International patients: having spine surgery in Paris

Can I get a first opinion without coming to Paris?

Yes. A spine surgeon reviews your file, then sees you by video consultation, in French or in English. He asks about your pain, its impact on daily life and the treatments you have already tried, and explains the options, whether non-surgical treatment, an injection or an operation, with their expected benefits and their limits.

In some cases, the opinion is that treatment close to home is the better choice. We tell you so, and you avoid a trip. When surgery is being considered, it is confirmed by an in-person examination on your arrival. The video consultation prepares that consultation, it does not replace it.

This first opinion costs 150 €, paid online when booking, through a payment link sent after your request via the contact form below.

Which scans and documents should I send?

Before the video consultation, you must send us your imaging, in one of three ways. By post, a copy of the CDs of your scans. Through a download link that gives access to the complete content of those CDs. Or with the access codes of the imaging centre where your scans were done. Very often, photos taken with a phone of printed films or of a screen are not enough for a precise analysis.

Here are the useful documents.

• your MRI or CT scan, with the complete images in DICOM format and the report;
• your most recent consultation reports;
• the list of treatments already tried and of the medicines you take;
• the reports of any previous spine operations.

If your scans are recent, it is not always necessary to repeat them in France. The surgeon tells you whether the ones you have are sufficient or whether an additional scan would help. However, when an operation is planned, a scan less than three months old is usually required. It can be done on your arrival in France, in the clinic’s imaging department.

How do I get an estimate?

When surgery is decided, the clinic’s international office sends you a written estimate, in French and in English. It states what is included and what remains to be planned, with the fees of the surgical team and of the anaesthesia team, and the costs of the operating theatre, hospital stay, implanted material and additional examinations. Several accommodation options are offered, so that you can choose your level of comfort during the hospital stay. Payment terms are given with the estimate.

The clinic has agreements with some international insurers, such as Cigna. If you have insurance or cover from an organisation in your country, tell us at the first contact. The terms of cover and the possibility of direct billing are checked before care is scheduled.

How is the stay in Paris organised?

The international office of the Clinique Internationale du Parc Monceau coordinates your stay with the medical team, from the consultations on arrival to the check-up before you leave, including any examinations and the hospital stay. Visas are issued by the consular authorities of your country.

During the hospital stay, vegetarian or halal meals can be served. Let the international office know before you arrive.

Your administrative contact at the international office is Mrs Lina Karam. The form at the bottom of this page lets us put you in touch with her.

Before booking your trip, have the medical schedule confirmed. If you come with a companion, tell us so that a companion bed can be arranged.

How long should I plan to stay in Paris?

The length of stay is estimated before you leave home. The anaesthesia consultation must take place in the facility where you are treated. We can also organise a cardiac assessment, often essential for patients over 70 or with risk factors. It is done on your arrival, but it must be planned. In that case, allow one week before the operation, so that the anaesthetist can see you, the cardiac assessment can be carried out, and the anaesthetist can then review it and approve all the examinations.

After the operation, the recommended stay in France is, as a rough guide, seven days for a disc herniation treated by endoscopy or a minimally invasive approach, or for simple lumbar spinal stenosis, and two weeks for complex lumbar spinal stenosis or lumbar fusion. A check-up consultation is essential before you leave France.

Where and how is the operation performed?

At the Clinique Internationale du Parc Monceau, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, a private hospital equipped for spine surgery, with its own imaging department including a CT scanner and an MRI, and its anaesthesia team. The technique is chosen according to your condition, your scans and your general health. The team’s surgeons favour minimally invasive approaches and endoscopy whenever possible, which shortens the hospital stay and the recovery. Before the operation, the surgeon explains the procedure, what he expects from it, the risks and the alternatives, and the anaesthetist sees you in consultation.

Which spine operations are performed in Paris?

All types of spine surgery are performed at the Clinique Internationale du Parc Monceau. The procedures most often requested by patients coming from abroad are the following (detailed pages in French).

• cervical disc replacement and lumbar disc replacement, to replace a worn disc while keeping mobility;
• surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, to free compressed nerves;
• endoscopic lumbar spine surgery for disc herniation, through an incision of less than one centimetre;
• day-case lumbar disc herniation surgery, with a return to your hotel the same evening;
• vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for vertebral fractures and compression fractures, including in elderly patients;
• lumbar fusion by anterior, lateral or minimally invasive posterior approach, and cervical fusion, when vertebrae need to be stabilised;
• image-guided spinal injections, when surgery is not needed.

Which team looks after me?

Four spine surgeons, Dr Raphaël Jameson, Dr Mayalen Lamerain, Dr Christophe Travert and Dr Robin Arvieu, former residents and chief residents of the Paris university hospitals, members of the French Spine Surgery Society and of the French orthopaedic society SOFCOT, who operate only on the spine, and two pain physicians. Difficult cases are discussed at a meeting between surgeons and pain physicians, to consider the options with and without surgery.

Which languages can we use?

All our surgeons consult in French and in English. If you prefer to speak Arabic, an interpreter can be present. Tell us at the first contact so that we can arrange it. This page is provided in English and in Arabic for your information. It does not mean that every professional at the clinic speaks these languages.

How does follow-up work after I return home?

It is prepared before you leave. You go home with your operative report, your instructions on treatments, wound care and return to activities, and a letter for your doctor. Check-up consultations are done by video, at six weeks and then three months, with X-rays taken near your home and sent beforehand. When rehabilitation is planned in your country, it is organised with you, and the useful information is passed on to your local carers, with your consent.

What if I have a problem after returning home?

Contact the team according to the instructions given at discharge, with your new scans if needed. We advise you and we work with your doctor on site. A return to France can be organised if necessary. If symptoms need immediate care, for example a blood clot in the leg (phlebitis), go at once to a medical service near you, without waiting for our reply. The information will then be passed on to your surgeon.

How do I start?

Fill in the form below, stating your country of residence, the language you wish to use, your precise symptoms and how long you have had them, the scans you have, and your contact details with the international dialling code. The secretariat replies as soon as possible, with the next steps and how to send your documents.