Cataract Surgery Chiang Mai - for info

[Mike Lister]

27 minutes ago, connda said:

Just curious.  What was your experience with St Peters.  If you don't want to publish criticism (consider the defamation laws) please just PM me.  Thanks!

Done

[retarius]

If you didn't go to them for cataracts but for vision correction it seems to imply you were not aware of your cataracts. Is this the case? Or were you aware and wanted vision correction but to leave the cataracts as they were?

The other quotes you got from Rutnin and Prince Lamphun, what were they for? I am looking at Rutnin myself for some presbyopia vision work.....they seem to be a very good outfit. I'd be inclined to go for the best where my vision is concerned. 

I know an Aussie guy who had life long vision issues and wore glasses with thick bottle bottom lenses. He's a young man, under 50 still and he had them done maybe 8 years ago at Bumrungrad. Cost a lot of money but he's working and has insurance. 

[Medicine Man]

Thanks for raising this discussion Mike. I had a trifocal lens fitted back in the UK last year after having previously having retinal surgery in Sriphat. I am surprised that you are getting advised that the lens replacement won't correct your vision. Even a monolens is normally made specifically for your eye based on measurements taken by the specialist. Surely they aren't saying that they are just going to fit any generic lens in such an opportunity to sort out your vision. After having had a bad experience with Sriphat myself of going through unnecessary retinal surgery I suggest that you get a second opinion. I was so untrusting of the Thai system I returned to the UK for my cataract surgery.

[Mike Lister]

33 minutes ago, retarius said:

If you didn't go to them for cataracts but for vision correction it seems to imply you were not aware of your cataracts. Is this the case? Or were you aware and wanted vision correction but to leave the cataracts as they were?

The other quotes you got from Rutnin and Prince Lamphun, what were they for? I am looking at Rutnin myself for some presbyopia vision work.....they seem to be a very good outfit. I'd be inclined to go for the best where my vision is concerned. 

I know an Aussie guy who had life long vision issues and wore glasses with thick bottle bottom lenses. He's a young man, under 50 still and he had them done maybe 8 years ago at Bumrungrad. Cost a lot of money but he's working and has insurance. 

I've been aware of my cataracts for several years but Ophthalmologists' don't always agree on the staging of cataracts, Stages 2, 3 and 4 are coloured Grey Yellow and Brown respectively but this is not always clear cut. I had one Ophthalmologist try to sell me on cataract surgery 15 years ago when they were barely even in existence. I finally got two Opthas's to agree I am stage 2 and that means the surgery can wait, prior to that finding I was pretty convinced I need the op. hence I looked at Prince and Rutnin et al. I just got new glasses with a much stronger prescription in one eye, up from 1.75 to 3.50, most of that is to cater for the vison loss from cataracts in that eye. I'm pretty certain that when I am ready for the OP, I will have it done at Sriphat, that looks like the most cost effective and lowest risk option.

[Mike Lister]

I think there's something not quite right with Ophthalmology in the North. I've seen at least seven different Ophthalmologists and each one was lacking quite seriously:

 

Number 1 wanted to perform a wholly unnecessary and very expensive procedure that left my Ophthalmologist at the Rutnin shaking his head in wonderment.

 

Number 2 said she was the same person I'd seen three weeks earlier who turned out to be one of her students and who missed a torn retina.

 

Numbers 3 and 4 were booked for a consultation but both bookings were cancelled at the last minute by nurses. Number 3 because I was already deemed to be a patient of number 2 and number 4 because she didn't like to consult with farangs because of her poor English, even though she spent two years at university in an English speaking country.

 

Number 5 started off well and launched into the inspection of the eye but immediately thereafter refused to look at me or to speak English and would only engage with my wife in Thai. I tried everything, up to the point of rudeness but she wouldn't engage. I finally walked out and took my wife with me.

 

My appointment with Number 6 was to get a prescription for new glasses. I've had eye exams every year for the past 65 years and have worn glasses since I was four years old, I've been examined at Rutnin and at Moorfields and I know what a good eye exam is. This chap opened his wooden box of lenses, fitted two into a frame and put them on my face and told me to read the chart. When I said I couldn't he said try! There was no tweaking of the prescription and no technology, the lenses he had picked were the ones he was going to prescribe. "It's the cataracts you see", they're so bad we can't do better than this. 

 

One of the problems is that all the girls went to the same uni. and are all part of the same club and they all trade notes on patients and work at the same hospitals. Skill wise, I doubt there's much difference between them. The Rutnin may be pricey but at least you know you're getting the best in the business and they don't play games. I've always been left with the impression that the required monthly follow up visit's to check and make sure everything is OK, were nothing more than money spinners, a quick 500 baht for under ten minutes. work.

 

 

 

[Dante99]

Well Mike you are wrong.  There are hundreds of people who have had very good experiences with eye doctors and cataract surgery in Chiang Mai.  They have reported those positive experiences on this forum over many years.  The positive results have been confirmed even after many years.

[Mike Lister]

1 hour ago, Dante99 said:

Well Mike you are wrong.  There are hundreds of people who have had very good experiences with eye doctors and cataract surgery in Chiang Mai.  They have reported those positive experiences on this forum over many years.  The positive results have been confirmed even after many years.

I don't think it has to be that one person is totally wrong and everybody else is totally right, I think there are shades of both in both camps. I think Dr Ratchada is really good but I can't get to see her because I've seen another Ophthalmologist where she works and I'm considered her patient...it's very odd.

