Need Mri

[HarriB]

Hi Everyone,

I have had an accident and I need a MRI scan done as I have been told by the orthopaedic doctor/surgeon at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

The scan at the Bandkok Pattaya Hospital costs 13,000 Baht and I am wondering if I can get it for less someplace else or am I best off

to use the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

The doctor there certainly seems to know what he is doing. No doubt i have a problem with my shoulder and the x-rays showed no broken bones.

Does anyone here have any experience with this kind of injury in Thailand?

If so where did you go? which hospital?

If I have a rotator cuff tear I will probably also need surgery and maybe someone here has had one done in Thailand.

Any help/information is highly appreciated.

Thanks

Harri

[donna]

i had this injury a few years ago.

at that time i went to bumrungrad and it was 10k for the MRI, so i would say 13k is probably a normal price for today.

my injury was actually torn tendons and ligaments in my left shoulder and i had arthroscopic surgery to fix it. extremely painful, im sorry to say. i woke up with a big ice pack on my shoulder that was topped up with ice every 2hrs or so to keep the swelling down. two days after surgery i was in physio and that went on for quite some time. the main thing was stretching, as it was so painful for me that i was lucky to be able to lift my arm a couple of cm for a few days.

the doctor i saw was Dr Panya in Bumrungrad. he was very good, in my opinion.

the thing with shoulder injuries is that they are rarely fixed 100%. there will be a lot of work ahead of you to get back to where you want to be, but good luck.

[HarriB]

Thanks for your reply Donna,

The doctor kind of prepared me for the unpleasant future I have ahead of me....like you are describing.

Well painful or not I got to get it done and get over it.

Do you remember how much you paid for the surgery?

I am sure you do.

I will double check with the hospital you mentioned and see if that surgeon is still working there.

Thanks

[Hairy]

As one Hairy to another, I'd recommend against Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. They had someone else's blood sprinkled all over their facility (including the gurney they wanted me to climb up onto) when I visited their fine establishment. When I refused to get said blood all over me just so the idiot could take my blood pressure, they shooed me out to wait for ten minutes until they got someone to clean it up, which they should've done before they called me in for the pointless BP measurement. BPH also insisted on selling me a less-effective generic not-really-equivalent antibiotic, tried to charge me for other drugs that I didn't want or need (including some totally unnecessary anti-nausea crap and an over-the-counter painkiller), and the so-called doctor there couldn't even find the puncture wound in my leg.

As for rotator cuff stuff, the advice I was given at Bumrungrad was to wait two months (until it healed as much as it was going to on its own) and then decide. Both times that my left rotator cuff got torn, it healed well enough that I didn't need surgery. It will always be weakened, but there's not much that can be done about it. (BTW, in my case, the second tear was not a consequence of the first; my second accident was so much worse that it would've been damaged even if I hadn't had the earlier tear.)

Best of luck with it; I hope it's not as serious as your post sounds.

[besth]

I paid a bit more than that in Bumrungrad last month. I'm not sure if it covers different things. I have never been able to trust Bangkok Pattaya Hospital but it is not from direct experience. Very good luck in your recovery

[BSJ]

From what I can gather Bangkok Pattaya Hospital is really good at making money.... but in a medical sense, not so good!

Also try:

Samitivej Sriracha Hospital

Soi Laemket, Choemchompon Road, Sri Racha

Chonburi 20110

Tel: 0-3832-4100

or

Pattaya International Hospital

255/1, Moo 9, Soi 4, Beach Road, North Pattaya

Tel: 038 428 374-5

Edited January 21, 2009 by BSJ

[Guderian]

As one Hairy to another, I'd recommend against Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. They had someone else's blood sprinkled all over their facility (including the gurney they wanted me to climb up onto) when I visited their fine establishment. When I refused to get said blood all over me just so the idiot could take my blood pressure, they shooed me out to wait for ten minutes until they got someone to clean it up, which they should've done before they called me in for the pointless BP measurement. BPH also insisted on selling me a less-effective generic not-really-equivalent antibiotic, tried to charge me for other drugs that I didn't want or need (including some totally unnecessary anti-nausea crap and an over-the-counter painkiller), and the so-called doctor there couldn't even find the puncture wound in my leg.

