Arthoscopy Shoulder Surgery

[WorriedNoodle]

I am looking to get arthoscopy surgery on my shoulder cuff and wanted to know any exepriences of this. I am a UK national but never return to UK and live with a Thai wife and have a yellow house book. I think it will be easier to get treatment in Bangkok Vs the UK's NHS?

So my question then is to use a private hospital or govt? The wife is saying Sirirath would be just as good as Samitivej at a fraction the cost? Any experiences or comparisons of value for money places. I will need to pay the bill myself as my insurance doesn't cover it.

[TerryLH]

Google Samitivej Hospital. They have some prices listed online.

[lanny]

I, too, will probably need rotator cuff surgery. I've discussed this with doctors at three different hospitals. BNH was the most expensive, quoting me 270,000 to 300,000. Yan Hee was cheapest, at 100,000. St. Louis was in the middle, at 200,000. The doctor at St. Louis said he could recommend a government hospital that would probably charge about 100,000.

[WorriedNoodle]

Samitivej Dr's told me around 10,000 USD and their web site starts at 6,000 USD. So cheaper than BNH!

[lanny]

Samitivej Dr's told me around 10,000 USD and their web site starts at 6,000 USD. So cheaper than BNH!

I don't understand your math. At today's conversion rate, those prices would be about the same or even higher than BNH or St Louis.

[OriginalPoster]

Samitivej Dr's told me around 10,000 USD and their web site starts at 6,000 USD. So cheaper than BNH!

I'm surprised that prices are so high for that type of thing in Thailand. I had that surgery done two years ago at New York Presbyterian Hospital. I went to that hosptical specifically because a Dr operates there who supposedly "wrote the book" on arthroscopic shoulder surgery (according to another surgeon that I consulted with prior to selecting the guy at NY Presb Hosp). The total cost (including my share and my insurance company's share) was about US$9500. That included doctor's office visits, the surgery, and physical therapy afterward. That's not cheap but based upon the political talk one would get the impression that costs in the US are twice as high as anywhere else and the results half as good. Yet Dr. Somchai in BKK charges just as much as a cherry picked surgeon at a top hospital in the US? That doesn't make any sort of sense.

[WorriedNoodle]

Samitivej Dr's told me around 10,000 USD and their web site starts at 6,000 USD. So cheaper than BNH!

I don't understand your math. At today's conversion rate, those prices would be about the same or even higher than BNH or St Louis.

I was thinking if Samitej starts at 6000USD on the web site, that is cheaper than the range you quoted for BNH of 270,000THB upwards.

[WorriedNoodle]

Samitivej Dr's told me around 10,000 USD and their web site starts at 6,000 USD. So cheaper than BNH!

I'm surprised that prices are so high for that type of thing in Thailand. I had that surgery done two years ago at New York Presbyterian Hospital. I went to that hosptical specifically because a Dr operates there who supposedly "wrote the book" on arthroscopic shoulder surgery (according to another surgeon that I consulted with prior to selecting the guy at NY Presb Hosp). The total cost (including my share and my insurance company's share) was about US$9500. That included doctor's office visits, the surgery, and physical therapy afterward. That's not cheap but based upon the political talk one would get the impression that costs in the US are twice as high as anywhere else and the results half as good. Yet Dr. Somchai in BKK charges just as much as a cherry picked surgeon at a top hospital in the US? That doesn't make any sort of sense.

The Samitevej Dr said that the high cost was related to all of the equipment used, most of which would be disposed of afterwards. So I guess the surgeons overhead is small?