Hip Replacement Surgery In Thailand

[GooEng]

Do any readers of this page have any experience of having a hip replacement procedure done in Thailand?

 

My right hip was damaged badly in a car accident in the UK 2.5 years ago, then reconstructed in surgery, but it's deteriorating as i was told it would, and I'll need a replacement before too long.

 

Specifically interested to know satisfaction with results and overall costs.
 

Any experiences or information shared would be gratrefully received.

Edited September 6 by metisdead
ALL CAPS removed from topic title.

[Lorry]

I had hip replacements on both sides. 

I did both in my home country, for 2 reasons:

 

1. I have seen many hip replacements done here, and the results were quite often not satisfactory. 

Having said that, from my 2 hip replacements, 1 was botched. 

And the usual international hospitals do have surgeons who do a good job. I did consult them,  but I did the procedure in Europe.

 

2. The main reason I haven't done it here is the complete lack of post-operative aftercare and rehabilitation. 

Here, they send you home after a couple of days in hospital,  and then you are on your own.

What you really need is intense physical therapy for weeks and months.  This includes ergotherapy (like learning how to get into a car or how to have sex), teaching how to walk (with and later without crutches), later adequate strength training.  You do need professional guidance for all of this. This is just as important as the surgery itself.

In Bangkok,  you can't even walk with your new joint, let alone with crutches. 

You need a stretch of even ground, as long as possible (100m would be boring like hell after a while,  but where in Thailand do you find 3km even, walkable ground?)

(Small things: in Thailand,  I couldn't even find a wedge shaped cushion for my body weight - more than 50kg. Hard to find decent crutches, too.)

 

Cost in Thailand in a private hospital in Bangkok: 350,000 - 400,000, Bumrungrad or Bangkok Hospital 500,000. I would not choose the cheaper options. 

In theory,  you could stay in the top floors of Bumrungrad for postoperative care for a long time. They have a roof garden,  too. People have done this successfully,   cost over 1m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6 by Lorry

[kwonitoy]

Had my right hip replaced at Verjthani in Bangkok about 10 years ago.

Excellent surgery, hospital stay and long term outcome

[nana kid]

Compare prices carefully.  Private hospitals tend to have hidden charges and upsell as much as they can

I am thinking of one in particular...................When checking hospitals make sure that the doctor you pick specializes in Hip Replacement             Specializations here can be pretty narrow     hence no G P's

[Sheryl]

Costs are as per Lorry.

 

There are some excellent ortho surgeons specializing in Bangkok, but as per Lorry, aftercare/rehab is scanty to none.

 

Notwithstanding this, many AN members have had hip replacements here and most have been satisfied with results.

 

See:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1255886-anyone-had-a-hip-replacement-in-thailand-or-india/

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/663501-hip-replacement/

 

 

 

[AgMech Cowboy]

I have had both of my hip joints replaced.  The first was done at Ramkhamhaeng Hospital, which is a private hospital, but more for middle to middle upper class Thais.  My Doctors were Dr. Ratchata Tangsiriphat and Dr. Songat Limpiwatki. They did a great job and kept me in the hospital for a week to monitor the incision healing (drainage) and for physical therapy from a US educated Thai PT. (not sure he's still there and I don't have his name).  This was in 2008.  I've had overall a good experience.  The cost at that time was around USD11,000.00.

 

In 2018 I had my other hip replaced in the US (Houston).  The day of my surgery I was required to shower (at my domicile) using the cleansing techniques described in a pre-op training conducted by orthopedic nurses. I then traveled to the hospital. I think about 16-18 of us were lined up on gurneys in a preop room.  The Doctor came through, marked up the hip (to be sure he operated on the correct hips) and made to wait while the surgeries were done like an assembly line.  Once 'we' had completed recovery, each person was put in the hospital room. The next morning catheters were removed and a therapy session was conducted to be sure you understood how and what to do.  You were then released to your friend or family who would drive you home. For Medicare in the US now, you don't even get to over night in the hospital.

 

I will say that the surgery went well, but I've had much more pain in that hip than the one done in Thailand.  (Oh, and the bill to Medicare and my secondary insurance was over $30,000.00.

Edited September 8 by AgMech Cowboy

[Lorry]

2 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

I have had both of my hip joints replaced.  The first was done at Ramkhamhaeng Hospital, which is a private hospital, but more for middle to middle upper class Thais.  My Doctors were Dr. Ratchata Tangsiriphat and Dr. Songat Limpiwatki. They did a great job and kept me in the hospital for a week to monitor the incision healing (drainage) and for physical therapy from a US educated Thai PT. (not sure he's still there and I don't have his name).  This was in 2008.  I've had overall a good experience.  The cost at that time was around USD11,000.00.

 

In 2018 I had my other hip replaced in the US (Houston).  The day of my surgery I was required to shower (at my domicile) using the cleansing techniques described in a pre-op training conducted by orthopedic nurses. I then traveled to the hospital. I think about 16-18 of us were lined up on gurneys in a preop room.  The Doctor came through, marked up the hip (to be sure he operated on the correct hips) and made to wait while the surgeries were done like an assembly line.  Once 'we' had completed recovery, each person was put in the hospital room. The next morning catheters were removed and a therapy session was conducted to be sure you understood how and what to do.  You were then released to your friend or family who would drive you home. For Medicare in the US now, you don't even get to over night in the hospital.

 

I will say that the surgery went well, but I've had much more pain in that hip than the one done in Thailand.  (Oh, and the bill to Medicare and my secondary insurance was over $30,000.00.

Very interesting read.

BTW the surgery is much less bloody nowadays, drainages (where germs can enter) aren't used anymore.