Any information on cardiac treatments at Sriphat?

[Genericnic]

Hi all.

 

About 4 years ago had a cardiac CT scan done at RAM that showed blockage in a couple of places. Since I was asymptomatic, we decided to do meds and see how it went. This past month, I had some intermittent episodes of shortness of breath. I am a non-smoker but grew up in a household with heavy smokers. Did some research and though the breathing problem might be early signs of COPD. Went to see Dr. Morgan and she thought the problem sounded more like a cardiac related issue. Set me up for tests at RAM today and did a stress test and echocardiogram. The EKG had enough issues that even I could see there was something going on. The doctor explained it to me and it all made sense. He suggested an angiogram to confirm the blockages and then either an angioplasty or bypass surgery depending on the findings from the angiogram. He told me not to have the angiogram until I was ready to proceed with either of those at the same time since finding the result and waiting would just keep me awake at night. LOL

 

I asked the obvious question: How much would it cost? He said in a private hospital (RAM I assume) the angioplasty/stent would be in the 400k baht ballpark and the bypass would be in the 800k ballpark. While I can afford either of those, if I can get the same quality care at a better price, I would be interested. 

 

So the question is has anyone had any experience with cardiac care at Sripaht? I have heard generally good things about it. At any other hospitals in the Chiang Mai area? 

 

I would love to hear any insights that @Sheryl might have.

 

Thanks

 

David

 

[Rama]

pm sent

[Sheryl]

People have had this done at Sriphat and it does cost less than at private hospital though not by as much as you might expect especially for stents as much of the cost is the stent itself. Be advised that the price you were quoted was for a single stent, should there be blockage in more than one artery and more than one stent needed, cost is more. Also of course the price is an average and does not extend to complications (that would apply also to bypass).

 

Stents are placed by interventional cardiologists mostly whereas bypass is done by cardiac surgeons.

 

For interventional cardiology the "go to" doc in CM is Dr. Pattarapong Keelapang at CM Ram.  http://www.chiangmairam.com/searchdoctor1?major_id=120&doctor=

alternatives at Sripat include Dr. Pannipa Suwannasom and Dr. Supadej Sudjaritruk.

 

For cardiac surgery would advise  Dr. Surin Woragidpoonpol at Sripat.

[rcjoop]

The price mentioned for Angio plus stent placement in CM RAM seems high. I was treated in RAM by Dr. Pattarapong for single stent placement in 2011, no complications and total costs were 203.000 Baht. The prices will have gone up but doubled?? anyway good luck with your treatment.

[HullyGully]

The two specialist I would recomend is

For cardiac surgery would advise  Dr. Surin Woragidpoonpol at Sripat.

and Dr Panumes Srisawang Cardioloist 

The two doctors work alongside each other at Sriphat

 

Dt Panumes did an Echo cardiograph, then after that we decided to do an Angiograph, which showed blockages

 

Talking to the Dr, he said the best course of action was by-pass, plus a needed  one new valve and repairs to another

 

That night I talked to Dr Surin, and we scheduled the operation for 2 weeks later, Dr Surin was on his way to the USA

 

Anyway, my FIL had the procedure 3 years ago and no issued whatsoever

 

The cost of the angiography was around GBP1200, one night in hospital

Cost of the bypass was around GBP25,000

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by HullyGully
added more text

[Genericnic]

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

People have had this done at Sriphat and it does cost less than at private hospital though not by as much as you might expect especially for stents as much of the cost is the stent itself. Be advised that the price you were quoted was for a single stent, should there be blockage in more than one artery and more than one stent needed, cost is more. Also of course the price is an average and does not extend to complications (that would apply also to bypass).

 

Stents are placed by interventional cardiologists mostly whereas bypass is done by cardiac surgeons.

 

For interventional cardiology the "go to" doc in CM is Dr. Pattarapong Keelapang at CM Ram.  http://www.chiangmairam.com/searchdoctor1?major_id=120&doctor=

alternatives at Sripat include Dr. Pannipa Suwannasom and Dr. Supadej Sudjaritruk.

 

For cardiac surgery would advise  Dr. Surin Woragidpoonpol at Sripat.

Thanks Sheryl.

 

Dr. Pattarapong is the one that did the CT scan and this last workup. He is aware that there are two blockages that need attending to so maybe the price range he quoted was for both. I'll have to check with him. By the way, any idea on what the ballpark prices is for stents here?

 

If Dr. Pattarapong does the angiogram and finds that bypass surgery would be the better option, I got the opinion that they would basically "roll me over" and do the bypass surgery rather than having me come back later for the surgery. Does that sound like typical procedure? Given the choice, I would prefer to get it done by someone that specializes in it. 

 

Thanks for all your good information.

 

David

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Genericnic

[Genericnic]

4 hours ago, rcjoop said:

The price mentioned for Angio plus stent placement in CM RAM seems high. I was treated in RAM by Dr. Pattarapong for single stent placement in 2011, no complications and total costs were 203.000 Baht. The prices will have gone up but doubled?? anyway good luck with your treatment.

