Listen up folks back pain, scoliosis, kyphosis, stenosis, sciatica, tingling in the fingers & toes, numbness in legs and buttocks are all nasty symtoms of our collective ill. We hope we find a surgeon with the skill to tackle that which others ran from. We want that surgeon to see us, hear us and have that feel for us when we are open and on that table, or at home recovering and or spending that awful healing hour with the physical therapist. I am starting that journey with Dr. Berven and his team. I only can tell you I feel heard, I feel seen and I have faith in his skill to improve my life greatly. I cannot say enough good things about this surgeon. And it seems most of us on here have a similar experience. See him for yourself - I am glad I did...the long appointment wait and all! K read more

Referred by my primary care physician after having Cervical spine disc surgery by another surgeon. That resulted in severe post op pain and numbness to both arms hands and fingers. Headaches vision loss and loss of balance. As bad as vertigo. Nerve Study completed, mri completed, CT scan completed and x-rays completed prior to seeing Dr. Berven. Thinking my problem was carpooltunel on both sides. Surgery was performed prior to seeing Dr Berven. No change. Finally got an appointment and spent an hour with his assistant asking a ton of medical related questions directly related to my neck surgery and pist op symptoms. Dr. Berven walked in sat for 5 minutes and said everything looks to appear ok. There's nothing I can do. But I'll refer you to a neck and nerve specialist here at UCSF. After a year of waiting and contacting UCSF. I finally get a call back that says Dr. Bervens office didn't complete the referral process correctly and did not return ANY calls or emails. And that this whole process would have to start all over again due to the referrals being expired and the test being to long ago. Now imagine being in so much pain you can't walk without falling and completely dependent on pain meds just to get out of bed. With a new born at home. To be told after a YEAR. We're sorry your going through this but we need everything updated to get you to the next step. The only reason I'm still alive is because of my wife who had to deal with my declining physical and mental health. And having my newborn handed to me in bed. I feel completely ignored pushed away and laughed at by this process as if I was garbage. All I wanted was to feel normal and pain free. To live a life as best I could with the circumstances I'm facing. And to enjoy my child free from anxiety depression extreme pain and the inability to use both arms hands and fingers. I feel like the brotherhood needed to protect its own and not get me the help I need that UCSF stands by. read more

Doctor Berven is an extremely caring neurosurgical doctor and he, will truly do the best for you that he can.

Dr berven's cruelty and unprofessional behavior created a big delay in my lower back's recovery. He denied to the insurance l had any back problem, l was in tears due to the pain, he told me HusH ! You are Exaggerating! , By the Grace of God, l found a wonderful Dr who by then, he discovered l had 5 disks involved, L5S1,L 4,L3,L2. I had to have 5 surgeries to finally being able to walk, seat and return to work with minimum discomfort his name is Dr. Fred Naraghi, he is the outmost honest, caring and dedicated Surgeon , lm alive because of Dr Naraghi!. I wrote a truthful report about Dr. berven who had the nerve to find my private home number and said , I can evaluate you again! I told him, if l allow you , l would really would need a psychological evaluation as you wrote in your report! Then, after my surgeries, he called again to my home and said: HEY.. listen.. l asked Google to remove your review but they said you can only do that, so you need to remove it because it's affecting my son's that is applying to medical school! I told him, what l wrote is the truth, and NO l will not remove it because, l don't want No one go through what l went through and Don't you ever call me again! or l will report you to the chancellor. PLEASE folks be careful who you choose to care for your health because your life it's precious and there are doctors that are unscrupulous, cruel, heartless that all they care is money and fame. Not the abc in the oath the swear to do. Thank you for reading my terrible experience with this doctor that by the Grace of God it had a happy ending because of Dr Naraghi's awesomeness l'm alive! And that l'm living my life. read more

Dr. Berven is an outstanding surgeon. Our experience with him has been completely satisfying. The specific spine problem my wife has is collapsed vertebrae due to a bone marrow disease. The solution is a procedure called kyphoplasty, which "reinflates" the collapsed vertebra enough to inject a cement inside the bone. This stabilizes it against further damage and resulting pain. Naturally if not done correctly, problems can happen, and Dr. Berven's skill was totally effective. As to personal manner, he is a warm and reassuring individual who takes time to understand a patient's concerns and objectives. Highly recommended if you have serious issues with your spine. read more

What can I say but that Dr. Berven gave me my life back? I'm 5'5 1/2", but scoliosis had me bent and twisted to the point I was less than 4' tall and if my feet were pointed north my head was pointed east and looking straight down. I was in constant pain. I couldn't walk more than a 1/4 block--even with a cane or walker. WITHIN 1 OPERATION (the education indicated it could take multiple) I was within fractions of an inch of my pre-scoliosis height, the pain is disappearing (less than a month since my op) and I walked 4 blocks plus the 34 steps to my apartment without stopping or breathing hard. While I am not 100% vertical (97-98%) I believe the remainder will be made up in Physical Therapy. (Dr. Berven makes me want to prove it!) I'm sure I won't need a walker--and I think a cane will be be up to my diligence at PT--not his undeniable skills as a surgeon. Here are the extras--I'm in remission from Stage IV cancer, I have hypertension, hyperthyroidism, a recently failed back fusion resulting in the stats above, vertigo from the scoliosis, and I have a dicey heart valve that they had to be aware of. The notes indicated that the operation took over 11 hours. He kept my family abreast of progress throughout. I honestly don't recognize the people or incidents in the bad reviews. I never felt like Dr. Berven was rushed--on the contrary he seemed to take pains to make certain I knew and understood what was going on. He wasn't cold or uncaring--on several occasions he used verb tenses as if he was ME vocalizing desired outcomes. His staff were fantastic to work with--the ONLY criticism I can think of is sometimes I was confused as to which staff members were responsible for what--an org chart might have been helpful--but I've never gotten that from any health care provider and I've had more than my share of work done. I realize if you're reading this you can't run--so hobble, roll, spin, sway, limp, whatever you need to do--to the UCSF Spine Center and pray Dr. Berven says he can help. And believe him. read more

