Best heart test in Thailand

[cjinchiangrai]

41 minutes ago, n00dle said:

That's how my father felt until he died of sepsis because the doctor couldn't be bothered to follow up on his test results. Then his kidney stones dropped and caused a blockage, he was yellow and bloated when he died -- all avoidable. 

If he pushed for the follow-up, the doctor might actually have glanced at his test results before he died.

only you are truly responsible for your medical care. If you think you are getting the short end of the stick, say something. you don't need to be peat, but you do need to be assertive.  

 

Just don't make the mistake of thinking you know more than the doctors.

[ChaiyaTH]

12 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Just keep in mind that the surgeon is not the one doing the diagnosis.

 

A contrast CT should be about 20k. After that you are looking at catheters.

Yeah well he started off there so im pretty sure the diagnosis was good then too, could always do a second opinion if it is something serious anyway, at sami etc.

Edited August 30 by ChaiyaTH

[Irish star]

Samitivej, Sri ratcha or bkk 

[Irish star]

14 hours ago, Roo Island said:

Samitivej on Suk soi 49. Fantastic hospital

The one in Sri Ratcha Saved my Life , Sepsis , Heart at 20% 

[fonzo]

Strange that no one has mentioned a Government Hospital as yet.

[Kwaibill]

1 hour ago, Cameroni said:

 

When it comes to the heart sadly we are faced with the limits of medical knowledge, since the only way to determine if you have any blockage in an artery is for doctors to stick a needle in your arteries and see if they can find anything, also known as  Cardiac catheterization.

 

No amount of EKGs or CT scans can reliably determine if you have a blockage anywhere. Only cardiac catherization could do that, and the procedure itself is so dangerous that it's only used in very particular circumstances.

 

Sad but true.

I have had several arthrograms in my span. One resulted in a stent placement, one in an open heart cabage procedure (bypass operation), and one in a pacemaker. The first one previous to all that they dosed me up with, an at the time new medicine (Carvedilol) and went in the opposite femoral artery to place a stent which they had to order in only to find the blockage had dissolved over night. If I had stayed on the drug I might have missed my first stroke,  but

I guess I was part of the learning curve on the stuff.

Overall the docs have kept me ticking for the last thirty years, so I do tend to listen. Maybe they’ll get me to 90.😉

[KhunLA]

27 minutes ago, fonzo said:

Strange that no one has mentioned a Government Hospital as yet.

Chula was mentioned.  Since not insured, a govt hosp would be my choice.  Reckon everyone has insurance, or don't mind the premium price for hand holding.

[Irish star]

35 minutes ago, Irish star said:

The one in Sri Ratcha Saved my Life , Sepsis , Heart at 20% 

Well the doctors do cycle thru all 

[Kwaibill]

36 minutes ago, fonzo said:

Strange that no one has mentioned a Government Hospital as yet.

I have had good experience with the cardio guy at  my local provincial (Samut Prakan, can’t remember how to spell its name). Long queues but affordable and you see lots of pretty girls, cute kids, and machines dispensing ten baht espresso.😊

Edited August 30 by Kwaibill
Spelling

[pub2022]

1 hour ago, Cameroni said:

 

When it comes to the heart sadly we are faced with the limits of medical knowledge, since the only way to determine if you have any blockage in an artery is for doctors to stick a needle in your arteries and see if they can find anything, also known as  Cardiac catheterization.

 

No amount of EKGs or CT scans can reliably determine if you have a blockage anywhere. Only cardiac catherization could do that, and the procedure itself is so dangerous that it's only used in very particular circumstances.

 

Sad but true.

Agree on everything except that the procedure is "so dangerous". Where did you get that alarming information? There are risks connected with it as in anything else. The procedure is used daily hundred times to insert a stent, for example.

[Cameroni]

2 minutes ago, pub2022 said:

Agree on everything except that the procedure is "so dangerous". Where did you get that alarming information? There are risks connected with it as in anything else. The procedure is used daily hundred times to insert a stent, for example.

 

My uncle died from a supposed routine stent procedure.

 

 

[pub2022]

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

 

My uncle died from a supposed routine stent procedure.

 

 

Sorry to hear that.

There are risks associated with it, that's for sure.

How many years ago did it happen?

[Yellowtail]

2 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

My uncle died from a supposed routine stent procedure.

 

 

My best friend died at 25 from a supposed routine tire-mounting. 

 

Yes, there is always risk. 

[msbkk]

3 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

My uncle died from a supposed routine stent procedure.

 

 

The risk to die is very low for a stent procedure. But it can happen in rare cases. 

[Cameroni]

2 minutes ago, pub2022 said:

Sorry to hear that.

There are risks associated with it, that's for sure.

How many years ago did it happen?

 

That was 4 years ago, not in Thailand but in a country where this is not supposed to happen.