Anything is possible. LOL

 

Even the price quoted is less than half the average price in the US.

 

David

 

[Sheryl]

The price mentioned for Angio plus stent placement in CM RAM seems high. I was treated in RAM by Dr. Pattarapong for single stent placement in 2011, no complications and total costs were 203.000 Baht. The prices will have gone up but doubled?? anyway good luck with your treatment.

Prices in private hospitals in Thailand have gone up very steeply in past 5 years or so. 30-50% easily.

Also seems that price was for 2 stents not one.

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[Sheryl]

Thanks Sheryl.
 
Dr. Pattarapong is the one that did the CT scan and this last workup. He is aware that there are two blockages that need attending to so maybe the price range he quoted was for both. I'll have to check with him. By the way, any idea on what the ballpark prices is for stents here?
 
If Dr. Pattarapong does the angiogram and finds that bypass surgery would be the better option, I got the opinion that they would basically "roll me over" and do the bypass surgery rather than having me come back later for the surgery. Does that sound like typical procedure? Given the choice, I would prefer to get it done by someone that specializes in it. 
 
Thanks for all your good information.
 
David
 

In order to send you directly to surgery they would have to have cardiothoracic team standing by. Not only surgeons and anesthesiologist but also perfusionists ,(for the bypass nachine). Not impossible but seems unlikely to me as needless (and large) expense tying up an OR bypass machine and personnel quite possibly for nothing. Are you sure that is the plan?

Even if it is you can request otherwise.

The surgery would only be done by a cardiothoracic durgeon as it is quite specisluzed. But if course you are best arvised to select which surgeon.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Genericnic]

7 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

In order to send you directly to surgery they would have to have cardiothoracic team standing by. Not only surgeons and anesthesiologist but also perfusionists ,(for the bypass nachine). Not impossible but seems unlikely to me as needless (and large) expense tying up an OR bypass machine and personnel quite possibly for nothing. Are you sure that is the plan?

Even if it is you can request otherwise.

The surgery would only be done by a cardiothoracic durgeon as it is quite specisluzed. But if course you are best arvised to select which surgeon.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Thanks  @Sheryl

 

That was sort of my feeling as well. I could see then doing the angioplasty/stent at the same time but, as you noted, a bypass is a lot more complex. I'll definitely check out /Dr. Surin at Sripat. If anyone is going to pop me open, I want someone with lots of experience. Just as a note - you may appreciate this - my mother had her first cardiac bypass when she was in her mid 50s. Turns out that the doctor that did it was Dr. Michael DeBakey at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. Was just a random chance that she got him as he was the surgeon on duty when she came in with a heart attach. 

 

Thanks again for all your help and good information.

 

David

 

[SantiSuk]

Just as a benchmark for costs at the so-called op end I was recently charged by Bumrungrad (cardiologist Anam Chusid, cardio-thoracic surgeon Parditchai Chaiseri.

 

A CT coronary scan with contrast cost about 25,000 together with doctor analysis and hospital charges ("about' because I also had a lung scan so I'm splitting out a bill)

 

The coronary angiogram phase cost 135,000 (substantially cheaper than the amount I had been quoted at an Isaan regional public hospital under instruction fr0m a private hospital in the same city).

 

The triple bypass operation cost 1.3 million (including drugs for 2 weeks post release). As a result of some complications - atrial fibrilation - that included 3 more days in hospital than normal and two rounds of reasonably expensive amiodorone injections and ya met.

 

My UK AXA insurer only reimburses up to equivalent UK costs, but they reimbursed 97% in this case - indicating that although Bumrungrad is clearly at the top end of costs in Thailand the extent of 'overcharging' is not maybe as severe as many assume

 

 

[Genericnic]

12 minutes ago, SantiSuk said:

Just as a benchmark for costs at the so-called op end I was recently charged by Bumrungrad (cardiologist Anam Chusid, cardio-thoracic surgeon Parditchai Chaiseri.

 

A CT coronary scan with contrast cost about 25,000 together with doctor analysis and hospital charges ("about' because I also had a lung scan so I'm splitting out a bill)

 

The coronary angiogram phase cost 135,000 (substantially cheaper than the amount I had been quoted at an Isaan regional public hospital under instruction fr0m a private hospital in the same city).

 

The triple bypass operation cost 1.3 million (including drugs for 2 weeks post release). As a result of some complications - atrial fibrilation - that included 3 more days in hospital than normal and two rounds of reasonably expensive amiodorone injections and ya met.

 

My UK AXA insurer only reimburses up to equivalent UK costs, but they reimbursed 97% in this case - indicating that although Bumrungrad is clearly at the top end of costs in Thailand the extent of 'overcharging' is not maybe as severe as many assume

 

 

Thanks for that.

 

The price you mentioned for the CT scan was about the same as I paid at RAM in Chiang Mai about 4 years ago if I remember correctly.

 

Sounds like you have some great insurance. I'll be contacting mine soon to find out what they cover. My best guess is around 80% since I am out of network. If I went back to the US and did it in-network they would cover a lot more.

