Barretts Esophagus

[w94005m]

Unfortunately, I've had Barretts Esophagus for quite some time and I'm due for a 5 year check via endoscopy.

 

I am in the Pattaya area and am looking for a reasonable compromise between competence and cost. 

 

As a pre-existing condition, I will have to pay for it, but don't want to replicate the experience I had with the NHS where an incompetent 'specialist' in Ayr failed to even see it. I then needed to have it done privately by a genuine expert.

 

I do prefer to be out for the count when done, so any experiences or recommendations, greatly appreciated.

 

I have no interest in a colonoscopy or other procedure being done at the same time.

 

Many thanks for your consideration. 

 

 

[Crazy Noobie]

Sorry to hear that you have Barretts Esophagus. I do not know of a good place in your area to recommend. I would think that a hospital like maybe Bangkok Hospital would have an expert in this area. You say you are getting your 5 year check-up. I would recommend that you have it checked on a yearly bases and not wait so long in between check-ups. I had Barretts Esophagus, but since I only checked it every 5 years it turned into cancer of the esophagus. The doctor said if I had it checked yearly they could of caught my cancer earlier. I had to have a major operation and had my entire esophagus removed. My stomach was relocated to the top of my lung area and then connected to my throat. It turned my entire life upside down. So stay on top of it and get checked out more often. Good luck.

[w94005m]

Many thanks for your thoughts and so sorry to hear about your consequential problems. I hope that you are at least now stable and in remission 🙏 My last scan had it a low ebb, so I was recommended 3 to 5 years for next scan and I'm a few months inside that window. I am certainly fully aware of potential problems and do try to stay on top of this. As you rightly say better to err on the conservative proactive side. I'll be better set moving forward for subsequent checks once I have this done for the first time in Thailand.

 

Failing any recommendations, I will probably start with Bangkok Pattaya next week and see what they quote.

 

Very best wishes with your progress moving forward 🙏

[Will B Good]

On 9/20/2024 at 12:18 PM, w94005m said:

Unfortunately, I've had Barretts Esophagus for quite some time and I'm due for a 5 year check via endoscopy.

 

I am in the Pattaya area and am looking for a reasonable compromise between competence and cost. 

 

As a pre-existing condition, I will have to pay for it, but don't want to replicate the experience I had with the NHS where an incompetent 'specialist' in Ayr failed to even see it. I then needed to have it done privately by a genuine expert.

 

I do prefer to be out for the count when done, so any experiences or recommendations, greatly appreciated.

 

I have no interest in a colonoscopy or other procedure being done at the same time.

 

Many thanks for your consideration. 

 

 

 

 

Can I ask a few questions? .......the reason being I was headed your way re: Barrett's.......Just ignore me if you wish.

 

I have a hiatal hernia/open LOS valve. I was put on PPIs and told not to have an operation as the risks were to great.

 

Were you offered an operation? What medication were/are you on?

 

Have you heard about the new operation that inserts some plastic device into the oesophagus if PPIs don't work?

 

Hope you get sorted regardless.

[Letseng]

1 hour ago, w94005m said:

Many thanks for your thoughts and so sorry to hear about your consequential problems. I hope that you are at least now stable and in remission 🙏 My last scan had it a low ebb, so I was recommended 3 to 5 years for next scan and I'm a few months inside that window. I am certainly fully aware of potential problems and do try to stay on top of this. As you rightly say better to err on the conservative proactive side. I'll be better set moving forward for subsequent checks once I have this done for the first time in Thailand.

 

Failing any recommendations, I will probably start with Bangkok Pattaya next week and see what they quote.

 

Very best wishes with your progress moving forward 🙏

Have a bit of patience. Perhaps Sheryl will pick up your question, and she can point you to a specialist.

[Sheryl]

I am not able to recommend a doctor in Pattaya area for this and it is too important to leave to an average doctor

 

You should come to Bangkok.

 

In doing that, you'll need to choose between paying more and being able to get what you need pretty much at once, or paying less but having to either make 2 trips or stay a while in Bangkok.

 

I suggest you consult Prof. Parit Mekaroonkamol. He can be seen at any of 3 private hospitals or (more time-consuming, but cheaper) through Chulalongkorn Hospital.

