Hip Replacement

[AlexRRR]

Would like some info on hospitals that perform hip replacements in BKK, I have used Bumgrunrad Hospital way back in late 2011 for an operation and was happy and pleased with my surgeon and results though I felt little love or concern from nurses and staff on my ward I felt like I just was push in push out and hurry up about it as well...That would not stop me going back but options are what I like before making a decision.

 

My normal way of thinking is if your a surgeon then your capable that was my approach the previous time anyway, I am in Australia so obviously I would need to set this up prior to arriving any suggestions are most welcome.

[Sheryl]

Hospital is not important, choice of surgeon is.

 

It  is not at all the case that all surgeons can do this. Even among orthopedic surgeons, not all can, and among those who do, level of skill varies.

 

Can you not get this done in Oz? Depending on the technique used and hospital it is going to cost between 350 - 650 k baht in a private hospital. Health care prices in Thailand have increased dramatically in the past 5-10 years and sometimes equal or even exceed those in many Western countries.  (Influx of middle eastern patients is a factor in this).
 

It is of course much less expensive in government hospitals but these entail very long waits at each visit (e.g. all day, and maybe more than 1 day to meet a specialist), wait lists for elective surgery (1-3 months usually), lots of red tape and you need a Thai speaker to help you navigate. For these reasons usually not a viable option for visitors though resident expats who speak Thai or have Thai spouses often use them.

 

India is a much better option for medical tourism, especially orthopedic. Prices are much, much lower than Thailand.

 

 

 

[AlexRRR]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Hospital is not important, choice of surgeon is.

 

It  is not at all the case that all surgeons can do this. Even among orthopedic surgeons, not all can, and among those who do, level of skill varies.

 

Can you not get this done in Oz? Depending on the technique used and hospital it is going to cost between 350 - 650 k baht in a private hospital. Health care prices in Thailand have increased dramatically in the past 5-10 years and sometimes equal or even exceed those in many Western countries.  (Influx of middle eastern patients is a factor in this).
 

It is of course much less expensive in government hospitals but these entail very long waits at each visit (e.g. all day, and maybe more than 1 day to meet a specialist), wait lists for elective surgery (1-3 months usually), lots of red tape and you need a Thai speaker to help you navigate. For these reasons usually not a viable option for visitors though resident expats who speak Thai or have Thai spouses often use them.

 

India is a much better option for medical tourism, especially orthopedic. Prices are much, much lower than Thailand.

 

 

 

 

You can forget Indian anything ive had a couple of quacks here in Melbourne...one couldnt even clean the wax out of my ear properly, the other was still stuck in his voodo ways both didnt cure me of anything, plus ive traveled around India for 2 weeks loved it but gees its the dirtiest place on earth...just no confidence in Indians excpet if there driving a taxi and we have plenty of Indian taxi drivers here with degrees. 

 

Oz well if your a public patient you go on a waiting list and thats what i am it could be 2 to 3 years for surgery and if i wanted to pay for it id be looking at min $AU45 to 50,000 which is something like 1.5million B, from what ive seen 12 to 17,000AU$ is doeable there ho why dont i have private cover? Well here private medical insurace has been raging a race with the stock market to see who would end up winner and there been looking good at out performing every body with outrageous fee hikes out striping inflation and reducing what they actualy insure you for...Aussies have been leaving private cover in droves, i ditched it about 8 years ago, the cover i had would be costing me close to $1500 a year with a lot less i could claim for from when i first joined plus out of pocket costs due to doctors charging higher than the recomended by there own guild.

 

Once and not that long ago i was meant to have some surgery on my face to remove a mole as ive had issues with a growth on my nose luckyily it wasnt cancerous but i do get checked every few years from sun damage etc we Aussies are prone to. As i checked into this private hospital they wanted an up front payment of $500 of course there would have been a further 1000 or more out of pocket expenses billed to me later for a simple operation that took an hour i baulked and left only for them to call me up a week later and book me back into the excat same place as a public patient and no charge to me at all....so work that out....

 

Even im retired im still very active even with a bung hip i still work 2 to 4 days a week in construction, though now i dont go out socialy and recently returned from a 3 month planned holiday in Thailand just after one month due to issues with pain and too much walking there, the pain killers have been getting stonger and just moved on to Mobic 15mg and i worry about my gut dont think id have one left if i waited plus on some anti depreasent 50mg that my local doctor said would help with pain and thats the only reason i take it...no happy to spend get rid of the pain go back to work stress free and be able to travel and enjoy it.

