Traumatic central cord syndrome treatment in 13 Spine surgery clinics in France

I was on vacation in Paris and was taken here with excruciating & sudden stomach pain. I had to have an emergency surgery to remove part of my large intestine due to a twist - or a “volvulous”. I was kept in the emergency waiting room overnight- part of the night in an empty hallway- with pain so severe that I almost fainted several times. I was certain I was going to die because I didn’t know if anyone would notice if I lost consciousness. The nurses and doctors I spoke with told me “we will come back with pain medication” but hours went by without seeing anyone again. Almost no one spoke English. I was terrified and traumatized. I would give this hospital 0 stars, HOWEVER. Once I got into surgery, the doctors were kind to me. I was crying quite a bit and they calmed me down and played music for me. The surgery went well, and I obviously survived without complications. I feel so grateful they caught the twist and operated on me within 16 hours of me being there. They did save my life. I don’t know who is reading this and if you are considering going here, but try to go to the American hospital if at all possible. I hope you get the care you need and deserve. Do not expect nurses there to care for you like nurses do in America.

Decent if you need urgent help. Extremely unhelpful staff in the registration desk, was told “you’re in france, speak french” after I asked them if they spoke English. The hospital felt very dirty and the waiting room was a chaos. Other than a long waiting time for non-priority cases, the care was acceptable.

I was just severely hurt by the staff member pictured here at emergency. I came in anxious and stressed about my condition. They were only meant to be checking my temperature in my ear but he did so forcibly it hurt me so bad, it gave me a panic attack. Then when I said something I was screamed at in French. I will be contacting a lawyer.

New to the institute, I am reassured to be treated there. People who listen, full of gentleness and kindness. Returning to these places is quite anxiety-inducing, but when we see how we are welcomed there, we take these moments with more lightness.

The Bergonié Institute is truly at the top on all levels. A wonderful organization, which allowed me not to stress about making appointments. These are grouped together on the same day given the distance from my home. Every department I have been to I have met caring, smiling, gentle and professional staff and let's not forget to say very competent. Top anesthetist and surgeon, thank you.

What to say ? Extraordinary, attentive and competent... just yesterday, I was there; my surgeon, my nurses are more than "on top" of gentleness, smile and everything... if you have serious health concerns, this is the place... if my surgeon retires at the end of this year, I will think of her very much because she is sublime and she deserves "a little" rest - What skill! Thanks to them all.

I am very very happy and I am satisfy everything you has done for me. Thank you so much.

They are very nice… very accommodating. Treat all patients well

Very nice welcome , staff very competent and a great surgeon for my hand : the doctor Magali Brun .

Excellent quality services and precision !

My first experience of having an angiogram- the staff were very kind and helpful and always with a smile. It makes the situation easier to handle ! Thank you to Doctor Rosencher and his wonderful team !

Disorganized and borderline incompetent: i was sent back and forth between the 2 locations and found in both places incompetent personnel. They are unable to keep to the scheduled appointment and on too of all, no doctor is available to issue the report of the examination. Just plain incompetence, avoid this place.

Zero Stars. This hospital should be shut down immediately. Came in via Ambulance who by the way, pulled over in the middle of the drive so tell me go to an ATM to get cash… Hello my fiancé is dying here… Get to the hospital and immediately get separated and told she can’t have her phone because she’s not in good enough condition… excuse me? Wanted to know when i could see her and translate because she’s japanese and knows very little english… Wasn’t allowed to do that. No status updates, and waited hours with drunk, sick, agitated homeless people for her to walk out feeling no better at all… Nothing positive at all

I have read the other negative reviews and they mirror my esperience. I too was a visitor to Paris from the U.S. I was transported to this hospital after tripping and falling on the sidewalk. I was subjected to blood tests , an ECG and a cranial x-rays and the staff never answered my questions about why the tests were necessary. Just like the others on this site they paid little or no attention to the contusions on my face or my clearly apparent swollen wrist- no ice packs or wraps. After waiting in the ER for approximately 6 hours after arriving I informed the doctor I was leaving. She became angry , said they were busy and she asked that I remain in the ER for another hour to await the test results. When I refused she told me to leave. When asked would someone assist me with finding a taxi to return to my hotel, she just walked away from me. I will have my doctor look at my wrist when I return to the U.S. If I could have given them a zero or no stars I would have done so.

A visitor to Paris, I had a fall and hit my head on some steps. I was taken by ambulance to this hospital. Ambulance I could fault, spoke English and was very caring. Different matter when they dropped me off at this disgusting hospital. I have spent time in a hospital in Ghana West Africa, third world, it was streets ahead of this filthy disgusting hospital. There were no redeeming features, staff awful and rude. They would not let my husband accompany me so I was on my own with people who spoke on English. Took blood without gloves or washing hands. No access to water and was told I was very dehydrated, hello where do I get a drink, when I asked for water was told this is not a hotel. Many X-rays,scans, reports ( 7 hours) I walked out. They initially would not let me out but I made such a fuss they let me go. I did not pay a cent. I have now arrived back home in Australia and I find a bill waiting for me. I m not going to pay it they should be paying me for the trauma I endured. I had a fracture in my hand and they totally ignored that, went to a pharmacy and they bandaged it up for me. I would be prosecuted if I took my dog there. Thankfully this did not spoil my visit to Paris.