I don't think there's enough room here to truly describe what a gift this man is to modern medicine. He's a kind man and an amazing surgeon. He talks with you, not at you, and listens to your concerns and ideas. In my case, the way he performed my surgery was based on what was best for my life and my longevity. He didn't try to make me fit like a puzzle piece into a generic puzzle. He created something inside of me that will give me a lifetime of strength, opportunity, and most of all, I will be healthy and pain-free. His staff is top notch and responsive (thank you Jenna and Cindy)! Thank you is not enough when someone changes the trajectory of your life for the better. I am grateful to Dr. Steven Lee and Dr. Susan Gutierrez who referred me to Dr. Berven. Their support and respect for him made it much easier to move forward in this adventure. My future is bright and Dr. Berven is part of my life's "story"' with hero status! read more

My experience with Dr. Berven was overwhelmingly positive. I am repeating this review because they filtered it out for some reason. I was referred to him by Dr. Jeffrey Saal at SOAR, who specializes in non-surgical treatment of spine problems. Based on an MRI and a CT, Dr. Saal diagnosed me as having a very large synovial cyst about 5/8 inch in diameter impinging on my spinal cord. We tried cortisone injections but they provided only two weeks relief and then the pain came back very forcefully. Dr. Berven reviewed the first set of images, concurred with the diagnosis, and agreed that surgery should be done ASAP to remove the painful cyst. He noted that my spinal cord canal was very tight in the region of the cyst and suggested that he do a laminectomy on two vertebrae to give the cord more room. He did not want to fuse the two vertebrae because of the adverse effect that could have on my sports activity and the longer recovery time. He explained all my options clearly and we came to a joint decision on how to best proceed. The surgery went very well. It has been five weeks now, and I am working out again, and will start playing tennis again in two weeks. I found Dr. Berven's manner to be thoroughly professional and also friendly. He is a tall, big man, perhaps 6'5" and 260 pounds. Another reviewer commented on his clothing and hygiene. I found them to be impeccable, particularly considering surgeons have to work 12 hour and longer days during surgery, and have to handle patients' bodies on diagnostic days. In rebuttal to the two negative reviews, I would like to point out that neither was from a person on whom Dr. Berven did surgery. Both were cases in which Dr. Berven felt he would be unable to help. Fair enough. If a surgeon doesn't think he can help, then by all means he should not be offering to do surgery. The two positive reviews, other than mine, are from people on whom Dr. Berven did operate. Dr. Berven went to Princeton as an undergrad and Stanford for medical school. With his intellect and personality, he could have easily chosen to get rich on Wall Street, but instead, he chose the difficult life of being a surgeon. I am very grateful he chose medicine. It's been over three years since my surgery now, and I've been biking and playing tennis again. My back is fine. Thank you, Dr. Berven. read more

I visited doctor Berven a few years back after being told I would not be walking if I didn't have immediate surgery. He reviewed my file, listens well and spent an inordinate amount of time with me while explaining my condition, options and concerns directly. Years later, I am functioning well with minimal pain and walk miles each day. Dr. Berven was objective, thoughtful and professional, he exudes confidence competence and care. I trust him implicitly. read more

I am an active, healthy 57 year old male. I played collegiate volleyball, downhill ski, and ride 50+ miles/week on a road bike. 2 years ago I started to experience pain and numbness in my lower right back, to the point where I could not walk more than 2 blocks with out sitting down. I was diagnosed with scoliosis apparently as a result of a skiing injury 25 years ago. Dr. Breven met with me in August 2011 and recommended an L3/L4 fusion procedure. He was one of three surgeons I interviewed. Of the three, he was the only one who advocated the less invasive L3/L4 fusion, versus a two or three level fusion. I was very impressed with Dr. Breven's experience and professionalism, and selected him for for the surgery, which he performed in September 2011. As of 15 Jan 2012 (4 1/2 months later) I feel great, no numbness, no pain. I've got my life back! I've been taking physical therapy, daily hikes and weekly bike rides. The first 6 weeks were tough, but the fabulous UCSF staff helped us through the recovery every step of the way. I saw Dr. Berven for two additional follow up meetings and as before, the staff and Dr. were polite, professional, and compassionate. read more

I did not have a great experience with Dr. Berven, I'm sure some patients do. We are all different. There is room for a diversity of opinions on anyone, and it doesn't take "nerve to complain" if the complaint is based on a valid experience. It takes honesty. I have withdrawn my previous review and leave it up to each person to make their own decision about this practitioner. He did offer, after reading my review, to see me again, I declined but I appreciated his offer and his apology. read more