 

Thank you sheryl for your quick reply im happy to stay with a private hospital in BKK and i will take your word on i should concider a surgeon if you have any recomendations and how i go about finding out where they are i would appreciate that. 

[Sheryl]

Assoc. Prof.  Aree Tanavalee at:

Samitivej Hospital Fridays & Sundays  https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/en/doctors/aree-tanavalee/

St Louis Hospital on Sathorn Rd Saturdays 4-8 PM (call to confirm hours).  http://www.saintlouis.or.th/index

 

Samitivej is similar to Bumrungrad price wise and in creature comforts but has a much better quality of nursing care IMO and less of an assembly-line feel to it.

 

St Louis is a non-profit private hospital, no-frills, solid good  nursing care. It   will be much less expensive than Samitivej, but the recommend surgeon's hours there are less frequent.  Website is only in Thai.

 

At Bumrungrad the surgeons I'd suggest  are:

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Somyot-Piyaworakhun

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Keerati-Charoencholvanich

[AlexRRR]

Thank you.

[madmen]

If you are heavy then it wouldn't hurt try a diet. I was on a cane full time and pain with strong meds etc but lost 10 kg and made the world of difference, no cane and no pain just some stiffness and a very mild ache occasionally..still 10 kg to go

[ravip]

9 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Hospital is not important, choice of surgeon is.

 

It  is not at all the case that all surgeons can do this. Even among orthopedic surgeons, not all can, and among those who do, level of skill varies.

 

Can you not get this done in Oz? Depending on the technique used and hospital it is going to cost between 350 - 650 k baht in a private hospital. Health care prices in Thailand have increased dramatically in the past 5-10 years and sometimes equal or even exceed those in many Western countries.  (Influx of middle eastern patients is a factor in this).
 

It is of course much less expensive in government hospitals but these entail very long waits at each visit (e.g. all day, and maybe more than 1 day to meet a specialist), wait lists for elective surgery (1-3 months usually), lots of red tape and you need a Thai speaker to help you navigate. For these reasons usually not a viable option for visitors though resident expats who speak Thai or have Thai spouses often use them.

 

India is a much better option for medical tourism, especially orthopedic. Prices are much, much lower than Thailand.

 

 

 

...much less expensive in government hospitals but these entail very long waits at each visit (e.g. all day, and maybe more than 1 day to meet a specialist), wait lists for elective surgery (1-3 months usually), lots of red tape and you need a Thai speaker to help you navigate.

 

1. How are the available doctors skills?
2. Facilitates available for major surgeries?
3. Are the Military or Police hospitals better than the 'normal' government hospitals?

 

[uhuh]

11 hours ago, Sheryl said:

India is a much better option for medical tourism, especially orthopedic. Prices are much, much lower than Thailand.

Yes.

But trying to navigate an Indian hospital (even a private one) you may realize how reasonable, easy to understand and rational Thai people are ????

You don't need a Thai speaker in India but you should have someone who is used to India. 

[uhuh]

1 hour ago, ravip said:

...much less expensive in government hospitals but these entail very long waits at each visit (e.g. all day, and maybe more than 1 day to meet a specialist), wait lists for elective surgery (1-3 months usually), lots of red tape and you need a Thai speaker to help you navigate.

 

1. How are the available doctors skills?
2. Facilitates available for major surgeries?
3. Are the Military or Police hospitals better than the 'normal' government hospitals?

 

1. Many doctors work both in government hospitals and in private hospitals

2. No problem

3. The big military hospitals are generally better, but as Sheryl said: "Hospital is not important, choice of surgeon is"

[wayned]

12 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Hospital is not important, choice of surgeon is.

 

It  is not at all the case that all surgeons can do this. Even among orthopedic surgeons, not all can, and among those who do, level of skill varies.

 

Can you not get this done in Oz? Depending on the technique used and hospital it is going to cost between 350 - 650 k baht in a private hospital. Health care prices in Thailand have increased dramatically in the past 5-10 years and sometimes equal or even exceed those in many Western countries.  (Influx of middle eastern patients is a factor in this).
 

It is of course much less expensive in government hospitals but these entail very long waits at each visit (e.g. all day, and maybe more than 1 day to meet a specialist), wait lists for elective surgery (1-3 months usually), lots of red tape and you need a Thai speaker to help you navigate. For these reasons usually not a viable option for visitors though resident expats who speak Thai or have Thai spouses often use them.

