Hello,

Feel free to use my statements below regarding my experiences with Dr. Bertagnoli.

I contacted Dr. Bertagnoli in mid-year 2014 after suffering from continued sciatic pain. I had a micro-discectomy in the U.S. in August of 2011. The sciatic pain continued post surgery and greatly restricted my activity level. Br. Bertagnoli reviewed my x-ray and MRI studies as well as a pain chart that he requested I fill out. Upon his review, he diagnosed my pain as being neurogenic and not due to some anatomical anomaly or injury. He recommended an anti-seizure medication called gabapentin here in the U.S. I was pleased with his assessment for two reasons. First, it became very obvious that he would not simply recommend surgery just to collect a rather large fee. Second, when I ran Dr. Bertagnoli’s recommendation by my physician here in the U.S., my American doctor’s response was that gabapentin was one of the drugs recommended on his formulary. In other words, my physician here in the U.S. is simply looking at a book to make his decisions on how to treat me. I certainly was disappointed to learn that my physician is simply looking in a book when he sees a patient, and then going down a checklist of treatments until he finds the right one.

The gabapentin has certainly had positive results. I am surprised that a physician from so far away can look at a chart and determine why someone’s pain is manifesting itself. My sciatic pain has not completely subsided. If surgery becomes the only option, I will not hesitate to put my trust in Dr. Bertagnoli’s team.