I'm a competitive long-distance runner and recently learned that I have a bone spur (Haglund deformity) that will require surgery. I'm very active and am nervous about choosing a surgeon/hospital since I don't have much experience with the medical system in CH.
Does anyone have recommendations for a good orthopedic surgeon in or near Bern? It is also possible that I could go to another canton (checking on this with my insurance) but the hospital MUST be a public one.
I already have a consult set up here: http://www.swiss-sportclinic.ch/ (office located at the Stad de Suisse and ortho surgeries are at Münsingen Spital) and would also appreciate feedback if anyone has experience there. I'm also looking at Schultess and Balgrist in Zurich, if my insurance will allow me to go outside canton.
Thanks in advance!
I didn't have an operation but I can recommend Dr Strehle at the foot clinic in the building next to (and part of) Salem Hospital.
http://www.hirslanden.ch/global/de/s...hle_josef.html
http://map.search.ch/bern/schaenzlis...ultur,gebaeude
You can probably save money by asking your doctor to transfer you to him, as the insurance prefer this, and you get an earlier appointment.
For my arthritis in my foot Dr Strehle suggested taking some bone from my hip and rebuilding my foot. I queried this and he said I could try
wearing stiff shoes for a year. I did this, & I took pills, and it mended itself. I admire him for giving me the possibility of avoiding an operation.
Thanks Sbrinz! I was looking at Dr. Strehle as a possibility, but it seems that he operates at Salem Spital, which is private and therefore not covered by my insurance.
I also just found a clause in my insurance policy that says a hospital out of canton may be chosen, and they will cover up to the cost that an in-canton hospital would have charged, so it seems that a public hospital in Zurich would be cheaper than a private one in Bern...
OK, I am with Visana HMO Grundversicherung, my doctor sent me there, and Visana paid.
Inselspital in Bern is also a good option, don't forget you will be on crutches for 6 weeks and going to Zurich isn't really feasible: after all it is a simple operation,
Inselspital is a University teaching hospital, http://www.orthopaedie.insel.ch/de/u...d-sprungelenk/
Your insurance company should be able to give you some names. My advice is to get more than one opinion. With scans and xrays being electronic, it is easy to do so. An older experienced doctor may not be better than a young one as I found out the hard way when I broke the metatarsal in my foot. The hospital said it was a very complex fracture and I needed a more experienced surgeon. How he fixed the break was a technique that is old fashioned and useless. I had 3 surgeries as a result of his incompetence. Unfortunately the window to sue a doctor at a public hospital is one year so the lawyer said while I had a good case, it was too late to pursue it.
I learned a lot from the lawyer I met with how represents only patients. Be sure to ask very specific questions about the procedure, choice of anaesthetic, recovery period, physio if needed. Also ask about potential complications. Some doctors like to draw things out for you.
When you decide and are presented with the consent form, be sure you understand it completely before signing it. It should specify the problem, the surgery, the risks, and post op treatment. Be careful as this form can have a broader scope than you may want with words like "any other findings".
You may want to be awake during the surgery (you can be if you have a spinal anaesthetic). The anaesthetist will contact you in advance, usually after you have filled out the forms sent to you by the hospital. Your surgeon may prefer one anaesthetic over another and you should discuss this with him/her as well.
As someone has already pointed out, you will be on crutches. You may want to ask your doctor if you will have some form of fitting for your foot that allows you to put some weight on the heel,
Wishing you a successful surgery and a full recovery.
You probably can go to almost any hospital in CH that sees patients with the compulsory (Basic) insurance. Since you're an active person, you really want, as Mrs Doolittle suggests, someone who's up on recent technology and who does a lot of sports medicine. I've heard really good things about Schulteiss (except I probably spelled it wrong), and Balgrist at the Uni Zurich. The Inselspital in Bern is good, too. I'd also check the Lindenhof in Bern -I had all my cancer stuff there (yeah, I know, different story), but I really like the hospital and they have excellent docs, take all patients.
I'm having a knee replaced in a year or two and I saw 4 orthopedists. The one I'll probably go with is relatively young, spent an hour with me and told me exactly how he'd approach it, how to prepare, but in the end, sent me away because he thought I was too young and not ready for the surgery. An older surgeon was ready to rip my knee out then and there, and thought that walking and other exercises to build strength were useless. Since I can walk and do some exercise, I wasn't comfortable with his assessment. Good luck!
Oh, and it's not necessary the case that you can't go to the Salem Spital (I think). It's part of Hirslanden, and they may take all sorts of patients. It's worth checking it out if you haven't.
Thanks edot and Mrs Doolittle. I'm definitely doing my research and trying to find the most qualified surgeon, as I am very athletic and active. I was pleased so far with the orthopedic practice I went to in Bern, but am wary about going to such a small hospital (Münsingen). I am working on scheduling a second consult appointment at Balgrist, since everyone seems to recommend them and they deal with athletes regularly and do many more of these procedures.
My father in law was in Muensingen for a couple of days as a cardiac patient a few years ago. They were incredibly thorough. It is a pretty small place, but it depends on the skill of the staff. You're wise to check out a place that deals with athletes, though.
I recently had specialist hip surgery (resurfacing) at the Schulthess Clinic in Zurich, for which I required a formal referral from my GP. My insurance company, CSS, agreed to cover all costs. It is a specialist sports medicine clinic and works closely with Swiss Olympic and UEFA. The surgery went very well and all the staff were extremely professional, it was like staying in a 5* hotel. I have "Allgemein" insurance, but was in a twin room and my neighbour was there for only one night.
It is interesting to read about the experiences of others.
I had a very negative experience at the Schultess in Zurich. After that I went to the Kantonspital Bruderholz in Basel.
On the wall in the waiting room where I was seated all tons of photos of athletes who have been treated there.
http://www.bruderholzspital.ch/fachb...ortmedizin.cfm
What was your experience? I appreciate it because I am currently getting treated there and hence am interested. You can pm me if you prefer to not write on the thread.
No, I will post it. (not going into too much detail) Basically two doctors disagreed in front of me about my condition and treatment. One doctor brought the other one in for a consult. They should have asked me to leave the room, had their difference of opinion, and then called me back in.
One doctor recommended a very radical surgery. He gave me a brochure to study. The other doctor said I could manage my condition with injections and physiotherapy.
I left confused and very upset. The only reason I was referred there was because I had an operation by another doctor that went wrong(the two doctors agreed on that). So here I was supposed to be at one of the top clinics and I was very disappointed.
I do know others who have had a positive experience there.
Then I went to the Bruderholz in Basel and my doctor there arranged for me to have a SPECT/CT. This is a very special scan.
I cannot stress enough the importance of a second or even third opinion.
Thanks for the information about Schulthess, Mrs. Doolittle. I still haven't heard back about making an appointment there. I have back to back consultations at Balgrist and the orthopedic practice in Bern/Münsingen in a couple of weeks and will see how they compare.
Not sure if it is still an open issue but I am looking for a surgeon for my knee right now and found this gentleman:
www.oz-parkside.ch/english/orthopaedic-surgeon
Does anyone know him by chance? I like the "grey's anatomy" look