridiculous and aggressive outbursts) once cancer progressed. He delayed my father's cancer treatment by 2 months because he wanted to conduct tests to identify the correct type of immunotherapy, despite these results already being available from 18 months prior. He put my father under 3 unnecessary and risky biopsies, one of which was a liver wedge section performed by a liver transplant surgeon. There were also 4 MRIs indicating stroke in this time, we're told most likely due to the spread of cancer. It took 4 MRIs and 7 weeks from 1st MRI in the care of St. Vincent's Private before my father was referred to a neurologist for tests and appropriate medication. At one point my father's nutritional supplements were withdrawn without discussion with my father, nor us. He was put into a private room and Professor Clown told me to expect the worst within the next two weeks. I immediately requested nutritional intervention and this was given. My father survived for over a year after that. Prof. Clown then tried to discharge my heavily dependent father onto my mother to which I refused to do without additional help outside of basic HSE home package. Prof. Clown's only option then was to leave the medical team, for which, he called my mother and sister into a meeting and accused them of being abusive because at that meeting they queried his treatment of my father and why no regular checks were done on my father. Prof. Clown claimed no checks were needed earlier but then said he never stated such at this meeting. He went on to send an email from the ward email address claiming we were abusive and threatening. For original treatment under Catriona Lawlor my parents were sent incorrect bills for which the finance department said they would fix. They never corrected their mistakes and a bill for €30 was sent to the debt collector for arrears. After my father left St. Vincent's Private there was a shortfall of €13,000 because VHI didn't cover the private room for my father in which he was placed to die prematurely. To this day no bill has been sent despite my queries to Paula Ryan and Dr. David Fennelly (took over from Prof. Clown, another member of the circus). We all know that this is due to their medical negligence. Be extremely careful if your loved one is under the care of this hospital. Private healthcare is completely unregulated in Ireland. Should any doctor in this hospital mess up you are on your own. The doctors are contractors and legally independent of the hospital itself. The hospital will not investigate and neither will the Ombudsman, HSE, Dept. of Health, etc. VHI covered 6 months of care in a private hospital for my father. I appealed to the management for extended care and treatment due their medical negligence. This was refused and Dr. David Fennelly put pressure on my father to choose the hospice for further care. I had to email Fennelly to take pressure off my father and give him space to decide. He was cut from the same ilk as Prof. Clown. My father survived 9 months in the hospice without any follow up with scans or care of an oncologist nor neurologist despite our requests to Dr. Fennelly for a plan of care to be ongoing. This hospital is unsafe and completely disorganised. Should any of the above be untrue I look forward to their legal letter for defamation but I know that won't happen because my defence would be the truth which they know themselves.

I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the exceptional care and expertise provided by Dr. Anthony Stafford during a critical period in my life. Dr. Stafford's remarkable skills as a surgeon not only saved my life, but also transformed a terrifying situation into a remarkable journey of healing and recovery. Facing a life-altering medical issue was undoubtedly one of the most challenging experiences I've ever encountered. However, Dr. Stafford's accurate diagnosis and prompt action gave me the hope and strength to overcome the ordeal. He demonstrated an unparalleled level of professionalism and dedication, reminiscent of a guardian angel who emerged in my life precisely when I needed him the most. What truly sets Dr. Stafford apart is his unwavering commitment to not only address the medical concern at hand, but also considering the broader implications for my overall well-being. His expertise ensured that the surgical intervention was tailored to minimize impact on my body, allowing me to embark on a path towards a healthy life. As a woman, the significance of his approach in prioritizing my health and recovery cannot be overstated. In essence, Dr. Stafford's impact extends far beyond the realm of medical expertise. He restored my health, instilled hope, and empowered me to embrace life with renewed vigor. Every step of the way, he exuded compassion and professionalism, creating an environment where I felt both cared for and confident in the journey ahead. I owe my gratitude and a debt of profound appreciation to Dr. Anthony Stafford for being the beacon of light that guided me through the darkness. His contributions to my well-being have left an indelible mark on my life, and I am forever thankful for his presence during my time of need. Regards, Isha

My sincere appreciation for the diagnosis, and treatment. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and living my life. The feeling of gratitude is so difficult for me to put into words. I’d just like to let all those working here know what a good job they’ve done. You’re a great team, thank you. John

Well I loved how I was cared for and treated by the staff, doctors and nurses but who actually loves being admitted to hospital. Both my grandparents passed away in St James after battling chronic illnesses. The hospital did a tremendous job whilst caring and helping my grandparents and myself.

After 10 hours waiting for be attended in the Ermegency Dep. the doctor kick me out saying it wasn’t an emergency and without a prescription. Next day I went to a private GP and they gived me a prescription and look after me very well. It’s the worst hospital I’ve ever visited and I had one of the worst experiences of my life. (Also I paid 100€ for it, thieves)

My mom just returned from the A+E, as a qualified nurse myself, I'm appalled at the treatment and medical negligence of the Doctor on duty working A+E. Not only did you mix up her name and confuse her for another patient who had the same first name, you failed to do your safety checks to ensure you got the right patient and confused my mom with CHEST PAIN for someone who was DRUNK, You then dismissed her anxiety and told her to just calm down!? You gave her no advice, no comfort, if the job is that hard for you and is causing you to treat your patients like this, you need to find another job. I'll be taking this further and making a formal complaint.

We had a very pleasant encounter with this hospital this summer. My father in law was hospitalized here for over a week and the staff and the hospital crew its absolutely amazing.You get answers at every single question you ask. Compare with other " so called emergency room" this one is a life saver. Yes its quite expensive but you get what you pay for. There is no attitude when you ask something and you get to be treated like a human, plus you get the treatment that you indeed need, not just random medications so they make sales. Thank you medpark.

My recent visit to Medpark Hospital left me thoroughly impressed. The entire team was amazing. Recomand

I really liked how professional are Dr. Cusnir Valeriu (Ophthalmologist) and Dr. Andronic Ana (Internal medicine). My experience with them was very pleasant. They answered all my questions and gave advices for treatment and health overall. P.S. Emergency Department Reception has the best personnel

Worldwide reference in hematology. Very professional and commited doctors. Nurses are simply amazing. Would recommend it hundred times

Worldwide reference in hematology. Very professional and commited doctors. Nurses are simply amazing. Would recommend it hundred times

I'm sure the doctors are good, but reception is slow inefficient most of the windows are closed and the few people there are are gossiping with each other instead of accepting patients. I went 3hours early to be sure to have my prebooked Cardiology appointment and arrived at the nurses desk at cardiology an hour before as I needed an ECG. The rude nurse laughed at my booking and asked me if I booked it myself. Yes I answered but I need the booked ECG as that's what is writen on the doctors door. She threw my sheet to one side and said we will call you 45minutes later noone called I went to ask her again. She told me to sit down. They the 4nurses were all chatting together and doing nothing. So the time came for my cardi