Knee Replacement

[prospero]

I am going to need a knee replacement. I live in Jomtien and would prefer having it done in this area because after care would be easier. Has anyone ever used the local hospitals (including Queen Sirikit) for this procedure? What is the cost? Any advice about local Orthopedic Surgeons? Any warnings?

Edited January 27, 2009 by prospero

[barryofthailand]

I have a friend that lives in Korat that had both knees replaced, not at the same time. He had it done at Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok. Supposedly the surgical team there that performs that surgery is very experienced. The only two hospitals I know that has surgeons experienced in that type of surgery is Bangkok Hospital and Bumrungrad both in Bangkok. The surgery cost between twenty and thirty thousand dollars.

Barry

[Guderian]

In the condo where I lived a few years back, a big Irish guy was looking to have both knees replaced as the joints were totally shot. He had a car and had lived here a long time, so he was able to research the subject quite well. From what I recall of our conversations, it's not an unusual procedure at all, but you can only do it once (unlike a hip replacement), as the leg bones where they screw the new joint in are too small to take multiple procedures. So I would guess that it's very, very important to get it right the first time.

He looked at the hospitals here in Pattaya, and also at Bangkok Hospital Rayong, Queen Sirikit in Sattahip, and the place in Sri Racha (Samativej is it???). Bangkok-Rayong was significantly cheaper than Bangkok-Pattaya, even though it was likely to be the same surgeon doing the procedure. However, when I moved from that condo, he was still mulling over his options, and from what I remember he was tending towards either Queen Sirikit or else the Sri Racha place (he referred to it as a Japanese hospital, no idea why).

Unfortunately, I can't tell you how this ended, as I have not seen him in the 2 1/2 years since. Given that you evidently only get the one chance with this operation, I think I would also check out the big Bangkok hospitals as well, even though you did say that you wanted it done in the Pattaya area.