Wow, I can't say enough good about Dr. Berven. Following a bad car accident, I had sought out all sorts of treatment for the increasingly bad pain I had in my neck. I finally was referred to UCSF Spine Center. Dr. Berven could see I was in pain and made sure he did what was necessary to find the source. After numerous tests and exams, a small infection/fracture was found in my neck. He saw how fast it was degenerating and scheduled me for surgery. I'm now 6 weeks post op and haven't felt this good in almost a year. He is definitely one of the reasons that UCSF is a leader in spine care. I got my life back because of Dr. Berven and his staff. read more

I highly recommend Dr. Berven to anyone needing back surgery, especially muti-level fusion. I had a muti-level surgery in 2015 that I never recovered from. My pain never got better and I could not walk more than a couple hundred yards. After that surgery, and waiting for 11 months to see improvement, I got three opinions that said I needed addition surgery. My last surgeon said I was OK and did not need more surgery, even though CT scans clearly showed that I did. I chose to go with Dr. Berven. After three months I can walk more than one mile without stopping and my pain level has reduced. I live in Oceanside CA and travelled to San Francisco for the procedure. Than you Dr. Berven. Bob Mc read more

My experience of Dr Berven is he is one of the worst surgeon around. He is too busy traveling and teaching to give enough attention to his patients. The first surgery I had from him went well. After the second back surgery (different level) I woke up with not being able to move my right leg. Dr Berven told me the reason I had the leg problem was because he "messed up the surgery because he was thinking about the surgery he was going to be doing on one of his colleagues that night at another hospital." After 2 weeks of calling his office, he finally met me at the ER and redid the surgery he messed up 2 weeks before. He was more concerned with the fact that he now could not drink wine with is wife (because he was going to be redoing my surgery that he messed up) with his wife before he took off to FL. Besides, being a lousy surgeon, he is not a very truthful person. He might think that he got away with lying to lawyers. But he still has to live with himself and look himself in the mirror every morning. Not a very good example for his sons. His nurse, JoAnne said things to me in emails that I am sure she would not have the balls to say to Dr Berven's face. Not only would I never go back to see him, I would never recommend someone to see him. And when I have overheard someone saying that they were going to have surgery with him, I butt into their conversation and tell them to rethink the possibility of another back surgeon. It would be hard for me to believe any of the positive reviews here because after Dr Berven did my first surgery, he had a patient who wrote a negative review and he asked me to go to Yelp and write something positive. I am guessing that some of the "positive" reviews here are by his urging. I know awhile ago there was a negative review posted by a doc in Oakland and after her and Berven went back and forth, the post is now gone. It is too bad that Yelp forces one to give any stars at all. read more

I was very relieved when Dr. Berven took on my case because I've had a lot of issues with my spine. I'm already fused 5 different levels, have Harrington rods for scoliosis, arthritis, stenosis, nerve damage, and basically just a lot going with my spine. 3 surgeons couldn't help me so I was starting to feel like a lost cause. In short, dr. Berven took on my case and will repairing prior damage and has basically given me a new hope for the quality of my life. I'm so glad that he wasn't intimidated by the severity of my case. He'll be performing an osteotomy and revising a failed spinal fusion and correcting my "flat back " syndrome( caused by a different surgeon) on August 18th of this year. I found him to be very caring and personable as well as capable. He offered me options, asked how I felt about things, and spent a lot of time with me. I would recommend Dr. Berven over every other surgeon I have ever met. He is capable and caring. Beth t read more

I am writing to offer my highest and unqualified recommendation of Dr. Sigurd Berven, my spinal surgeon at UCSF. Had it not been for Dr. Berven and his team's extraordinary efforts, I would likely be living with permanent bowel, bladder, and motor function problems due to my serious spinal condition. Prior to meeting Dr. Berven, I suffered with debilitating back pain for many years, due to spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and degenerative disc disease in my lumbar spine. Two years ago, I was informed by another UCSF surgeon that the only possible remedy would be a lengthy "front and back" (anterior and posterior) surgery to fuse the lumbar spine and install an interbody cage and stabilizing hardware (instrumentation). Further, I was informed that before the surgery could be performed (especially the abdominal/anterior portion), that I would need to lose quite a bit of weight. Although the prospect of such an invasive surgery was frightening, I believed what I was told and set about losing weight. At times, when the back and leg pain became too intense, I scheduled spinal injections, which usually brought enough relief from the sciatica to allow me to continue working and postpone the dreaded surgery. A little more than a month ago, however, the sciatica reappeared and was abnormally agonizing and accompanied by difficulty with bowel and bladder function. I made an appointment for spinal injections for the following week and obtained a prescription for pain meds from the UCSF Spine Clinic to deal with the pain until it was time for the injections. Dr. Sigurd Berven of the UCSF Spine Clinic called me on a Sunday morning to say that he was on call that weekend and had reviewed my chart. Concerned that the bladder and bowel symptoms could be cauda equine syndrome, he informed me that time was of the essence, as untreated cauda equine can result in permanent damage in as few as one or two days. Dr. Berven urged me to go to the UCSF Emergency Room (ER) immediately. I was in excruciating pain and uncertain as to what to do and the situation was complicated by the fact that I had never met Dr. Berven. However, after he listened to me and patiently answered all of my questions, I felt enough trust to believe his concerns were valid and followed his recommendation to head to the UCSF ER. Upon arrival at the ER, I learned that Dr. Berven's team had already been informed of my case and were awaiting my arrival. Within minutes of meeting the team, they took me for an MRI, x-rays, and conducted a series of physical evaluations. By late Sunday afternoon, I was being prepped for emergency spinal decompression and fusion, L3-L5. Dr. Berven assured my husband and me that he and his team could perform the surgery through a back incision only (posterior) and, contrary to the other UCSF surgeon's pronouncement, could also install the interbody cage via the posterior approach. Thus, I confidently headed into surgery knowing that all needed work would be completed without need for an anterior (abdominal) incision. I am now four weeks post surgery and am thrilled with the outcome of the surgery and the positive changes Dr. Berven's surgical and interpersonal skills have made in my life. For the first time in nearly a decade, I am free from back pain and sciatica and am I now able to stand and walk in an upright position. The effects of the cauda equine have resolved for the most part and I continue to build strength. Full recovery and fusion will take several months, but I am confident I am on the right path and absolutely certain that I worked with the right surgeon. Dr. Berven has an elegant, professional appearance and demeanor. He is a gifted surgeon, a wonderful patient advocate, and, from what I could tell, a respected professor and trusted mentor and supervisor to his many residents, fellows, and colleagues. I commend him to you without hesitation. read more