My doctors were helpful, skilled, professional and provided me a lot of information. After operation services and information is complete with high priority to the after operation services. The urgence for post opération patients was fast and of full service. The nurses when I came before the operation were too busy, they let me in, gave me my wrist tag and gave me 3 medicines but let me waited 2 hours and no one came back to me to update me that the operation will within 2 hours of waiting . I came at 8h50 and the actual operation is at 11h15, in between the waiting hours, no one has came to re assure me and update me of the schedule that made me nervous and worried for 2 hours. All nurses were so busy that morning and talks a lot to each other without double checking or just to give a quick short words to me for 2 hours in the waiting room before the Anesthesist picked me up. Thank you.

I was very well looked after for my first pregnancy. The team was superb, whether it was for the pregnancy follow-up, the day of the birth or the aftermath of the birth. For this alone I say bravo! But above all, I love the student nurses we met, who were full of compassion and kindness, much more than the nurses themselves. I don't give 5 stars because there is still a lot of room for improvement: - at all my pregnancy follow-up appointments, the wait always lasted more than an hour even though we were told to arrive 30 min before the appointment 🙄 - cold administrative reception - a lady at the analysis laboratory shouted at an old man who didn't understand the process (taking a ticket, waiting etc.) when he had just asked nicely what to do - we were scared when our baby was born, that he couldn't latch on, that he was going to starve to death, that we had to go to the osteopath...when a few days later our baby gained weight. We didn't understand the point of scaring us so much when in the end everything was going well.

I am impressed with the level of the hospital, attitude of medical and medical care. Grateful my surgery was handled here with great professionalism. Merci bien!

Good doctor, good behavior. Satisfied patient.

I got to see two fabulous doctors, the first in emerg and the second in cardiology (who confirmed the original diagnosis). Both were extremely caring and knowledgeable. I felt in good hands. Minus a half star for the long wait to see the first doctor (but triage ekg was quick so I guess it wasn’t urgent). Minus another half star for the filthy, seatless public toilet for the waiting room but bonus point for the outstanding quality of the doctors.

You doctors who work in the Pitie Salpetriere hospital, bow your heads to the ground and beyond, for all those children's souls, whom you do not stop from their straight and fast path to earth. May all the joys with which you spoil yourselves, turn you into ashes, and let your empty souls shatter like the lives of the innocent, whom you leave daily prey to their suffering, evil and disease, without trying to save them, although their last hope it was with you. And we are not talking about terminal cases, but about people who can be saved easily, if you ONLY tried! World top 10 hospital: an advertisement for nothing!!! You shouldn't even be in the top 3 of a pitiful city, forgotten by the world! Great doctors who don't even see the patient, just sign to be discharged, and hide behind the reception, because you are busy. With what? Did you destroy the next man's life? How many people do you dust a day? Do you have a commission from cemeteries? Change all the staff! You made terrible recruiting mistakes! Give them difficult cases, without them knowing that they are being tested, and see what "doctors" you have! The rest, take their diplomas and useless documents and start sweeping the street, don't let them have the power to turn good people into dust!

Care provided in a very professional and caring manner by the outpatient colonoscopy team. I felt an atmosphere that was both comforting for the patient that I am and relaxed among the caregivers. In a word: thank you.

Outpatient control examination with general anesthesia. The nurses and caregivers are top notch, very friendly and attentive. On the other hand, an anesthetist (apparently an intern) first pricked me twice on the top of my right hand, leaving the needles which a nurse then came to remove, before pricking my left hand to finally manage to the vein. Not good at all, we can say, and particularly painful. After the procedure, both my hands remained blue, swollen and very painful for at least 4 days. This is scandalous, especially if we consider the significant excess fees charged by La Protestante on anesthesia. Anesthesia alone costs more than €125, of which around €50 is reimbursed by the SS and €35 ​​by my mutual insurance.

I had to be hospitalized as an outpatient then in surgery in less than a week and both stays went very well. In the outpatient setting the nurses were very kind, attentive and funny (which is important in this kind of stressful moment). I was very well taken care of. For my stay on the 5th floor, everything went very well too! Thanks to nurse Catherine who was lovely to me, like a mother, who listened to me, made me laugh and took good care of me. Thanks also to the night caregiver who was very kind. Thanks also to the recovery room teams! And to the teams in the surgical theaters and the endoscopy suite, especially the nurse anesthetist who took care of me Thursday morning for my endoscopy, she really listened and was able to reassure me! I really felt good in the clinic. All the staff are kind and attentive, whether they are the admissions ladies, the stretcher bearers, the nurses, the nursing assistants, the doctors. If I have to have another operation one day, I would go back to the Protestant without hesitation! For once we see staff who are still human and smiling!