As for rotator cuff stuff, the advice I was given at Bumrungrad was to wait two months (until it healed as much as it was going to on its own) and then decide. Both times that my left rotator cuff got torn, it healed well enough that I didn't need surgery. It will always be weakened, but there's not much that can be done about it. (BTW, in my case, the second tear was not a consequence of the first; my second accident was so much worse that it would've been damaged even if I hadn't had the earlier tear.)

Best of luck with it; I hope it's not as serious as your post sounds.

I think you are a bit out-of-date. I regularly visit two different clinics at BPH, and although they used to do the unnecessary blood pressure measurement every time, even when both clinics were on the same day, they haven't done it now for at least a year.

BPH is still (IMHO) the best and safest hospital in town, if not the cheapest. It's best to research the specialists if you have the time to, though, but that applies everywhere, even in the Waste.

[HarriB]

As for rotator cuff stuff, the advice I was given at Bumrungrad was to wait two months (until it healed as much as it was going to on its own) and then decide. Both times that my left rotator cuff got torn, it healed well enough that I didn't need surgery. It will always be weakened, but there's not much that can be done about it. (BTW, in my case, the second tear was not a consequence of the first; my second accident was so much worse that it would've been damaged even if I hadn't had the earlier tear.)

Best of luck with it; I hope it's not as serious as your post sounds.

Thanks for sharing. I was thinking to maybe wait a little longer and see if it may heal, or rather said heal enough by itself so I won't need surgery. You had two, that makes my one hurt a ittle less:)

I guess a MRI scan is maybe a good idea?...I will wait on that a little longer as well as the accident only happened 10 days ago.

Hairy, do you remember the doctor you saw at Bumrungrad?..... as I had the feeling the doctor at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. was a little too quick to wanting to operate IMHO. If I can avoid the knife I will since I am not a fan of surgery tables.

I did go to Samitivej Sriracha Hospital yesterday. Mri Scan is 13,000 Baht just as donna thought. What I didn't know is that it is 30 Km from Pattaya.

When you guys talk about Bumrungrad...you are talking about Samitivej Sriracha Hospital, is that right? Sorry about my ignorance there...or is it Bumrungrad International Hospital that you are talking about.

Please enlighten me.

Reading through past posts and threads the "Bumrungrad" is getting a lot of Kudos and Bangkok Pattaya Hospital has just too many past unhappy patients for one or another reason.

[chris2155]

Hi Everyone,

I have had an accident and I need a MRI scan done as I have been told by the orthopaedic doctor/surgeon at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

The scan at the Bandkok Pattaya Hospital costs 13,000 Baht and I am wondering if I can get it for less someplace else or am I best off

to use the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

The doctor there certainly seems to know what he is doing. No doubt i have a problem with my shoulder and the x-rays showed no broken bones.

Does anyone here have any experience with this kind of injury in Thailand?

If so where did you go? which hospital?

If I have a rotator cuff tear I will probably also need surgery and maybe someone here has had one done in Thailand.

Any help/information is highly appreciated.

Thanks

Harri

for waht its worth,

a couple of years ago i had a problem with my left harm, couldn't move it as well as my right.

i when to sri-achar general hospital, after registering, within 30 min i was seeing a specialist, (whom also goes to some of the local hospitals here in pattaya) he gave me a quortzone injection, and told me i will need to come back daily for massage treatment at a cost of 150b per day for 45 min.

after 1 month i was fine and have been for the 2 year since., the girl that massage are uni trained and know what they are doing.

[Hairy]

I think you are a bit out-of-date. I regularly visit two different clinics at BPH, and although they used to do the unnecessary blood pressure measurement every time, even when both clinics were on the same day, they haven't done it now for at least a year.

Three weeks ago is "out-of-date"?? That's when I was at BPH.

Edited January 23, 2009 by Hairy

[Hairy]

As for rotator cuff stuff, the advice I was given at Bumrungrad was to wait two months (until it healed as much as it was going to on its own) and then decide.