Dr. Berven saved my life! I was diagnosed with 3 herniated discs (L4, L5, S1), spinal stenosis, joint arthritis with scoliosis in my spine. I had 3 cortisone shots over the course of 1 year through SOAR Physiatry to alleviate horrible sciatica pain my left leg but they did not recommend surgery. I was in consistent and unbearable pain for about a year and half and when I met Dr. Berven he recommended surgery. On February 29th 2016 I had a discectomy and decompression surgery performed by Dr. Berven. I went from taking Oxycontin for pain daily and bi-hourly to no drugs at all and virtually I'm pain free. He saved my life!! I found Dr. Berven to be especially caring, professional and interested in taking the time to educate me about my condition and the procedure. His staff were excellent and I could not be happier with how things turned out. I can't thank this man enough!!! read more

I now rate this guy 1 star because i had too!!!!! 4/29/2010 Since he operated on me i have pain in the middle of my back now. and he did not even give a damn. He also operated on me at 2 diffrent levels on my spine without my permission. And he could not even tell me that he did that. I found out about it by the training spine doctors. Bervin was pissed and just left the room. UCSF will not even give me pain medication and im in great pain. Im talking to a lawyer next week to sue for medical malpractice. Do not left Bervin operate on you. and he is also a workers comp doctor. another reason to stay away from him. Go to Setton hospital. Stay away from UCSF read more

Dr. Berven, Mauricio, his assistant, and JoAnne, my nurse, are a great team. I had back surgery 4 weeks ago and already I'm able to get out of bed, pain free, in the morning and feel better then I have in months! Highly recommended! read more

Finding Dr. Berven was one of the luckiest things in our lives ever. We had just moved cross country and were looking to establish with a good surgeon for our 4 year old son. Our doctor back home had strongly recommended Dr. Berven. In fact, when I mentioned about the distance, she basically said the drive would be worth it. And so it was! Dr. Berven is a wonderful person and is genuinely caring about his patients and their families. He had a difficult news to give us about our son's prognosis but gave us all the information to help us make an informed decision. He was so patient in answering all our questions - we were stumped by the fact that such a great man would be so human and down to earth and understand our emotions as parents. We never felt rushed or nervous to ask all the questions we needed to. He truly puts a family at ease and it is a pleasure to talk to him. He took on a very complex procedure to fix our son's issues and in fact, encouraged us to seek other opinions to reassure ourselves. All the surgeons unequivocally agreed across the board. The surgery was a big success and we are so relieved and thankful that we found Dr. Berven at the right time. Special call out for Mauricio - I cannot tell you how much I've bombarded this man with questions but he is so understanding, patient and prompt in his responses. I dont know if he even realizes how much he means to families like ours. With him, we dont need to worry about the logistics! In summary - I would recommend Dr. Berven without any hesitation. In fact, if he takes on your case, consider yourself lucky! read more

Dr Berven is one of the reasons that UCSF Orthopedics has consistently been rated so highly - -- usually in the top 3-5 nationally, and worldwide, by their peers. An extremely skilled surgeon and scientist. I experienced a very positive outcome from his work, and saw the same excellent results from his work on a close friend. read more

I took my 7-year-old daughter in to see Dr. Berven at UCSF for a spinal issue. Because he practices academic medicine at a large teaching hospital, I realized it would be a few months wait to get in for a non-emergency. Additionally, I knew that when we were at the office, it would be likely we would wait quite a while to be seen. This is the trade off when you seek out medical help from a professional who is up to the minute in his area of expertise. Thankfully he had no emergencies that day and we were seen right away. Dr. Berven's staff and fellow were very kind, personable, and professional. At no time did we feel rushed or as if we were not being attended to in the most professional manner. Dr. Berven himself came in the room, took a chair as if he was going to stay for a while and listen, and then engaged us in a lengthy and thoughtful dialogue. He was very careful to speak to my 7-year-old on her level, in terms she understood, and could completely relate to. He posed questions, listened to her answers, and then made some observations and long term plans for her care. After, he answered several of my own questions with careful and thoughtful responses. I had the somewhat unfortunate personal experience of going through long-term care for the same spinal problem my daughter is being treated for. On the flip side, this has given me great insight as a parent. I can say that I have complete confidence that Dr. Berven is a professional I am happy to have care for my only child. This judgment comes from a balance between his incredible expertise and his personality. It is wonderful to find such a kind-hearted, good-natured surgeon at a top-tier teaching hospital. It is too bad that another patient did not have this same experience. Many times people tend to give feedback when they have only negative comments or something personal to say vs. an issue related to the work of the professional. I do agree that the office is hot and would have been uncomfortable for a long wait. I do not fully anticipate that this doctor, being human, is always going to be in a jolly mood or have no emergencies the day we visit. But I do fully intend to continue my daughter's care with him. read more