 

David

 

[Wandr]

8 hours ago, Genericnic said:

Thanks for that.

 

The price you mentioned for the CT scan was about the same as I paid at RAM in Chiang Mai about 4 years ago if I remember correctly.

 

Sounds like you have some great insurance. I'll be contacting mine soon to find out what they cover. My best guess is around 80% since I am out of network. If I went back to the US and did it in-network they would cover a lot more.

 

David

 

You may be in for a surprise. If it is typical US insurance, they will not cover anything overseas.

Some (Kaiser) will cover emergencies overseas, but they define emergencies narrowly. Your case doesn't qualify as one.

Consider getting it done in the US if you find you don't have coverage.

[Genericnic]

2 hours ago, Wandr said:

You may be in for a surprise. If it is typical US insurance, they will not cover anything overseas.

Some (Kaiser) will cover emergencies overseas, but they define emergencies narrowly. Your case doesn't qualify as one.

Consider getting it done in the US if you find you don't have coverage.

Actually I just checked with my insurance carrier last night and they do cover me and the procedure here. In fact, CM RAM is a network provider which means I will get the same coverage and benefits that I would get if I were back in Texas. Made me very happy.

 

David

[SantiSuk]

14 hours ago, Genericnic said:

Thanks for that.

 

The price you mentioned for the CT scan was about the same as I paid at RAM in Chiang Mai about 4 years ago if I remember correctly.

 

Sounds like you have some great insurance. I'll be contacting mine soon to find out what they cover. My best guess is around 80% since I am out of network. If I went back to the US and did it in-network they would cover a lot more.

 

David

 

"Had" some really good insurance, not "have". It ran out on 30 June because the professional partnership I spent 35 years with previously operated a "partner for life" culture. Now the economics of supporting a load of retired partners within a pool of insureds that has younger working partners doesn't stand up so they've cut out the retired partners who live abroad as a 1st stage in trying to save some money.

 

Luckily, the operation, all my ICU days and most of the recovery hospital days fell before the cut-off date. I got 97% of the 1.15m pre-30June plus all the preparatory phases back, but had to bear .15m of post June costs myself. Luckily the professional job had paid very well and came with a nice pension - which Brexit is doing its best to decimate!. I'll self-insure from now on (the $5,000 premium now not payable is a good start) but will also have to find some insurer to satisfy upcoming immigration requirements should those extend to expats on an annual extension.

 

Incidentally for any onlookers - a CT coronary scan is not normally done - most move straight to an angiogram. The cardiologist thought I was likely to 'get away with management by meds and was shocked when he saw my angiogram. I had scored well on all risk factors except age; maybe I should have emphasised that my working years were full of stress, foreign travel and inappropriate food, rather than concentrating on my laid back but well exercised/healthy eating lifestyle in Thailand!!

 

Should also have mentioned that the 1.3m also included about 10 days of cardiac rehab once out of ICU. Other hospitals may charge separately for that.

Edited August 9, 2019 by SantiSuk

[hmficc]

23 hours ago, Genericnic said:

Thanks for that.

 

The price you mentioned for the CT scan was about the same as I paid at RAM in Chiang Mai about 4 years ago if I remember correctly.

 

Sounds like you have some great insurance. I'll be contacting mine soon to find out what they cover. My best guess is around 80% since I am out of network. If I went back to the US and did it in-network they would cover a lot more.

 

David

 

Would you really consider having heart surgery in the provincial capital of a developing country when you have insurance in the USA? You astonish me sir!

look at The frocks the nurses are wearing and you should realize this is 1950s standard of care.

standard of care

[Genericnic]

18 minutes ago, hmficc said:

Would you really consider having heart surgery in the provincial capital of a developing country when you have insurance in the USA? You astonish me sir!

look at The frocks the nurses are wearing and you should realize this is 1950s standard of care.

standard of care

Even in the US, there is no guarantee that you will get quality medical care. Over the years there, I have seen doctors that were above outstanding and a few others that I would not have let touch me with a tongue depressor. 

 

When I was a premed student back years ago we had a joke that goes:

 

What do you call someone that graduates last in the class in medical school? Doctor.

 

I'm as comfortable with the doctors here (at least the ones I know) as I would be with doctors in the US.

 

David

[hmficc]

8 hours ago, Genericnic said:

Even in the US, there is no guarantee that you will get quality medical care. Over the years there, I have seen doctors that were above outstanding and a few others that I would not have let touch me with a tongue depressor. 

 

When I was a premed student back years ago we had a joke that goes:

 

What do you call someone that graduates last in the class in medical school? Doctor.

 

I'm as comfortable with the doctors here (at least the ones I know) as I would be with doctors in the US.

 

David

So, Are you a medical doctor or A clairvoyant?

i would suggest the Cleveland Clinic. they are not touchie with  tongue depressors. This is a man’s life and he doesn’t seem to be the common  destitute poster.

Edited August 10, 2019 by hmficc