A large hospital dating from the 70s, partly renovated, with many specialties and relatively correct care but very uncertain depending on the services as in many public assistance hospitals in general... We can therefore go there from heaven to hell, often with adorable and caring teams in intensive care or intensive care units and other totally overwhelmed teams with little regard for their patients because they are understaffed in many others services...

On the 3rd floor Orthopedic department: Caregivers, nurse, friendly staff overall 👍 Arthrodesis + laminectomy operation Dr Solène Prost service teacher Tropiano All the pain went well and was well treated. 5 days hospital Return home for 4 weeks to recover peacefully. Then start of physiotherapy rehabilitation.

I was taken to the Urgences here by ambulance and I have never had such an awful experience. The nurse who was looking after me was completely cold and uncaring despite the fact I has a blocked intestine and was not only I’m agony but kept blacking and vomiting. At one point when he saw me vomiting he said “don’t you think you are exaggerating a bit”! It took 6 hours before I had a scan and in that time I was left alone and given no blanket despite being soaked in sweat from the pain. When I finally went upstairs to the operating theatre, the experience was much better. I know this hospital has some great doctors and the surgeon who operated on me did an amazing job. My criticism is uniquely directed at the a&e “urgences” here which is just not good enough. All the staff were uncaring and cold and I felt scared and abandoned which is not what one should feel in hospital. Sorry, but a little more humanity would mean less stress to patients!

Today we visited the allergy department with our child. I really liked the service. The doctor spoke very nicely with my child. The inspection was good. We did an allergy test. Everything is fine and I'm very happy😊

My husband received wonderful care at A&E and intensive care after experiencing a heart attack on holiday last October 2022. Speedy treatment and attentive nursing while in CHU for two weeks prior to repatriation to the UK. Could not have had better treatment. A huge thank you to the doctors and staff who looked after him. We are very grateful.

My brother Christopher had the most excellent care in accident and emergency for a pulmonary embolism. I know he is very grateful to the drs and nurses that night. They were kind caring and amazingly speedy to diagnose and find a medication. Compared to the normal experience in the U.K. the French system that night was incredible and they also called him back for a check up in a week, again with an amazing dr so sympathetic, that would be two to three months in the U.K. The staff treated him with dignity and compassion. A massive thank you to all there

The Family Planning and IVG service is incredible, I recommend 100% Welcoming, smiling, attentive and open-minded care. I made an appointment for a contraceptive consultation and the installation was done the same day. I was also offered to do STI screenings directly and even given the opportunity to discuss it with the counselor/psychologist available in place. Highly recommended !

I think one of the best hospitals in terms of "gynecological emergencies", good care, less waiting and the staff is friendly. I met a gynecologist who took care of me really TOP. on the other hand the level 2 nurses, not all of them but the good ten that I had to meet who wanted them to explain my whole situation in front of everyone when it's not easy and they didn't care, I found their attitude quite a pity but really this hospital is TOP.

Very warm welcome at the nuclear medicine department, the nurses, doctors and receptionists are all very empathetic and smiling. What a pleasure to be cared for and taken care of like this when I imagine that it must not be easy for them every day. Perfect 👍

I had a planned ORL surgery with Professor Mirghani and his team, the team was very professional and I am very happy with the results. I had a good experience at the hospital which is modern and comfortable.

I was recently hospitalised for an operation, I found the doctors and nurses very kind however the people at reception are not friendly at all , particularly this lady, probably in her 50s with vision glasses on. I approached her to help me with the information to avail the taxi service ( which a patient is entitled to and is being paid by Social security) and since my French langage skills is not good, I opted to talk to her in English, she could converse in English but she kept arguing with me that I am lying about not being able to speak french. Even though it’s not her job, I choose to be nice and insisted that I am not comfortable in speaking French, she asked me for my cart-vital just to prove her point to me that I have lived enough time in France to be able to speak French. Instead of helping me find a taxi, she kept arguing and accusing me of lying. I was in pain and could not stand there arguing with her so I opted to just leave after letting her know that she is not being nice. I could still hear her arguing and probably cursing while I was leaving. Later, I regretted not noting down her name so I could complain to the management of hospital. A lady probably in her late 50s, of black origin and wears vision glasses ( explaining her features since I didn’t write down her name) I hope not other patients have had the same experience.

I went in via the emergency room as I had severe stomach pain. Although it took until the evening to get me admitted, the doctors, nurses, and other staff were kind and attentive. I have to say I was very hesitant to go in due to the reviews. I even held on to the pain for two days. But my experience wasn't entirely bad.

Excellent staff of internal medicine: after many months looking for a diagnosis, they were the first and only to listen, study my symptoms, and find the cause in a rare illness, before sending me to the appropriate structure in Cochin. The structure is modern and clean; 5 stars also to the chef: the good food made my weeks there more pleasant.

Saw the emergency room in the middle of the night, waited less than half an hour, it was quite fast, the doctors and nurses were very caring, and there was even breakfast, although it was simple.

My anesthesiologists were playing Joanne while putting me to sleep. Great and kind staff. Very positive experience.