Mr Erlick Pereira

Written by a patient at The London Clinic

I was referred to Mr Pereira by Mr John Sutcliffe at the London Spine Clinic. My back pain had reached a level where my legs went numb after walking 100m. This was having a serious impact on just about everything I did. I met Mr Pereira before my operation when he explained what was wrong in a clear manner. His friendly and professional approach immediately put my mind at rest and gave me confidence in his ability to sort out my problem. I went in to the London Clinic on Oct 10th 2017. The whole experience was so much better than I thought it was going to be. Bearing in mind the seriousness of the surgery I was facing, the whole team were marvelous. They were friendly informative and professional at all times and put my mind at rest. The hospital was comfortable and the food excellent. Unlike other experiences I have had in hospitals, everybody did their jobs without fuss, keeping me fully informed and ensured that I remained comfortable and relaxed. The operation went well to free the trapped nerves as far as I was concerned, although I was aware that the nerves were more seriously compressed than first anticipated. I also had to spend an extra 24hrs horizontal in hospital, due to a cerebral spinal fluid leak occurring during the surgery. I was still up and walking in approx 30hrs from the operation and home on the 12th Oct. The care and attention I received was excellent at all times. Unfortunately after a couple of weeks it became clear that my recovery was not proceeding as well as hoped. Following a further consultation with Mr Sutcliffe and a further HD MRI, it became apparent that some of my nerves were still being compressed, by the calcification that had built up in my spine over many years. Mr Pereira reviewed the MRI and recommended further surgery to decompress the affected nerves. I went back in to the London Clinic on 19th Dec 2017 for another 3+ hr operation. Once again the whole team were fantastic. Mr Pereira did a wonderful job freeing up the compressed nerves and despite having to go in through the same wound, which had barely had time to heal, left me virtually without a scar. I had no adverse after effects from the general anaesthetic on either occasion, due to the great care received from Mr Peter Amoroso, who very kindly kept my wife and daughter informed of progress whilst I was in surgery. This meant a tremendous amount to us both as this was a very worrying time for the whole family. I was able to return home the next day and my walking has returned to near normal. I realise that it will take some time to get back to full strength and mobility due to the effects of the operation(s) on my back muscles, but life has already returned to near normal and most importantly I am able to ride my Harley again. My sincere thanks go to the whole team, especially Mr Pereira, Mr Sutcliffe and Mr Amoroso. My experience was perhaps a little more prolonged and difficult than initially hoped due to the complexity of my particular problem, however I would not hesitate to recommend any one with back trouble to go to the London Spine Clinic. You can be sure of the best possible care.

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Written by a patient at St George's Hospital

Excellent care throughout.

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Written by a patient at St George's Hospital

I have nothing but praise for Mr Pereira. Totally professional in his approach and with the natural ability to communicate complex issues in a simple and easily understood way. My operation was to relieve trapped nerves that was causing unbearable pain in my shoulder and arm. On the day of my operation Mr Pereira explained the procedure and made sure I understood what was going to happen. In recovery I understand he saw me but I don’t actually have a recollection of this. He also spoke to my wife to explain the procedure and it’s outcome. Today, three months later, was my follow up appointment with him. Again Mr Pereira presented in exactly the same manner taking time to answer questions I had about the operation. However I was extremely annoyed and frustrated by the receptionist I saw on arrival to the neurosurgical outpatients department. My appointment was for 9am. My wife and I arrived some 45 minutes early and at 8.30am my Appointments letter was checked by a member of staff and I was told that I would be seeing Mr Pereira and to take a seat. At 9.20am I asked the lady on the reception desk when I was likely to see Mr Pereira and was told he had just arrived so it won’t be long. At 9.30am Mr Pereira called for another outpatient to see him at which point I returned to the reception to ask why somebody else was seeing him first since I had the earlier appointment time!! It was then that I was told that the receptionist who booked me in at 8.30am HADN’T ticked my name on Mr Pereira’s list so it appeared on paper that I hadn’t bothered to turn up for my appointment!!! It also explains why I heard Mr Pereira saying that he couldn’t wait any longer for his first patient ( that of course was me) and he was drafting a letter to my GP to advise I hadn’t shown up. It beggars belief the consequences of the action of the receptionist I first saw!! The oversight by this receptionist borders on patient neglect and it was just as well I challenged what I saw happening to enable me to see Mr Pereira and to have my follow up appointment. What a contrast In professionalism... An excellent consultant A total shambles in reception For heaven sakes sort this mess out for the sake of other patients. Regards Philip Divers