Thanks for sharing. I was thinking to maybe wait a little longer and see if it may heal, or rather said heal enough by itself so I won't need surgery. You had two, that makes my one hurt a ittle less:)

Always glad to help.

I guess a MRI scan is maybe a good idea?...I will wait on that a little longer as well as the accident only happened 10 days ago.

My post wasn't clear -- two months after the injury date was when the doc said we should make a decision on whether to have surgery or not. I had the MRI as soon as I could get a flight out to Thailand. I guess it could be argued either way as to whether it was necessary, given that it was going to be wait-and-see no matter what, but if my shoulder had been very badly torn up inside, maybe the doc would have recommended surgery right away.

Hairy, do you remember the doctor you saw at Bumrungrad?..... as I had the feeling the doctor at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. was a little too quick to wanting to operate IMHO. If I can avoid the knife I will since I am not a fan of surgery tables.

When you guys talk about Bumrungrad...you are talking about Samitivej Sriracha Hospital, is that right? Sorry about my ignorance there...or is it Bumrungrad International Hospital that you are talking about.

Please enlighten me.

For me at least, "Bumrungrad" is Bumrungrad International Hospital, in Bangkok, just off Sukhumvit Soi 3. Conveniently near Nana Skytrain stop, the Bamboo Beer Bar, and of course Nana Plaza.

I'm sorry; I don't remember which doctor I saw at Bumrungrad. I don't know whether he was particularly good compared to others there or not, though. He looked at my MRI, said to wait and see, and my shoulder healed up well enough that surgery wasn't an issue for me, so I can't honestly suggest picking him over any other one there. I'll see if I can dig up the name.

[HarriB]

for waht its worth,

a couple of years ago i had a problem with my left harm, couldn't move it as well as my right.

i when to sri-achar general hospital, after registering, within 30 min i was seeing a specialist, (whom also goes to some of the local hospitals here in pattaya) he gave me a quortzone injection, and told me i will need to come back daily for massage treatment at a cost of 150b per day for 45 min.

after 1 month i was fine and have been for the 2 year since., the girl that massage are uni trained and know what they are doing.

It's worth a lot to me.

I would like to find a massage therapist here in Pattaya.

The injection I had as well and it really helped.

[HarriB]

As for rotator cuff stuff, the advice I was given at Bumrungrad was to wait two months (until it healed as much as it was going to on its own) and then decide.

Thanks for sharing. I was thinking to maybe wait a little longer and see if it may heal, or rather said heal enough by itself so I won't need surgery. You had two, that makes my one hurt a ittle less:)

Always glad to help.

I guess a MRI scan is maybe a good idea?...I will wait on that a little longer as well as the accident only happened 10 days ago.

My post wasn't clear -- two months after the injury date was when the doc said we should make a decision on whether to have surgery or not. I had the MRI as soon as I could get a flight out to Thailand. I guess it could be argued either way as to whether it was necessary, given that it was going to be wait-and-see no matter what, but if my shoulder had been very badly torn up inside, maybe the doc would have recommended surgery right away.

Hairy, do you remember the doctor you saw at Bumrungrad?..... as I had the feeling the doctor at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. was a little too quick to wanting to operate IMHO. If I can avoid the knife I will since I am not a fan of surgery tables.

When you guys talk about Bumrungrad...you are talking about Samitivej Sriracha Hospital, is that right? Sorry about my ignorance there...or is it Bumrungrad International Hospital that you are talking about.

Please enlighten me.

For me at least, "Bumrungrad" is Bumrungrad International Hospital, in Bangkok, just off Sukhumvit Soi 3. Conveniently near Nana Skytrain stop, the Bamboo Beer Bar, and of course Nana Plaza.

I'm sorry; I don't remember which doctor I saw at Bumrungrad. I don't know whether he was particularly good compared to others there or not, though. He looked at my MRI, said to wait and see, and my shoulder healed up well enough that surgery wasn't an issue for me, so I can't honestly suggest picking him over any other one there. I'll see if I can dig up the name.

Thanks again Hairy

I canceled my appointment with the doctor at BPH today. I decided to wait a little bit longer since the shoulder and arm movement is improving. I may opt for the MRI though but what I understand now is that there is no real hurry (at least this is what I understand now).