 

Plus I never said there weren't very good Ophthalmologists in the North, I just said the situation is not quite right. All my money is on the Optometrist at Vision Center who has my deep respect for his professionalism, he's not a licensed  Ophthalmologist but he has some very similar skills. 

[Bill97]

7 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

One of the problems is that all the girls went to the same uni. and are all part of the same club

Why would anyone even consider a girl doctor?  Lack of maturity?

[Mike Lister]

32 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Why would anyone even consider a girl doctor?  Lack of maturity?

I say girls and I'm being polite, but even still, you do  have a point.

[Bill97]

10 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

I say girls and I'm being polite, 

I can't really believe that

[Mike Lister]

4 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

I can't really believe that

Most of the Ophthalmologists I have seen at Sriphat, Bangkok Hospital and RAM appear be in their late 30's possibly early 40's, according to their CV's on Sriphat and RAM web sites, most graduated around 15 years ago which would make that estimate about right.

[factseeker]

On 1/30/2024 at 12:51 AM, Bill97 said:

Why would anyone even consider a girl doctor?  Lack of maturity?

Last couple of weeks have read this Forum thread in detail - serveral times - very useful.

Here my offering - Sriphat yesterday Lens replacment left eye - Mono Lens for distance.

Had been best eye entire life - could read road signs from a distance but also the smallest of small print - never glasses.

Then Cataract! - 83 years - left eye at point where 3 overlapping moons in the sky at night - something had to be done.

Sriphat appear to have the  'kit' to test just about all and every aspect of Vision.

Even so nervous as 'hell' on making decisions ref Mono or Toric Lens etc.

With right eye still OK close or distance - although never as good as the left had been - I decided for Mono Lens for distance for left eye hoping that the right would do for close and Brain would sort it all out.

It has!   Well done Brain! - better than I could ever have imagined

With Cataract  also in right at an early stage so now have option to go for Mono Lens for close - when/if the time comes.

I decided against Toric Lens as in past with much Computer Screen work I purchased a set of 'BiFocal' Glasses to cut eye strain and never really felt comfortable with them.

I decided for the simplicity on Mono Lens - glad that I did.

The young lady Doctor (at my age everyone seems young) who looked after me I hope will have the long successful career she deserves - absolutely first class in all respects . explanation - advice - decision making.

The situation now?   Well I am typing this less than 24 hours after the Op - no Glasses.

Best Rgds to All.

Edited February 6 by factseeker

[Mike Lister]

2 minutes ago, factseeker said:

Last couple of weeks have read this Forum thread in detail - serveral times - very useful.

Here my offering - Sriphat yesterday Lens replacment left eye - Mono Lens for distance.

Had been best eye entire life - could read road signs from a distance but also the smallest of small print - never glasses.

Then Cataract! - 83 years - left eye at point where 3 overlapping moons in the sky at night - something had to be done.

Sriphat appear to have the  'kit' to test just about all and every aspect of Vision.

Even so nervous as 'hell' on making decisions ref Mono or Toric Lens etc.

With right eye still OK close or distance - although never as good as the left had been - I decided for Mono Lens for distance for left eye hoping that the right would do for close and Brain would sort it all out.

It has!   Well done Brain! - better than I could ever have imagined

With Cataract  also in right at an early stage so now have option to go for Mono Lens for close - when/if the time comes.

I decided against Toric Lens as in past with much Computer Screen work I purchased a set of 'BiFocal' Glasses to cut eye strain and never really felt comfortable with them.

I decided for the simplicity on Mono Lens - glad that I did.

The young lady Doctor (at my age everyone seems young) who looked after me I hope will have the long successful career she deserves - absolutely first class in all respects . explanation - advice - decision making.

The situation now?   Well I am typing this less than 24 hors after the Op - no Glasses.

Best Rgds to All.

Can I ask which doctor you saw?

[Dellboy218]

On 1/10/2024 at 3:08 PM, Mike Lister said:

I didn't check for cataract surgery and I don't believe I would, given the Sriphat option, perhaps others know.

About 70k when I had one eye done. The other in Sriphat 47k.  St.Peters was painless 1½ hours under local anesthetic.  Sriphat was 3 hours of agony under a male doctor to the point I had broken the tape used to restrict my arms and hands.  A friend had the lady doctor with no such problems.  No idea why the difference. Both eyes have been good since.

[factseeker]

On 2/6/2024 at 10:43 AM, Mike Lister said:

Can I ask which doctor you saw?

Hi,  sorry no reply before now  - Dr Preeyanuch Khunsongkiet - a lady.

Initially frightened the life out of me - found every little thing ref my eyes - some of which missed in UK - but once I got the hang of how she  explains - not a problem - gave me plenty of time to ask questions - I had read up a lot in anticipation.

I am always a little reticent to recommend - but seems to me this lady is the 'real deal'.

Good luck.

By the way I went for Mono Distance Lens ( left eye) - in fact it lets me see pretty well after a meter onwards - trying to read with it only a  little fuzzy.

My right eye can handle short and reads well but gets a little fuzzy ( just a little) over/after 3 metres or so.

Not sure if just my Brain or same everyone - but amazing - using both eyes now reading well - I suppose that is the right eye but also can see forever - ( must be the left).

More than pleased - delighted and when the time comes ( Cataract now forming right eye) I think will go for Mono near focus and hope Brain does what it seems to do now - sorts it all out.

Edited February 11 by factseeker