x in pattaya
October 11th, 2012, 15:11
Inguinal Hernia тАУ The Naval Encounter - Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital in Sattahip
Since 20 to 25 % of all males will develop an inguinal hernia, I thought the following information might be of interest to at least a few of you staying in the Pattaya area. If this isnтАЩt something of interest to you, feel free to move along to other topics rather than complaining about how boring it is.
After a number of years ignoring my minimal, reducible hernia, I finally decided I should do something about it.
From Internet searches it seems that a single hernia treated with an open incision in Bangkok or Pattaya area private hospitals can run from Baht 100,000 to Baht 200,000. Cost references varied a lot based on experiences shared on ThaiVisa, Teak Door and other message boards, in part because those writing had treatment anywhere from very recently to 10 years ago. The cost of Laparoscopic repair also varied, but was considerably more expensive.
I have a friend who had a double hernia open incision repair done 9 years ago in the US for $12,000 and IтАЩve heard of estimates there of up to $25,000 currently.
I had also heard mixed reviews on experiences at Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital in Sattahip, but the more rational reports (i.e. not those written by the usual ranting demented Thai bashers on Thai Visa) seemed favorable and even recently a unilateral open incision repair was reported as costing less than Baht 30,000.
So I informed my friend that he would be driving me to Sattahip early the next morning. He was fine with that until I called him at 7:30 in the morning. A lot of whimpering ensued as well as attempts to bargain for 10:00, 9:30 and 9:00, all of which failed to win me over. We left around 8:30. ItтАЩs a 30 to 45 minute drive south on Sukhumvit.
The reception area had the ambience of a chaotic bus station. No Starbucks or Au Bon Pain, no stringed quartets, no air conditioning. Depending on your facility with the Thai language, you might survive it all, but if you decide to give this hospital a try for this procedure, itтАЩs highly recommended you bring along your Thai friend and that you do a little vocabulary work with him ahead of time.
Surgery = р╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Ьр╣Ир╕▓р╕ р╕▒р╕Ф and hernia = р╣Др╕кр╣Йр╣Ар╕ер╕╖р╣И р╕нр╕Щ, will be useful at the very least.
In reception we were in the queue behind a naval officer who was registering his wife and he took it upon himself to ask the clerk for a registration form for me in English and then asked if I had a pen. I forgot mine in the car so he gave me his. Everyone there was equally friendly and helpful. Many of the people there were uniformed army or navy personnel, most of the others were Thai civilians or military dependents. I only saw one other farang.
Registration cost Baht 20. I got an ID card & folder and we headed off for the surgery waiting area. Another good reason to go with a Thai speaker is that the place is really large and finding your way around without him to ask directions repeatedly would probably be difficult.
Several hundred people were waiting in the surgery area, many of whom were probably just accompanying patients. Air conditioning was super cold, even worse than Thai cinemas. They took blood pressure and then we sat for an hour or more. I brought along both iPad and Kindle for entertainment. I read and Himself played games on the iPad. There were also a fair number of young soldiers and sailors in the waiting room, many of whom were well worth watching.
Around the periphery of the waiting area were many examination rooms, each with a small set of numbered plastic seats in front. A clerk eventually collected 6 to 10 folders for recent arrivals, located the corresponding people and directed us each to a numbered chair before an exam room. The doctor arrived and called us in in the order of the seating arrangement.
Both doctors I saw spoke excellent English. I believe many of them have trained in the US, which seemed likely given their accents. The first collected information and did a hands-on clinical exam. Since my hernia is reducible and is neither incarcerated nor strangulated, the procedure was not considered urgent but rather elective.
He called in another surgeon who also examined me and suggested laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. There are pros and cons to either method, but he did say with the laparoscopic procedure he could easily check for and treat any other possible weak spots or a possible hernia on the other side, which would not be found using the open single incision method. I could either wait for the next opening in early December at the naval hospital or get it done sooner at a private hospital where he also worked. The former would probably run between baht 60,000 to 70,000 depending on whether the repair involved the single hernia or more. Lab tests, room and food would be additional. When I go there for the procedure, I would need to deposit Baht 100,000. IтАЩve read others were required to make a Baht 60,000 deposit or less for the less expensive open incision procedure тАж any unused balance is returned immediately in cash. The approximate one hour spent with the two surgeons doing the clinical exam cost тАж wait for it тАж Baht 200.
If you opt for a single room, you must have someone stay with you. ItтАЩs expected I will spend two nights there. Himself seems to find some amusement at the prospect of looking after me (and probably a little joy at me being drugged up or maybe even writhing in pain). We may have to revisit the topic of karmic retribution.
Without a 24/7 companion youтАЩd need to stay in a ward where nursing staff can monitor you more easily. And, once again there is the language issue. The doctors I encountered spoke fluent English and most other people tried a few words, but it is a Thai facility primarily intended for Thai military and civilian nationals.
Of course your friend may not be a flawless conduit for medical information. He may fully understand what heтАЩs told in Thai, but he might not have the English vocab to deal with it all. When the nurse was reviewing what the doctor had already discussed with me, his explanation turned тАЬlaparoscopic surgeryтАЭ into тАЬlaser surgeryтАЭ and тАЬblood thinners like aspirinтАЭ became тАЬparacetamol.тАЭ
Anyone with specific questions about the first part of this experience, please pm me. Assuming I survive it all IтАЩll share what happens during the actual procedure and post-op recovery.
I also had very successful treatment for sub-retinal bleeding, aka macular degeneration, at Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital. Not as common as hernias and it was out-patient treatment, but if anyone is looking for information on that, please pm me.