 

Private hospitals:

 

https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/doctors/asst-prof-dr-parit-mekaroonkamol

 

https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/doctor/assoc-prof-dr-parit-mekaroonkamol

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/Parit -Mekaroonkamol

 

He is US trained (Emory Univ) and very thorough.

 

If you want to try through Chula, contact is  https://chulalongkornhospital.go.th/kcmh/en/ec/ศูนย์ความเป็นเลิศทางกา/

I have no experience or feedback on people trying to directly access that center so can't say how easy it will be.

 

Personally, I'd try to have it done by him at MedPark, they have a promotional price through end of the year of 16,500  https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/packages/gastroscopy-colonoscopy-package

Need to confirm if this price includes IV sedation or not. Even if that is extra, still a good price for Thailand.

[w94005m]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I am not able to recommend a doctor in Pattaya area for this and it is too important to leave to an average doctor

 

You should come to Bangkok.

 

In doing that, you'll need to choose between paying more and being able to get what you need pretty much at once, or paying less but having to either make 2 trips or stay a while in Bangkok.

 

I suggest you consult Prof. Parit Mekaroonkamol. He can be seen at any of 3 private hospitals or (more time-consuming, but cheaper) through Chulalongkorn Hospital.

 

Private hospitals:

 

https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/doctors/asst-prof-dr-parit-mekaroonkamol

 

https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/doctor/assoc-prof-dr-parit-mekaroonkamol

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/Parit -Mekaroonkamol

 

He is US trained (Emory Univ) and very thorough.

 

If you want to try through Chula, contact is  https://chulalongkornhospital.go.th/kcmh/en/ec/ศูนย์ความเป็นเลิศทางกา/

I have no experience or feedback on people trying to directly access that center so can't say how easy it will be.

 

Personally, I'd try to have it done by him at MedPark, they have a promotional price through end of the year of 16,500  https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/packages/gastroscopy-colonoscopy-package

Need to confirm if this price includes IV sedation or not. Even if that is extra, still a good price for Thailand.

Many thanks Sheryl. I greatly appreciate your informed, expansive and detailed answer.

 

I am certainly a little gun shy after my experience at Ayr with an incompetent specialist, who i should have reported to BMA.

 

It is surprising, as I believe you have noted before about the costs, which are surprisingly greater than I experienced with a top specialist in the UK seen privately.

 

I will contact the specialists that you've suggested.

 

I will certainly post my experiences once I have had this done.

 

Many thanks

 

[Celsius]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I 

Personally, I'd try to have it done by him at MedPark, they have a promotional price through end of the year of 16,500  https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/packages/gastroscopy-colonoscopy-package

Need to confirm if this price includes IV sedation or not. Even if that is extra, still a good price for Thailand.

 

I took this promo at medpark about 18 months ago. The price did include consultation and sedation. The procedure was very very gentle as they use modern equipment.

 

Of course, any other issues that may be found during procedure will not be covered as with any other hospital. 

 

I am surprised that someone with Barrets is only doing endoscopy every 5 years. I have small hiatal hernia and annoying reflux and endoscopy is recommended every 3 years.

[w94005m]

48 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

I took this promo at medpark about 18 months ago. The price did include consultation and sedation. The procedure was very very gentle as they use modern equipment.

 

Of course, any other issues that may be found during procedure will not be covered as with any other hospital. 

 

I am surprised that someone with Barrets is only doing endoscopy every 5 years. I have small hiatal hernia and annoying reflux and endoscopy is recommended every 3 years.

That's great to know. Thanks!

 I have not had any dysplasia and it is a small section, so 3 to 5 years was suggested range. With covid, I'd just let it run to the longer end.

 

Hopefully, that doesn't come back to bite me.

 

 

[w94005m]

On 9/21/2024 at 1:21 PM, Will B Good said:

 

 

Can I ask a few questions? .......the reason being I was headed your way re: Barrett's.......Just ignore me if you wish.

 

I have a hiatal hernia/open LOS valve. I was put on PPIs and told not to have an operation as the risks were to great.

 

Were you offered an operation? What medication were/are you on?

 

Have you heard about the new operation that inserts some plastic device into the oesophagus if PPIs don't work?

