PATIENT TESTIMONIALS

I suffered a shoulder injury to my left shoulder during a rugby match in 1963. I was left with a left arm which I could not use to the full. It sort of healed and I could use my arm for my daily tasks and for a long time had no pain in the shoulder. In 2003 I hurt my shoulder while lifting some steel work while helping my son in law in his business. I went to my GP who gave me a cortisone injection which subdued the pain for about three years and then it started again. At that stage we were living on a farm to far from the previous doctor and I went to see another GP nearest to the farm. I again received two cortisone injections and some anti-inflammatory medication. This helped for a while but the pain just came back to the point where I could not lift my left arm above my shoulder and could not even carry a bag containing two bottles of milk with my left arm. We moved to the Western Province and I was immediately referred to Dr. Charl van den Berg by my son in law. I visited him and found him a person with empathy, very good manners and excellent people skills. He examined my shoulder and immediately sent me for x-rays. I went back to him and he discussed the two options available, for solving my shoulder problem. After closely examining the ex-rays and sonar images he suggested that the route to take was an arthroscopy. I underwent the surgery and when I visited him after the operation he showed me a video of the operation and discussed it with my wife and myself in full detail. He then referred me to a physiotherapist and after three sessions with her she gave me some exercises to do at home. I did the exercises every day and four months later I can use my left arm fully even hanging up the washing and doing all sorts of things in the house. I can honestly and without prejudice recommend Dr. Charl van den Berg for especially shoulder operations.

- Mr. S Jacobs (73 years young) – Shoulder arthroscopy August 2014

I was experiencing severe pain in my left shoulder. After several visits to my physiotherapist the relief was temporary. Besides the pain and discomfort, and being incapable of dressing and undressing, I was due to go on a golfing holiday in October which I was seriously contemplating cancelling.
I was referred to Dr Charl van der Berg by my physio and am so glad she did. Dr van der Berg had studied the x-rays prior to me arriving. He questioned me, examined me and then explained in lay terms what my problem was and more importantly, mapped out a course of action to solve the problem. I immediately had total faith and confidence in his diagnosis and prognosis and have followed his instructions to the letter.
Within 6 weeks, I recovered to the degree that I have about 90% mobility in the shoulder with no pain and no longer need assistance to get dressed and undressed. Sleep is no longer an issue either. His treatment and advice have accelerated the healing process and I look forward to the golfing trip.
I have no hesitation in recommending Dr van der Berg. He is empathetic, thorough, professional and exudes an aura of confidence.

- Gavin Hillyard (65yr, Frozen Shoulder)
Somerset West

I am now a 74 year old woman living on my own. At the beginning of 2014 I had a fall down the stairs which resulted in the ligaments of my right shoulder being torn. I could feel this; but circumstances prevented me from having the damage seen to immediately. Six months later I was able to attend to the matter. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT TOO LONG TO HAVE THE DAMAGE SEEN TO. Dr. van den Berg examined my x-rays and sonar scans and said that because of the delay the tendons had retracted into the muscles, leaving the bone bare in one place. I was in constant pain and unable to use my right arm.
In June I was operated on at the Vergelegen clinic; and had an overnight stay. Because of the complications, the keyhole surgery was extensive, with "nuts & bolts" used to repair the damage. I had to wear a special type of sling for two months, which meant no driving either. I stayed with my daughter for two weeks before returning home. Initially there was a lot of pain, but now I can say that it was all worth it. I have just had my final visit with Dr. van den Berg who is very happy with the result as I am too.
My physiotherapist was so excited by the report sent to him by the Dr. that he asked me to get the CD of the surgery. Regular physiotherapy and the daily exercises which I did; also helped enormously. From his professional perspective, the physio said that it was obvious that Dr. van den Berg had found the operation a challenge and that he enjoyed and was excited about his work. I am now completely without pain and am enjoying full use of my arm. I found Dr. van den Berg very approachable and was delighted that he took the time to explain the problem and what he planned to do in such detail. I can highly recommend him.

- Jenny Berrisford (74yr old)
Procedure: Arthroscopic repair of a massive rotatorcuff tear on 2014-06-14

During 2013 I had an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair , and was most agreeably pleased to find that the key-hole surgery carried out by Dr van den Berg left virtually no signs of his activity on my shoulder. It goes without saying that the surgery was a success, and I have had no further trouble with my shoulder.

- Graham Ross (89yrs)

I lived with a painful shoulder for about a year, trying to get by with frequent visits to physiotherapists, before I listened to their advice and visited Dr van den Berg. Diagnosis was quick and accurate. In my case the only solution was to undergo relatively minor surgery. Dr van den Berg and his team were very professional and the operation was performed in due course without any complications. It is now four months since the surgery. I am not in pain anymore and have regained full functionality of my left shoulder.

- Mr RN 39yrs (shoulder arthroscopy)

After many years of pain in my right shoulder and movement restriction I was recommended to make an appointment with you by a previous patient. After examination you diagnosed a problem with my rotator cuff. Surgery took place to shave off the spurs which had grown from the bone and were cutting into the muscle. The muscle was then anchored in two places through keyhole surgery. After an overnight stay in hospital and six weeks in a sling I have fully recovered use of my right arm and shoulder and am able to swim again.

The professionalism and efficiency with which I was treated was very impressive and should the problem occur with my other shoulder I would not hesitate to seek your help again even though it means I would have to travel to South Africa.