The Doc at BPH just seemed a little too eager to get me to get ( and pay ) for the MRI and was talking about surgery from the very beginning without even seeing the x-rays. I was happy with the service at BPH though. Short wait, and I was in and out within an hour.

Obviously it is a good idea to have the shoulder scaned but no one can tell if surgery is needed before the scan.

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

HB

You go to love the internet sometimes

[timi2546]

bph is good but expensive.

worked there.

[just_another_guy]

BPH........ Never-Ever again

And the other two majors in Pattaya are nearly as bad. (IMO)

Unless a life & death matter....take the 30 minute drive north or south for your own piece of mind.

Remember that it isn't so much the doctors, it is the greed and uncaring attitude of the administration of the 3 majors in Pattaya that turns my stomach...again (IMO).

[HarriB]

BPH........ Never-Ever again

And the other two majors in Pattaya are nearly as bad. (IMO)

Unless a life & death matter....take the 30 minute drive north or south for your own piece of mind.

Remember that it isn't so much the doctors, it is the greed and uncaring attitude of the administration of the 3 majors in Pattaya that turns my stomach...again (IMO).

That was my feeling with the Doc at BPH. When you feel it is about the money more than someone liking his profession (especially as a doctor who you need to trust) then it's hard to trust them with your health.

But I only had one Hospital experience in Pattaya and that was BPH.

My Dentist here in Pattaya I like a lot...she cares first and then money...at least it feels that way.

[Gary74]

BPH........ Never-Ever again

And the other two majors in Pattaya are nearly as bad. (IMO)

Unless a life & death matter....take the 30 minute drive north or south for your own piece of mind.

Remember that it isn't so much the doctors, it is the greed and uncaring attitude of the administration of the 3 majors in Pattaya that turns my stomach...again (IMO).

Absorlutely correct. BPH and PIH(Pattaya International Hospital) is a rip-off hospital for farangs. They don't do this to respected Thai people like teachers, cops, accountants, governmnet workers, etc.. But they will fuc_k farang's families with inflated prices.

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital(BPH) is for-profit hospital and they will try to make as much money from farangs as possible. Did you wonder how they were able to build that new hospital? Those 2 private hospital doctors get enormous pressure(and their greedy own pockets) from the company to charge and do unneccesary procedures to make as much money from farangs as possible BUT they will never do this to Thais except if the farang is paying for it.

I also had shoulder problem. I thought I tore my shoulder off since it was very painful and couldn't lift my shoulder above my waist. Went to the local doctor back home in the States and he inspected my shoulder and got an x-ray which showed no broken bones. He then gave me a shot of cortisone injection in the office and after 1 hour my mobility improved and with in 1-2 days everything went away.

I just felt BPH and PIH doctors care more about making money then anything else. They look at me like a walking ATM machine like the bar girls do. Sound familar?

Edited January 29, 2009 by Gary74

[Hairy]

I may opt for the MRI though but what I understand now is that there is no real hurry (at least this is what I understand now).

I wouldn't say that for the MRI. If your injury was relatively minor, as mine was, they'll have you wait for surgery. However, they can't know how bad the tear is until they've taken the MRI.

Hope you got my PM about the doctor's name at Bumrungrad. I don't know if he is still there, they didn't tell me that in their email.

I hope it's continuing to improve and heals well.

[ThAMMAI]

very interesting thread. i`ve been to bph on quite a number of occasions over the past few years, each for elective (cosmetic) treatment. including "supersight surgery", sclerotherapy, blepheroplasty - upper and lower eyelids, and some ipl/laser treatment. so far so good, touch wood, the eyesight surgery has been a huge success (stopped needing to use glasses immediately after proceedure, - 2 years ago), the blepheroplasty seems to have been pretty successful, the others maybe 50-50. my feeling was that in comparison with prices here in london, i was each time getting a very good deal. reading the other posters tho, i`m wondering if maybe i too was being ripped off along the way, esp with the painkillers/creams etc i paid for in the hospital`s pharmacy. anyone else had cosmetic surgery/treatment in los, and if so where?