I gave a Great Review of Dr. Berven on 1/21/09. Please read "filtered reviews" under maryh. My 1st review was put in "filtered review" because yelp thought it was not true or exaggerated....Baloney! Dr.Bervin restored my mobility and gave a great quality of LIFE back to me!! I will always be grateful to him and his staff. The negative remarks are from people that Dr. Bervin did not perform surgery on........what nerve they have to complain. He gave them advise that they did not want to hear....He is the doctor.... read more

I saw many spine specialists over 30+years with no results.. Dr. Berven cared and operated on me with positive results over the last 10 years for which I am deeply thankful. I do agree with the reviewer's impression of Dr. Berven's assistant who is rude and insensitive and acts as if he was royalty. read more

My regular pain consultant had not been able to alleviate the pain in the left lower lumbar back region. I feared I would need surgery. After looking at both my back MRI and xray, he assured me that wouldn't be necessary. He suggested that I get more focused physical therapy and had his associate give me a shot in the left hip bursa. I walked out of the clinic pain-free and not limping for the first time in months. Needless to say I am very happy with Dr. Berven. Frankly the negative reviews are very puzzling. He was very pleasant, quite well-dressed (contrary to one previous review), and almost immediately zeroed in on my problem. read more

Simply said, 11 years ago today Dr. Berven operated on my cervical spine and removed my C2 through C6 for me not to go paralyzed. He has an excellent bedside manner, accommodating to patients needs and after my husband was told no one will ever do a 4th surgery on his back, Dr. Berven took his case and he was able to live out the rest of his life without the back pain he said he would. And he told him it would be the HARDEST AND MOST PAINFUL thing he would endure. And that it was, aside passing from pancreatic cancer years later. read more

Watch out for this guy!!! I've seen Dr. Berven around 2008 or 2009. At first appearance he act like he knows what he is doing. After you get to know him you can see his appearance changes. From well groomed to Pig Sty. I let him do a Decompression on my back in 2008 or 2009. I was told I needed a 4 level Posterior and Anterior Fusion. Which scared the shit out of me. I saw him for a second opinion. He said I didn't need this, a wider decompression would be fine. He also said he never had a failed Back Surgery. Yea right!!!! So, I let him proceed since he was offering a much less drastic Surgery. Well that didn't work. My spine started to fall and I needed a fusion. He started out by saying I needed to be fused from S-1 to T-10. He did the procedure and 2 or 3 months, maybe longer, they took an X-ray and he said he needed to go back in, as T-9 was falling on my Spinal Cord. So I had no choice and I let him do it. Awhile after that more X-Rays. Which showed I needed more surgery. He then told me I needed to be fused up to my Neck. I said no I don't think so. At this point I am confused as he said,"well then we need to go up to T-8 and that is all I will do." I was in a lot of pain so I let him proceed after much consideration. After that my Anchor Screw broke and I could feel the top two screws bouncing in and out of my vertebrae at T-8. More X-rays, which showed the broken screw and a screw which that was 0.8 cm from my Aorta. Well we all know what that means. Back under the knife. While in surgery to take care of broken screw and the one by my Aorta. He noticed under Fluoroscopy the Rod was broken. So a simple 2 or 3 hour surgery turned into 13 hours. He had to do the whole Fusion over. Well after this everything got infected. Oh lets not forget he gave me someone elses Blood when I had my own there. Not once, but twice, which changed the physical makeup of my Blood. I now have to carry a Medical Alert Card with me. This is when I elected to leave him as my Physician. Needless to say, the infection was so bad I almost died. After 7 cleanout surgeries, 1 of them I needed 58 beads of AntiBiotics set in my back to come out 6 weeks later, and 1 year of Pic Lines so I could have AntiBiotics at home. I am alive now facing another Back Surgery as I now have a Flat Back. Due to the way he fused me... I know this was a long and harrowing story, but I just don't want to see what happened to me happen to anyone else that may be considering any type of surgery with this terrible dr. who has a bedside manner to match his inexperience. read more

