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Which Neurological center in Holland to treat patients quickly ?

pietede
- 31 posts
August 15, 2012 2:10:29 PM CEST

Hi all,

This is to ask if you know some Neurological center in NL, that could treat patients quickly without a huge waiting list. A private center is also fine. We pay by cash.

My mother, on a tourism visa to NL, needs to check a more and more severe neurological issue. We have gone to Ziekenhuis Gelderse Vallei in Ede, made a MRI scan. Then she would be probably transfered to Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht www.umcutrecht.nl.

The thing is: all these are SLOW, with weeks between each communication. We have been waiting 40 days just for some initial MRI scanning. And she has only 35 days left for her visa.

Staying longer is impossible, because IND asks that my mother needs to be incapable to walk in order to stay for her treatment. This is not the case for her.

Many thanks for your time reading this.

This post was edited by pietede at August 15, 2012 2:16:04 PM CEST
HappyBird
- 51 posts
August 15, 2012 6:55:37 PM CEST

If cash is not a problem for you, why don't you (first) try Belgium or Germany? They have more choices and (very) good treatment.
osita
- 2285 posts
August 15, 2012 8:34:44 PM CEST

As someone whose had the misfortune to see over 11 of these neurological type people here in the Netherlands, all I can say is ...

... take Happybird's advice - if you can pay cash, go elsewhere.

Neurology here is an absolute JOKE. I say that after experiences with them across every hospital in the Amsterdam region (total so far = 11 neurologists). Only one doctor had the courage to give us the diagnosis, a peer agreed, and so I guess if I had to recommend anywhere, it would be VUMC.

Do not try any other hospital in the Amsterdam region because their indecision and lack of understanding (and lack of curiosity to find contributing causes which might lie slightly outside their field). Add to this that they disregard any evidence based diagnosis should their superior mutter a word of disagreement. In my eyes they are all blustering fools (particularly any over 40 who seem to not read any medical journals to update their knowledge). This age groups shows least concern, or willingness to act (rather than just have coffee-drinking meetings. Hey, they get paid for seeing people, right? Minimum or maximum effort still means the same paychecque).

Go to Germany: Doctors there are in a whole different league. Depending on which branch of neurology you are talking about, I might be able to recommend some UK specialist hospitals.
pietede
- 31 posts
August 15, 2012 9:48:51 PM CEST

Thanks HappyBird and Osita for your negative view towards Dutch neurological doctors. That's also my view after seeing one in Ziekenhuis Gelderse Vallei in Ede.

The most remarkable sentence I hear from him is: "I don't know".

But, on another side, I seem to understand why it's hard to give a statement about neurology. I think this field is still in a kind of medieval era of science, and it's hard to give a conclusion even in a scientific paper.
pietede
- 31 posts
August 15, 2012 10:00:22 PM CEST

osita said:
Depending on which branch of neurology you are talking about, I might be able to recommend some UK specialist hospitals.

@Osita: about the specific information: I live in NL, and am willing to travel max 400km from Arnhem. So a German or Belgium one could be nice.

1) Symptom:

- 63 y.o. female
- twitching of right eye lid && right side of the lips
- since 1 year a blurred vision on the right eye, which becomes nearly blind under sunlight or yellow bulb light.

2) Initial diagnostics (from doctors in my home country)
- Some doctor suggests a V-nerve neuritis
- Another one suspects a V-nerve neuralgia.
rmw
- 1 posts
August 16, 2012 5:52:14 PM CEST

She should be looked at by someone with knowledge of movement disorders. (since you did not list pain as a primary symptom)

Dystonia can produce similiar symtpoms:
Blephrospasm, hemifacial tics, etc.

I agree with the other posters, you'll be better served (unfortunately) outside NL.
pietede
- 31 posts
August 20, 2012 11:09:46 AM CEST

Thanks rmv. Yes pain is not the main burden of her problem.

I've got an appointment for checkup at Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht www.umcutrecht.nl this Friday, I'll report here what I observe from them.
pietede
- 31 posts
August 28, 2012 2:10:55 AM CEST

So the appointment with Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht went well. It was a young doctor, who at least showed that he cares about details, wants to investigate, and is able to treat patients nicely.

He suspect something in the brain of my mother, since the latest MRI shows a small white spot in her brain. It is this white spot which might cause something abnormal in the right part of her face.

It is not V-nerve neuritis/neuralgia, he said.