 

India is a much better option for medical tourism, especially orthopedic. Prices are much, much lower than Thailand.

 

 

 

I had a partial hip replacement in Nakhon Sawan 8 years ago, femur only, not the socket due to a swan dive from a ladder.  It was at Rattanavej hospital and the Surgeon was also the the director of the hospital  ans was recommended by the  government hospital.  I was in the hospital for 10 days and the total cost was just a little over 70,000 baht.  Still works fine but I don't run any races.

[Sheryl]

13 hours ago, ravip said:

...much less expensive in government hospitals but these entail very long waits at each visit (e.g. all day, and maybe more than 1 day to meet a specialist), wait lists for elective surgery (1-3 months usually), lots of red tape and you need a Thai speaker to help you navigate.

 

1. How are the available doctors skills?
2. Facilitates available for major surgeries?
3. Are the Military or Police hospitals better than the 'normal' government hospitals?

 

It depends on the level of hospital.

 

Tertiary level hospitals  (regional hospitals, university hospitals) will have the necessary facilities and surgeons trained in the technique. Lower level hospitals  will usually  not.

 

Military hospitals, excepting the really small ones, are often a good source for ortho surgery.

 

 

[AlexRRR]

17 hours ago, madmen said:

If you are heavy then it wouldn't hurt try a diet. I was on a cane full time and pain with strong meds etc but lost 10 kg and made the world of difference, no cane and no pain just some stiffness and a very mild ache occasionally..still 10 kg to go

 

Nope right hip is almost bone on bone left is fine, level of pain jumps in stages i am a little over weight but it wouldnt matter it would only prolong not fix it, ive always been active my job is physical even im semi retired now social active once too i like to go for long walks havent for about 6 months now.

 

Its more than just shooting pain going down your leg while your watching tv...as a chippie you know im often on ladders and on my knees its dam hard getting up from kneeling even putting on shoes and tieing up laces isnt so easy anymore...Poping pain killers to sleep etc etc...i wont be perfect after the operation thats life at least i will be pain free and be able to go for walks again...

[sofreshnsocleanclean]

I'm looking at getting a hip replacement in the next few years too so I'd like to know how this turns out.....

[AlexRRR]

17 hours ago, sofreshnsocleanclean said:

I'm looking at getting a hip replacement in the next few years too so I'd like to know how this turns out.....

 

Where are you located?

 

If your in Australia you might want to check with a surgeon first today i had permilmery appointment next is with a specialst surgeon within the next 3 months, was told 1 year is tops on a waiting list and that the hospital needs to perform the operation with in a year or it will get fined this changes the landscape for me somewhat, i can hangout for a year the new meds have made a differance, of course they could drag it out appointment after appointment, i will know next vist if there fen me around...right now im searching in BKK and want to see how it pans out here if the pain returns and get worse i wont wait the year...

 

$AU17,000 you will need to factor in for one of the good private hospitals ive been quoted just under $12,000 from never heard of before to 600,000B, thats todays prices, if your Aussie at least get the ball rolling as a public patient.

[AlexRRR]

On 3/13/2019 at 8:51 PM, sofreshnsocleanclean said:

I'm looking at getting a hip replacement in the next few years too so I'd like to know how this turns out.....

 

I ended up getting my hip replacment done here at home in Melbourne, i was surprised that on my second appointment i was offered surgery 10 days later, totaly free apart from some meds which came to about $70 all up, nurse and physio home visits.

 

The fear for us was years of reported waiting lists seems and mostly to do with current goverment they have been expecting hospitals to pick up there game and they have, at least the hospital i went to had an average turn around og 45 days for hip and knee surgery.

 

If your in AU you should be fine, get the ball moving get your history up and dont waste time, your local GP might be happy to rise your meds for the pain in the end push for a specialist point of view.

 

I still worked from 2 to 4 days a week but my social life when out the window, traveling was also put on hold...did return after 1 month from a 3 month trip end of last year...

 

The operation? i had no pain while in hospital, they got me on my feet next day, once home had to take some pain killers some days, normaly ok, i still dont do to much in terms of walking around but im not totaly vegging either. Sleeping has been an issue in the end spent the first week on my lounge recliner, physio encouraged me to try my bed and turned out ok first night...

 

I get the odd attack of pain normaly dont last to long, we are at day 10 now every day is better than the last, im excited to think in a few more weeks i can have my oldlife back...

 

Good luck.