I really want to share our experience with Dr. Berven and his team at the UCSF Spine Center. Back in April Dr. Berven operated on my husband to correct his spine. My husband had three previous major spine surgeries through the years and his back was again a mess. He had ongoing health issues with liver cancer (which had been clear for 3 years) and,COPD that developed from 12 bouts of pnuemonia and a slight problem with one chamber of his heart but was doing great well and was cleared for this surgery by all his doctors. The amount of pain meds that he had to take to live through the daily agony he had to endure could not continue and would have eventually killed him had we not taken this chance on the surgery. Dr. Berven is an amazing surgeon and the two surgeries that he completed would have really helped my husband get back the quality of life that he wanted so badly. He came through the surgeries and was doing great and we were all so excited that he was going to get that quality of life back that he wanted so very much. From the beginning Dr. Berven was committed to our case, took not just a professional but personal interest in our case and took all the time that we needed to explain everything in detail. It scared me the first time we met as we had talked to him for about 90 minutes and he had not taken one note. Then at the end of the conversation he transcribed verbatim every single important point, date and detail about my husband for his records. in perfect order Unbelievable!!! I knew at that point that we were in extremely capable hands. With my husand's illness we have had extensive experience with many top notch physicians and he is by far the best of the best. This man works unbelievably long days in surgery or clinic and still after he is done he makes rounds seeing all his patients sometime late into the night. He comes in on the weekends just to check on you and he calls you back when you want to talk to him about important issues directly. In addition he has an extremely capable and talented team that work with him, support him and have the utmost love and respect for this man. His bedside manner is as fantastic as are his surgical capabilities and that is very unique. He is an excellent teacher which is clear by the impact he has on the people that work with him. Unfortunately my husband ended up having a massive heart attack that killed him after he was home healing. We never would have changed our decision about the surgery as it was truly his only chance to change the course of his life. Dr. Berven was amazing once again when this happened and he wrote me a heartfelt personal hand written letter that was filled with things about my husband that I cherish. He offered to come and speak with my children and attend the service. Then he checked back on me just to see how we were all doing. I read a very negative review on Yelp regarding Dr. Berven and have never written a review before but Iwanted to do so now. That review is SO off base and SO wrong in anything that was said. Yes you have to wait a little to get in as they are so busy. But I highly recommend Dr. Berven. He is a straight shooter that is honest and interested in making your life better. If he can't he would tell you and I bet the person that wrote that negative review just didn't like the news they got. He is not God and can't do it all! I can truly say that this man goes with you every step of the way when you are his patient,. He is brilliant and caring and you will be the lucky one to be in his skilled hands and care. read more

On 3/31/09 I was teaching at a Beauty College, I was 5'1 -135 pounds, a student 6'2 about 280 pounds was running in the college. I have 47 years in the Hair Business, also owning 4 hair salons, my husband had cancer and after taking care of him 3 years, he left me for another woman. I was injured and emotionally a mess, The student broke my knee, shredded my miniscus, my knee hit a stud in the wall bounced me to the back wall and gave me 14 fractures and 3 discs out. I had one surgeon that swore he could help me! Ha, he ruinned my spine. He gave me scoliousis and flatback syndrome. I was in a wheelchair for a year. Another surgeon was going to fix my spine but back off surgery 2 days before the procedure saying he didnt have enough of man power, nor the machinary to do the surgery, after seeing new MRI;s I was devastated. Yet he got me in to see Dr. Sigurd Berven within 2 weeks. Dr. Berven was friendly, clean, very nice and explained everything to my daughter.and I.He made me understand that it was dangerous. I figured wheelchair, or walk again. March 7 he did my surgery, he saved my life. I stand straight I am walking and start physical therapy next month. Dr, Berven is a Master at his craft. I still have pain, but its the standing and walking that I am thrilled with, I may never work again, however my self esteme is back, all because Dr Berven and his staff, especially Jo Anne and Maurico who are friendly, wise and have a great attitude with helping patients. I can not thank Dr Berven enough and his staff. Anyone who has had a bad expience with this crew must have issues other than slamming a wonderful and giving Dr. and Staff.Thank You Dr Berven, God Bless your skilled hands and brain. Sincerely, Linda M. Reed read more

I went to Dr. Berven with 3 compression fractured vertebre, I could barely walk with severe pain. He did a procedure called kyphoplasty. I knew as soon as I woke up that the pain in my back was almost gone, (keeping in mind that I had some pain from the procedure). I feel that Dr. Berven basically gave me my life back! I would recommend Dr. Berven to anyone considering back surgery. read more