Kind regards,
- Nicolaas Vrijland 68yrs (Netherlands)



 

Following a stumble and fall all the ligaments in my shoulder were torn and I was in severe pain. Dr van den Berg suggested treatment and repair with “keyhole surgery” (shoulder arthroscopy). I am very happy indeed with the result which restored complete and total movement/usage. In the healing process disciplined physio is most important. I am also very happy with the practice’s help and assistance before and after surgery. I would definitely advise other patients to come to Dr van den Berg for treatment.

- Elly Liebenberg (78yrs, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair)

After battling with a painful shoulder for quite some time I went to see Dr. Charl Van Den Berg. After ultra sound and x-rays I was told that my shoulder needed a fair bit of repair! Muscles had to be reattached, bone had to be smoothed and the joint needed to be cleaned out.

The operation went very well and I was only in hospital for a short period of time. I was hospitalised in the afternoon and had the operation that evening and went home the next day. There was very little pain when I came out of the operation as a drip, anesthetising the joint was in place. I went home and the next day it was extremely painful but with medication and tablets to help me sleep I managed to see through the pain and in the next week or so the pain subsided. It was very frustrating to not be able to use my right arm for six weeks due to the arm brace I needed to wear. What a joy to eventually take off the arm brace!

Physiotherapy started which was uncomfortable and hard work and together with water aerobics did the trick. I am so happy now that I have full mobility and almost all the strength back in my right arm. No more sleepless nights and no more pain! Thank you Dr. Van Den Berg! You were wonderful and you explained everything so well to me and my husband. As we went through this rather painful and lengthy procedure you were always understanding and caring.

Regards
- Maureen Graham (68yr, rotator cuff repair Sept 2013)

I was diagnosed with Calcification of my right shoulder after suffering for years from pain ranging from slightly annoying to the point where I couldn't sleep at night due to the pain. I couldn't use my arm for much, as any lifting would aggravate it. I went to see dr. van den Berg early last year, and he recommended Arthroscopic surgery to remove the calcification. Dr van den Berg performed the surgery after counseling me on what to expect during the surgery, hospital stay, and subsequent recovery. Surgery went well with no complications. A fairly large amount of calcification was removed. I was kept comfortable in hospital with pain medication, and told to rest my shoulder in a sling for a period of time afterwards. Recovery was initially painful, but with the right prescribed medication, and light range of motion exercises recommended by Dr van den Berg, it was completely bearable. It took a couple of months for the stiffness to subside, but now a year later, I am completely back to normal. I have full range of motion, and for the first time in years I am completely pain free. I would most definitely recommend Dr. van den Berg to anyone that has to have this kind of surgery in the future. He is professional, attentive, compassionate, and very thorough in his treatment.

Kind Regards, and all the best
- Sonja Kershaw

Met dié skrywe wil ek net ander vertel van my ondervinding met Dr Charl van den Berg en sy span. In 2012 het ek geval en my regterskouer beseer en met verdere ondersoek is daar vasgestel dat al die spiere in my skouer afgeskeur was en sleg beskadig is. Op die tydstip het ek baie pyn verduur en Dr Charl van den Berg het besluit om te opereer en die spiere is geheg met vier skroewe deur die kamera. Vanaf dag een en na die fisio tot en met hede, het ek nog nie een dag pyn verduur nie en my skouer voel beter as ooit. Net al my dank aan die Here wat sulke mense gebruik en dankie vir goeie diens gelewer.

DANKBARE PASIëNT
- MNR J UECKERMANN 60yrs (Rotator cuff repair 2012)

Dr. Van der Berg operated on my shoulder on the 8th November 2013.

I had a bad fall on my elbow and was misdiagnosed with cartilage damage to my shoulder by another doctor. Two months later I was in agony and was referred by another doctor to have a scan and xray.

After this I was referred to Dr. C. Van der Berg and the operation took place, two of my muscles from elbow to shoulder were torn and one had begun to shrink.

I can heartily recommend Dr. C. Van der Berg for his expert surgery otherwise I would have had a useless arm.

Yours sincerely,
- Sylvia Jones (age 73)

"Badly torn ligaments in my left shoulder necessitated surgical intervention by Dr. Charl van den Berg. After a 2.5 hour "key-hole" surgical procedure and a day of recovery in hospital I was allowed to go home with my arm in a sling. Recovery at home was aided by exercises provided by the Physio-therapist, which I needed to practice twice a day for the first 3 months. After that I began to use the arm more freely around the house and in the garden. After six months I was using my repaired arm normally for most movements, except for activities that required my left arm to maneuver objects high above my head. But there is improvement in motion every week, suggesting that by the end of another six months everything will be back to normal. I am indebted to Dr. van den Berg’s expertise."

Neville Webster
, 74yr (Arthroscopic repair of large left shoulder rotator cuff tear in May 2014)

Jy het gevra ek moet jou terugvoer gee oor my regterskouer, wat jy opereer het op 25 Januarie 2018: ek het volle funksie van die skouer herwin, en geniet weer my golf! Die fisioterapeut het my weggewys van terapie met die woorde "as ek nie die operasiewonde kon sien nie, sou ek nie geglo het jy is werklik so onlangs geopereer nie." .
Al wanneer ek hom effens voel is wanneer ek lank op hom slaap, of wanneer daar koue en onweer in die lug is, maar dit skep geen probleme nie.

Nogmaals dankie en groete,
Mr DP (59yr, long history of right shoulder pain, arthroscopy done January 2018) )