Since 20 to 25 % of all males will develop an inguinal hernia, I thought the following information might be of interest to at least a few of you staying in the Pattaya area. If this isnтАЩt something of interest to you, feel free to move along to other topics rather than complaining about how boring it is.
After a number of years ignoring my minimal, reducible hernia, I finally decided I should do something about it.
From Internet searches it seems that a single hernia treated with an open incision in Bangkok or Pattaya area private hospitals can run from Baht 100,000 to Baht 200,000. Cost references varied a lot based on experiences shared on ThaiVisa, Teak Door and other message boards, in part because those writing had treatment anywhere from very recently to 10 years ago. The cost of Laparoscopic repair also varied, but was considerably more expensive.
I have a friend who had a double hernia open incision repair done 9 years ago in the US for $12,000 and IтАЩve heard of estimates there of up to $25,000 currently.
I had also heard mixed reviews on experiences at Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital in Sattahip, but the more rational reports (i.e. not those written by the usual ranting demented Thai bashers on Thai Visa) seemed favorable and even recently a unilateral open incision repair was reported as costing less than Baht 30,000.
So I informed my friend that he would be driving me to Sattahip early the next morning. He was fine with that until I called him at 7:30 in the morning. A lot of whimpering ensued as well as attempts to bargain for 10:00, 9:30 and 9:00, all of which failed to win me over. We left around 8:30. ItтАЩs a 30 to 45 minute drive south on Sukhumvit.
The reception area had the ambience of a chaotic bus station. No Starbucks or Au Bon Pain, no stringed quartets, no air conditioning. Depending on your facility with the Thai language, you might survive it all, but if you decide to give this hospital a try for this procedure, itтАЩs highly recommended you bring along your Thai friend and that you do a little vocabulary work with him ahead of time.
Surgery = р╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Ьр╣Ир╕▓р╕ р╕▒р╕Ф and hernia = р╣Др╕кр╣Йр╣Ар╕ер╕╖р╣И р╕нр╕Щ, will be useful at the very least.
In reception we were in the queue behind a naval officer who was registering his wife and he took it upon himself to ask the clerk for a registration form for me in English and then asked if I had a pen. I forgot mine in the car so he gave me his. Everyone there was equally friendly and helpful. Many of the people there were uniformed army or navy personnel, most of the others were Thai civilians or military dependents. I only saw one other farang.
Registration cost Baht 20. I got an ID card & folder and we headed off for the surgery waiting area. Another good reason to go with a Thai speaker is that the place is really large and finding your way around without him to ask directions repeatedly would probably be difficult.
Several hundred people were waiting in the surgery area, many of whom were probably just accompanying patients. Air conditioning was super cold, even worse than Thai cinemas. They took blood pressure and then we sat for an hour or more. I brought along both iPad and Kindle for entertainment. I read and Himself played games on the iPad. There were also a fair number of young soldiers and sailors in the waiting room, many of whom were well worth watching.
Around the periphery of the waiting area were many examination rooms, each with a small set of numbered plastic seats in front. A clerk eventually collected 6 to 10 folders for recent arrivals, located the corresponding people and directed us each to a numbered chair before an exam room. The doctor arrived and called us in in the order of the seating arrangement.
Both doctors I saw spoke excellent English. I believe many of them have trained in the US, which seemed likely given their accents. The first collected information and did a hands-on clinical exam. Since my hernia is reducible and is neither incarcerated nor strangulated, the procedure was not considered urgent but rather elective.
He called in another surgeon who also examined me and suggested laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. There are pros and cons to either method, but he did say with the laparoscopic procedure he could easily check for and treat any other possible weak spots or a possible hernia on the other side, which would not be found using the open single incision method. I could either wait for the next opening in early December at the naval hospital or get it done sooner at a private hospital where he also worked. The former would probably run between baht 60,000 to 70,000 depending on whether the repair involved the single hernia or more. Lab tests, room and food would be additional. When I go there for the procedure, I would need to deposit Baht 100,000. IтАЩve read others were required to make a Baht 60,000 deposit or less for the less expensive open incision procedure тАж any unused balance is returned immediately in cash. The approximate one hour spent with the two surgeons doing the clinical exam cost тАж wait for it тАж Baht 200.
If you opt for a single room, you must have someone stay with you. ItтАЩs expected I will spend two nights there. Himself seems to find some amusement at the prospect of looking after me (and probably a little joy at me being drugged up or maybe even writhing in pain). We may have to revisit the topic of karmic retribution.
Without a 24/7 companion youтАЩd need to stay in a ward where nursing staff can monitor you more easily. And, once again there is the language issue. The doctors I encountered spoke fluent English and most other people tried a few words, but it is a Thai facility primarily intended for Thai military and civilian nationals.
Of course your friend may not be a flawless conduit for medical information. He may fully understand what heтАЩs told in Thai, but he might not have the English vocab to deal with it all. When the nurse was reviewing what the doctor had already discussed with me, his explanation turned тАЬlaparoscopic surgeryтАЭ into тАЬlaser surgeryтАЭ and тАЬblood thinners like aspirinтАЭ became тАЬparacetamol.тАЭ
Anyone with specific questions about the first part of this experience, please pm me. Assuming I survive it all IтАЩll share what happens during the actual procedure and post-op recovery.
I also had very successful treatment for sub-retinal bleeding, aka macular degeneration, at Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital. Not as common as hernias and it was out-patient treatment, but if anyone is looking for information on that, please pm me.