I would like to share my experience that I had with this doctor. I went to his office for a opinion, as it is the reputation of UCSF give to any person in looking for answers "the right place to be". After waiting for over a month, I was to see this doctor, AGAIN, my regular orthopedic who is his dear friend refer ed me to him, (Dr. Berven), on the first visit, he had said that I had a minimal back problem that I needed to go to the gym, and that I had gained weight due to inactivity, well look at him!, and he doesn't have the back problems I have!, besides his appearance as a health care worker, he has a filthy appearance, his coat dirty with a nauseated smell. The UCSF rooms are so small that you have no other source of air but to smell what is in that little room. In that first visit, he said that I didn't need surgery, he also gave his UN-asked opinion about my shoulder, (I was assaulted and the beaten on my right shoulder). During that evaluation, he saw me holding my arm very tide to my body, he said: that there was nothing wrong with it that I needed to use the Tera band and do exercises. It seemed, I was in the wrong place, Gym?, the puzzling view was that the one that was preaching exercises was a man of over 200 lbs overweight!. Still, I left, in regards to my shoulder, I had my my rota-tor cuff apart 2 cm. and my tendon had a tear of 80% to 90%, surgery done by my shoulder treating physician Dr. Jeffrey Halbrecht, great doctor and surgeon, I would recommend him to everyone!. In the second time I went, to see Dr. Berven, His assistant a male, about 5-3, Spanish dark complexion, rude, he grabbed my MRIS and disappeared, I waited in a room 10x7 feet with high fluorescent lights creating more heat. temperature felt about 100 degrees, no windows to open, his assistant insisted that I kept the door close. I waited from 9:00 A.M until 12:20 P.M for doctor Berven to come, before he showed up, a young student come in, he had in his hand my file and my most recent information's forms that I had filled that morning. He said, now tell me what brings you here!, here I'm in pain totally frustrated and I see this guy come in and asked me that! when he had all the information in his hands?, I told him, I took 25 minutes to filled up all those papers that you have in your hand and you could take 2 minutes to read them?, I said I came to see Dr. Berven and I don't want nobody else!. I said is nothing personal but this is not the time to socialize so out he went. 3 hours waiting and the heat had made the pain worse, I couldn't seat because my back, was burning, there was nothing where I could feel comfortable, I had turned off the lights to prevent more heat in the room, I had walked from one end to another end of the room, (4 - 3 hours) I was exhausted, with 3 3 hours sleep the night before, I decided to stand on the door's, mark, his assistant saw me and grabbed me by the arm and pulled me inside the room, he said, everybody is entitled to their privacy and you are violating their privacy, they don't want you to know that they are here. What about me!. He got me inside the room turned the lights on and close the door, 40 minutes later, Dr. Berven came in then I sat in the chair facing him, by then I was in such pain that if there wasn't that they had my MRIS hiding, I would have walked out a long time ago!. Dr. Berven, with a filthy white coat, greasy hair, he had this smell like a sewage, the room had no ventilation at all and it was very small so this add to my ordeal, still, I sat in that uncomfortable chair facing him. He asked me if I had the MRI? I said your assistant took them, he said I'll be back, he came back 40 minutes later, he went to see other patients, when he came and brought the MRIS, he said, that MAURICIO, his assistant, the same one that has grabbed me into the room, " HAD HIDDEN THE MRIS", I look at him right at the eye , he was lying!, I saw him going into another patients rooms,. He said that there was not much difference from the MRI a year ago therefore, I didn't have any pain, I was in tears because of the pain, he said : now you be quite, you are exaggerating! there is nothing wrong with you, everything is in your head!. He picked up the phone dictation and said that what I had was because of my shoulder, that I needed to be evaluated psychologically, that I was seating in front of him without any complaints. I don't know how this doctor is able to practice medicine when he does things like that. So much abuse, cruelness and insensitivity, Please, to anyone who is thinking to go to see this doctor, save yourself the trip, your money and the stress, he is a doctor brought from the horror movies. I hope that someone out there investigate this man and get him to justice, he is wearing a white coat and getting highly pay to destroy lives and induce them extra pain. Please be alert of this honest feedback. read more

Dr. Berven performed a 2-level discectomy/laminectomy (L4-5, L5-S1) on my lumbar spine in july 2012 after diagnosing a large extrusion there causing severe pain down my leg. Immediately following the surgery i began having severe pain in my lower back that i'd never had before. I went back to Dr. Berven complaining of the pain, but he dismissed me, suggesting that i "learn to live with it" and possibly take a class in meditation. He said he did not want to go back in surgically to try to fix it, because i would need a 3-level fusion, and that was something he was not prepared to do. After another year and a half of increasingly severe pain, leaving me unable to sleep at night and able to walk only with horrible pain, my pain management specialist referred me to another surgeon, John Lettice, at El Camino Hospital in Los Gatos, whom he said was the only surgeon in California whom he would trust to perform a surgery as complex as the one i probably now needed. Dr. Lettice immediately recognized the extreme situation i was in, and agreed that multilevel fusion/surgery was the only resolution to the problem. (he even told me that there was a recognized syndrome called "post-laminectomy syndrome" characterized by severe disc pain following laminectomy). I visited the spine center again, this time to see Dr. Vedat Deviren, whom i had seen for a second opinion on a 4-level cervical fusion in 2008. I explained to him that both my pain management specialist, whom Dr. Deviren knows and respects, and Dr. Lettice, now believed that the only solution to my severe discogenic pain was a multilevel lumbar spinal fusion. When I said that both my pain management specialist and Dr. Lettice, after many months of examinations, physical therapy, injections, and finally a discogram, had diagnosed me with severe lumbar disc degeneration and discogenic pain, he looked at me like i was blaming my back pain on having been abducted by aliens. His resident actually said "Well, some people believe in that," but continued on to say that UCSF really doesn't believe in the discs as pain generators or in discography as a valid diagnostic tool. Dr. Deviren said that he would not recommend surgery, because the type of surgery Dr. Lettice was recommending was extremely risky, with little chance of a positive outcome, and that i should just settle for living with the pain. He definitely had no inkling how much pain i was in, and didn't bother to find out. So.... it was a very complex surgery, but Dr. Lettice is a highly skilled surgeon. Six months post-op, i have no more back pain, i am back at work, and working out daily, looking forward to skiing again next season, no thanks to Dr. Berven, Dr. Deviren or the UCSF Spine Center. They may not "believe" in discogenic pain, but I KNOW that once those rotten, flattened, diseased discs were removed from my body, the pain was gone. I knew it the moment i woke up from the surgery. So if you go to see the guys at the UCSF spine center, and they tell you that there is no such thing as discogenic pain, don't believe them. I am living proof that there is, and that it can be fixed and that you can feel better again. read more