 

Hope you get sorted regardless.

Yes, I had seen that op some years back, but had failed to find a specialist who performs that op. Felt there was zero chance of finding someone in Thailand, so as docs had said that I had a relatively small area, I'd let it slide.

 

You're reminding me to do more checking up on that!

[w94005m]

After eventually finding my medical records, it showed that my memory was disconcertingly way off and I'd had a check very recently.

 

However, as I've also been having nose issues which had taken me to Bangkok Pattaya, I decided it was worth seeing  Prof. Parit Mekaroonkamol as recommended by Sheryl and others at Medpark Hospital, regardless.

 

He did feel that it was worthwhile having another gastroscopy despite being less that 2 years since the last, which had indicated a relatively small area and no dysplasia. I had that done only yesterday.

 

I will be hearing more and probably another consultation post biopsy in the next few weeks, but I did want to note that the the 16,500 cost is nowhere near the overall total. For a short consultation, the gastroscopy and pills for Heliobacter Pylori, to date I'm at 32,000B

 

I will say the hospital cost of pills was more extreme than I'd previously experienced. For example Amoxicillin 500mg x 56 was 1400B.

 

I will say Prof. Parit Mekaroonkamol is reassuringly knowledgeable and English is excellent. 

 

I'll update further after results and subsequent visit(s).

 

[Sheryl]

Should never buy meds at a hospital  mark up is huge. 

 

Make a note of what they are and buy at a pharmacy. 

[w94005m]

On 10/20/2024 at 10:11 AM, Sheryl said:

Should never buy meds at a hospital  mark up is huge. 

 

Make a note of what they are and buy at a pharmacy. 

Thanks.

 

I'm aware of that and do that locally, always going to pharmacy.

 

However, in this case I knew I'd need to see the doctor again. I didn't want to raise any concerns that I hadn't followed his advice and I didn't know if I'd need a prescription for one of the others. I was a little woozy after the local too! Didn't consider at that time that he'd probably not know if I'd purchased the prescriptions at the hospital or not.

[ThaiPauly]

I buy all my meds....a lot on line from Diamond Pharmacy in Bangkok

 

They seem to always have everything I need and are much cheaper than regular pharmacies, they deliver to your door within 2 days, you just send them a line message asking for what you want and how many, they will send you back the prices, you just pay online and that's it.

 

I normally buy 3 or4 months supply at a time

Aa an example Bio-flor prebiotic is around 350 in a pharmacy for a box, it's 250 from Diamond . Just Google them for the details

[xylophone]

 

@w94005mI have only just found this thread, although I did post on Barrett's oesophagus a few years back, because it was a condition which eventually made me retire early and come to Thailand..........

 

I was being treated by my fantastic doctor in Auckland, for gastric reflux and when PPIs didn't seem to be helping he did a gastroscopy and found that I had Barrett's oesophagus – – probably as a result of my extremely stressful job, so I decided to retire early and move to Thailand, all the while still taking the PPIs which did help, as did the non-stressful existence in Phuket.

 

However because the damage was still there and I occasionally got some reflux and I didn't want to continue taking PPIs so I did some research and came across d-limonene, which had some very good write-ups as regards its efficacy for Barrett's and the like. So I thought I'd give it a try and it was the best decision I've ever made, although for the first month of taking it I had my doubts, but my condition gradually improved to the point where the PPIs were not needed.

 

A couple of years later (plus) I went back to Auckland and my wonderful Dr said he wanted to give me a once over healthwise and a gastroscopy would be part of that checkup (he is also a surgeon). Well he was absolutely delighted and amazed with the results, because there was no sign of Barrett's oesophagus at all, in fact it had completely disappeared and he wanted to know what I had done to make this happen.

 

I told him about the d-limonene and there and then he looked it up on his computer and commented that he hadn't heard of it before and he would investigate it because a close friend of his who was also being treated for Barrett's was still having difficulty. As far as I know he did order the capsules.

 

For a well-respected doctor and surgeon to investigate this, and the research which went with it, IMO it says a lot about this particular remedy.

 

It can be bought online and I was taking the 1000 mg capsules, which I no longer have to take because I don't have reflux or Barrett's oesophagus any more.

 

I can only hope that this may be some help for you.