St Louis hospital in BKK or Samitivej? Appendicitis

[bbi1]

Does anyone know how the prices compare at St Louis hospital near surasak bts compared to Samitivej? Or any good doctors/hospitals to check about possible appendicitis or what tests Would they usually do?

[Scott]

I spent some time in Samitivej and St. Louis.   I like St. Louis better, but it was years later.   I don't know about costs.   But St. Louis is a very good hospital and the care I received there was exceptional.  

 

[uhuh]

If you suspect acute appendicitis you should not be posting on TV. You should be on your way to the nearest good hospital.

 

St Louis is a good hospital and a lot cheaper than Samitivej, maybe half the price. Samitivej is more luxurious and is better if you develop unforeseen (rare) life-threatening complications (their ICU is maybe the best in Thailand).

 

Any hospital can handle an appendicitis. The surgeon will examine you,  routine lab tests, maybe ultrasound and/or CT scan. 

If you are basically healthy,  no serious or rare comorbidities , St Louis is a good choice.

 

 

[Sheryl]

As above, St louis is less expensive than Samitivej.

 

For suspected appendicits tests would be a manual examination of your abdomen, a complete blood count and ultrasound. Not very expensive. Possibly CT, which is expensive,  but that really depends on results of the first 3 things.

 

In my experience self diagnoses are wrong more than 90% of the time so don't focus too much on your idea of appendicitis, could be something entirely different.

[bbi1]

On 10/15/2019 at 10:13 AM, Sheryl said:

As above, St louis is less expensive than Samitivej.

 

For suspected appendicits tests would be a manual examination of your abdomen, a complete blood count and ultrasound. Not very expensive. Possibly CT, which is expensive,  but that really depends on results of the first 3 things.

 

In my experience self diagnoses are wrong more than 90% of the time so don't focus too much on your idea of appendicitis, could be something entirely different.

Now at st Louis hospital. At the counter after registering they asked me to go to the surgery department. Will see Dr. Narongsak Jongsiri. Should they have sent me straight to the surgery department? Shouldn't I go to the gastroenterology department instead?

[bbi1]

Doctors diagnosis was gastroenteritis (food poisoning). I had a lot of diarrhoea over the past 2 days. Just did a manual exam pressing different parts of my tummy and asking questions about my symptoms. He said my symptoms was of appendicitis. Said the pain under the belly button and the very right side could be from gastro too, even though the pain started from 7 days ago. Asked me to take Miracid and Gastrobiomol.

Edited October 17, 2019 by bbi1

[Sheryl]

I don't follow. Did you mean to say NOT appendicitis?

They did right in sending you first to a general surgeon. They have the necessary expertise to determine whether you have appendicitis or other surgical problem and to act quickly if so. Sounds like the verdict is no. As you have discovered, the fact that a doctor is a surgeon does not mean he will operate on all patients.

He might refer you to a GI doctor or internist for follow up.

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

[VocalNeal]

On 10/14/2019 at 11:59 PM, Scott said:

I spent some time in Samitivej and St. Louis.   I like St. Louis better, but it was years later.   I don't know about costs.   But St. Louis is a very good hospital and the care I received there was exceptional.  

 

Or Bangkok Christian.

[bbi1]

47 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I don't follow. Did you mean to say NOT appendicitis?

They did right in sending you first to a general surgeon. They have the necessary expertise to determine whether you have appendicitis or other surgical problem and to act quickly if so. Sounds like the verdict is no. As you have discovered, the fact that a doctor is a surgeon does not mean he will operate on all patients.

He might refer you to a GI doctor or internist for follow up.

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

Sorry, he said it's not appendicitis.

[Orton Rd]

Went to st Louis 3 years ago for uti infection but found it expensive and the Dr rude and uncommunicative, would not go again

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Went to st Louis 3 years ago for uti infection but found it expensive and the Dr rude and uncommunicative, would not go again

Unless you are talking more expensive than a public government hospital not sure how it could be that expensive and not all doctors are equal in any hospital - but that is on the doctor rather than the hospital in most cases.

[Orton Rd]

It was branded as a non profit Hospital, but the Dr fee was almost as much as Bumrungrad and the anti biotics of course about 5x the cost. Only paid for the drugs as not sure they were available outside.

[Sheryl]

18 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Unless you are talking more expensive than a public government hospital not sure how it could be that expensive and not all doctors are equal in any hospital - but that is on the doctor rather than the hospital in most cases.

 

Correct, it is the doctor and  not something typical of the hospital (the rudeness that is. Can't comment on cost without knowing what it was and what the visit entailed). 

 

I've been an in-patient once at St Louis, had friends/family admitted there at least twice that I recall offhand, and had numerous out patient visits there for myself and friends/family. Easily more than a dozen, maybe more than 20 over the years. Different doctors, various specialties. And also check-ups in the check-up dept. 

 

In all that, just 1 really bad experience (I literally walked out on the doctor). The others ranged from OK to excellent.

 

 

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

It was branded as a non profit Hospital, but the Dr fee was almost as much as Bumrungrad and the anti biotics of course about 5x the cost. Only paid for the drugs as not sure they were available outside.

Expect doctor cost to be set by the doctor as at other hospitals - one doctor may be 600 and next room 1,600 - but in general believe cost is normally on the low side of average for private hospitals.  As for antibiotics some can be very expensive indeed in or out of a hospital but in is normally at least twice the outside cost so as you know best to buy outside when possible; but some added cost is at least partly understandable as actual pharmacists/allergy/combinations check and controlled storage involved.

[uhuh]

9 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Went to st Louis 3 years ago for uti infection but found it expensive and the Dr rude and uncommunicative, would not go 

Same experience. 

I later found out that my particular doctor also works at Bumrungrad.

It really is the doctor,  not the hospital.