[john donson]

bnh, you get a heart attack from the bill alone

[Cameroni]

Just now, msbkk said:

The risk to die is very low for a stent procedure. But it can happen in rare cases. 

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51539112

[nickmondo]

Queen Siriraj hospital Bangkok.

i go there for my heart problems.

yes, a lot of people there, and registering is a pain, but worth it.

Good enough for the Royal Family, good enough for me.

And its funded by the Royals, so it has all the best kit.

[nickmondo]

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51539112

i would not believe anything i saw on the BBC.

[Roy111]

There was an older thread about this. I believe that the hospital mentioned in Sri Racha is doing the package that includes the CT scan that uses dye for about 16,000 baht.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1144866-heart-check-up-package-in-pattaya-area/

[Celsius]

The best thing you can do is go on threadmil, set the speed to 7 and let us know how you feel after 5 minutes.

[marin]

54 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

That was 4 years ago, not in Thailand but in a country where this is not supposed to happen.

You are not too clued in are you?

[msbkk]

50 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51539112

The report does not mention that the risk is high. It is just a comparison of one particular trial of 2 different procedures.

[Cameroni]

9 minutes ago, msbkk said:

The report does not mention that the risk is high. It is just a comparison of one particular trial of 2 different procedures.

 

No, it also mentions that even after the stent procedure problems can develop.

[kimothai]

You don't mention if you have health insurance that can be used in Thailand.  My go to hospital is Bumrungrad in Bangkok which is at the higher end of costs.  I live in Pattaya, but I have a trust issue with some of the hospitals in Pattaya which is off topic.  I consider the extra expense (transportation and hotel) is well worth it.  My insurance will pay (100%) for a "comprehensive physical".  I believe this will cover all the tests you describe with the exception of artery exam and the colonoscopy. if you do decide to do a colonoscopy at Bumrungrad I recommend Dr. Charkaphan Osangthamnont.  Good luck  

[prakhonchai nick]

Depends where you live. I live in Isaan and have never been impressed with local hospitals. I Have had stents and a defibrillator fitted, and can thoroughly recommend Quen Sirikit Hospital in Khon Kaen.

Don't go telling the hospital what you want. Let them check you and decide what if any scans you need.

[georgegeorgia]

34 minutes ago, Celsius said:

The best thing you can do is go on threadmil, set the speed to 7 and let us know how you feel after 5 minutes.

I'm on the treadmill everyday in the gym 

I stay in for 30 minutes 

Is that meaning my heart is good?

I have had EKG and echocardiography nothing found except mild pericarditis 

 

But I believe I could have something so I need to check more 

[georgegeorgia]

5 minutes ago, kimothai said:

You don't mention if you have health insurance that can be used in Thailand.  My go to hospital is Bumrungrad in Bangkok which is at the higher end of costs.  I live in Pattaya, but I have a trust issue with some of the hospitals in Pattaya which is off topic.  I consider the extra expense (transportation and hotel) is well worth it.  My insurance will pay (100%) for a "comprehensive physical".  I believe this will cover all the tests you describe with the exception of artery exam and the colonoscopy. if you do decide to do a colonoscopy at Bumrungrad I recommend Dr. Charkaphan Osangthamnont.  Good luck  

I had a colonoscopy already in April it was clear 

I need to go for a endoscopy because my reflux but my Australian doctor is getting sick of me he told me 

So I will wait until I go back to Thailand soon to see Dr Olivier 

[impulse]

In 2015, I went into the most expensive hospital in Bangkok for my annual checkup.  Did the EKG and the treadmill test and the doctor (cardiologist) gave me a clean bill of health.  I insisted that there was something wrong, that I was running out of breath climbing BTS stairs (and I didn't need more exercise, I was getting plenty).  So they went to the next step and found one artery blocked 100% and another blocked 95%.  That was a Friday, too late to get insurance approvals so (on my insistence) I waited until Monday to have a 4x bypass.  Went fine, and that was over 9 years ago.

 

I chalked the missed diagnosis up to Thai hospitals, but my brother had an even worse diagnosis in one of the most famous hospitals in Houston.  He was in the hospital for 4 weeks before they finally figured out he needed a heart transplant.  So I don't feel so bad about the diagnosis in Bangkok. Turns out most routine testing misses a huge percentage of blockages.  You have to demand the next step.  I'll let you ask your doctor what that "next step" is.   But it ain't the treadmill...

 

Just before I left for Asia (2023), I had a CT scan (I think)  in Houston with the catheter and the dye and they say all my grafts are open after 8 years.  So I can't complain about the quality of the actual surgery, and I really liked the surgeon's follow up care.

 

That's speaking from a database of one case, and YMMV.  I'd recommend Bumrungrad or Samitivej if you can afford them.  I used one for my care, and the other for the second opinions.  Both were world class.

 

Edited August 30 by impulse

[Letseng]

Medpark Hospital is an option.