I spent a year being told there was nothing wrong with my spine, all the while I watched my body breakdown. I began losing use of my feet, bowels, and bladder. So figured there had to be something wrong. At first even Dr Berven looked at my MRIs and felt there was nothing going on. I asked him to look again because I felt there had to be something. To his credit, he listened to my symptoms again and went back to the MRI for another look. Not many Doctors in my experience listen as well as Dr Berven, especially world renowned surgeons and scientists. He reviewed my film again and that's when he saw what others missed; my back was broken, with part of my vertebra snapped clean off. After a WC battle, I finally had a single level fusion to repair the fracture and decompress the nerves. Mechanically, I feel great only 6 weeks removed from surgery. I still have nerve issues to contend with and I might for awhile. The truth is, that's just the way it is when your nerves were crushed for two years. After years spent thinking I was totally stuck as an at best functional cripple, I can finally see being healthy again. Shortly after the surgery I was feeling fantastic, something I fully attribute to Dr Berven's skill as a surgeon. I have no reservations saying that if my children needed a back surgery I wouldn't hesitate taking them to Dr Berven. Being a teacher, he has NO financial motivation to perform surgery. If you don't need it, he ain't cutting. And if he does cut; I trust that the outcome, if at all possible given the circumstances, would be as positive as is currently possible. read more

I have seen Dr. Berven twice in the last 3 months. The first time for a consultation. He was very professional in his appearance, his interest in my condition and expressed a desire to see if non surgical means could help my spine issues. I appreciated the fact that he didn't recommend surgery on the first visit. After 2 epidurals and physical therapy, I saw him again and he expressed the possibility of need for spinal surgery. I didn't have to wait very long either time and was treated well by his assistant, the resident and by Dr. Berven. He came highly recommended by another physician at another hospital. So far, I am very pleased with everything. I was contemplating surgery with a different spine surgeon but will definitely have him do the surgery. read more

I am prompted to write this review primarily due to the others I have read. I have had 2 back surgeries - one trauma, one planned. Dr. Berven performed the latter. I have suffered with back paid for most of my adult life due to spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease. Also due to both, I am not in the best of shape. My first surgery left me with scarring on my spinal cord and a good deal of complexity to handle in terms of a second surgery to correct the problem. I had trouble walking even 20 yds without stopping to squat and pop my back, couldn't sleep more than 1-2 hours without being awakened by pain and needing to get up and walk around. This was 15 years of general "ickiness"! I was referred to Dr Berven because of the signficant complexity of the surgery. When I met with him, I will admit to the Spine Center at UCSF not running as efficiently as it should, lots of waiting. and yes, the residents can be pompous and grating. But i found that I was able to immediately establish a high degree of trust in Dr Berven's ability to solve my problem... and he did. It was as personal a relationship as I think you can get with a surgeon, and an orthopedic surgeon at that. He took a generous amount of time with me both pre and post surgery and was an effective partner in the decisioning process. And may I say that not once did he indicate the problem being "in my head" or that even though overweight he never once suggested that the "gym" would solve my problem. Although he did believe it would be an asset in rehabilitation. Bottom line is that the results were good. I sleep through the night and my pain is much more managable. Given all the issues, I didn't expect perfection and we were able to explicitly contract (verbally) around that outcome. My quality of life is better. I would recommend Dr Berven to anyone who is looking to make the decision to have back surgery. From a surgeon, I am not looking for comfort, a "coffee clutch" partner, or best friend, I am looking for the most skilled surgeon I can find who can give the highest probability of a good outcome. I actually found a great deal of compassion in Dr Berven. He was not emotive or effusive and with someone who is cutting on me for 8 hours, I don't want that temperment. If you have a problem with your back and are ready to be in action on the problem and meet it head on, I would say the Dr Berven is one of the best you'll find. For improved quality of life, it is worth a little heavy lifting on the part of the patient and to endure some inefficiencies in the UCSF system. read more

After two years of suffering with a back injury and six Doctors telling me nothing could be done I went to U.C.S.F. and saw Dr Berven. After jumping through work comp hoops I got approved for surgery. I was fused at the l5 level. Surgery on Tuesday and went home on Saterday. By Monday I was out walking on the street. Every day I walked farther and within a couple of weeks i was walking in the miles. Five days at home I stoped takeing pain meds. My surgery was 3/20/07 and I have only taken one vicodine. Dr Berven did a great job and all of his staff has been great. The guy that had surgery after me that day also did good. We shared a room and kept in contact for a few months. read more

Don`t go to Dr.Berven. In a professional setting he is rude and shows no concern for problems with your spine. That is how he treated my son and many of the reviews I read on this page. I am just sorry so many have suffered themselves to see him in hopes of a chance to get some kind of help only to be far more disapointed then before they went to him. At any rate, when will things change? I have taken care of my son for all the years he has suffered with the reconstruction of his spine. I should have not been surprised. If it sounds too good to be true-----it is----Find a doctor that cares I know it is not easy. Take care to all with spinal problems, my prayers and best of wishs go out to all of you. read more

I was hesitant to meet with Dr. Berven after some of these reviews, but I want to say that I couldn't have met a better doctor. I will say this, I'm not in any pain, that isn't my problem so I can't speak to the issues brought up by others. But what I do have is a challenging medical issue that could be "pooh-poohed" and he didn't do this, in fact, he did the opposite and took up the challenge and I feel confident he'll figure out what the problem is. My appointment lasted 3 hours, some waiting yes (bring a book), mostly talking though ... the amount of time he gave me was staggering. Yes, this is UCSF, you'll spend time waiting in a very small windowless office (this is true of all doctors in this building - I know), you will have to deal with the all the issues of being seen in a large institution such as this, but you're seeing the best - and isn't that why you're there? I know I am.... and I am confident Dr. Berven is the best. read more