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Written by a patient at St George's Hospital

I am a 57 year old woman with Parkinson's disease who recently had DBS surgery with the DBS neurosurgical team led by Mr Erlick Pereira at St George's hospital, in Tooting, London. As DBS surgery is currently unavailable in Ireland, Irish people like myself must travel abroad to avail of this treatment. As a private patient I could have chosen any of a number of different places to have this elective surgery. I have an excellent neurologist, Professor Mark Edwards, who is professionally acquainted with this team and I was guided in the first instance by his personal connection. But apart from professional reputation and word of mouth recommendation, how do you identify a surgeon in whom you can have confidence? The standard advice is to enquire about the number of DBS surgeries the neurosurgeon has performed and what the infection rate is in his surgical unit. All well and good, but numbers are only meaningful when you know exactly how they have been derived and whether you are comparing like with like. My own preference in deciding to commit to DBS with Mr Pereira, came down to one question in the end - do I trust this person, not just with my life but more importantly, with my quality of life. My first contact with Mr Pereira was when he phoned me himself to inform me he could do bilateral DBS, with minimal head shaving, and the fitting of the stereotactic frame and implanting of the IPG in my chest wall in one four hour surgery, all under general anaesthetic. My first thought was, well we're off to a good start here. The surgeon is actually speaking directly to the person who will have to live with the consequences of his work, and before I've even left my home country. From here on, he addressed every one of my questions immediately, having created an environment where I wasn't afraid to ask them. If he didn't have a ready answer, he said so. If I questioned how or why something was or wasn’t done, he acknowledged it and apologised if necessary. His students as well as his peers clearly like and respect him. He is incredibly proficient at keeping up with the administrative side of things. What used to be called 'paperwork’ is taken care of by him personally by email as you go along and the patient is kept in the loop. As an overseas patient I particularly appreciated this. Aided by his assistant, Dr Shtaya, he installed the most up todate DBS system, Boston Scientific Vercise - my preference - subject to medical suitability. The pain management was excellent. After I awoke after surgery in the High Dependency Unit, it wasn't until I looked down and noticed a white bandage on my chest, that I realised it was all over and I was not just alive but comfortable in my body. I'm sure a large part of this comfort was due to the work of the anaesthetist, Mr Elawushi, who came to my bedside to meet me prior to theatre. I found his calm demeanour very inspiring of my confidence. Anaesthetists are a bit like air traffic controllers. They work largely behind the scenes but carry a greater proportion of responsibility than that for which they are generally credited. The nursing care at St George's was excellent too. I will never forget the kindness of the nursing staff to me, at one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. Overall, I haven't encountered this standard of care in a hospital since my daughter spent five days in an American ICU many years ago, at much greater expense. In the beginning I entered into this whole process absolutely petrified. Yet by the time I walked into theatre I felt completely relaxed and calm. I felt safe. I had made a decision I could live with whatever the outcome, because I was confident that everyone around me was going to do their best for me and you can't ask for more than that really. I'm home now, 16 days post surgery at the time of writing, with no dyskinesia, able to stride down the street. What a transformative experience after a year of being housebound. Lastly, I need to mention the neurologist on the team who did my pre-surgical assessment and who does follow up programming of the DBS device, Dr Dominic Paviour. Assuming good patient selection and a positive surgical outcome, your DBS experience is still only as good in the long run, as the quality of its programming. This is a collaborative process between the programmer and the patient and I am prepared to travel back to the uk on an ongoing basis to achieve optimal programming of the device with Dr Paviour, who is patient, knowledgeable and responsive to my questions. It has been a positive experience from start to finish.

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Written by a patient at St George's Hospital

I was admitted to St Georges Hospital to have a thoracic spine meningioma removed. Due to the fact I had Severe/Critical Aortic Stenosis it was decided that the operation would not be possible under general anesthetic, therefore Mr Pereira suggested he could perform this under local anesthetic. As this was the first time this operation would have been performed this way. Mr Pereira was extremely helpful and caring in his advice to me. This operation was a success and I can't thank Mr Pereira enough. I am pleased to say I am totally pain free, and I can recommend Mr Pereira to anyone that requires surgery. I was very happy with all the treatment I received from the staff at St Georges Hospital.

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