Aortic Heart Valve Replacement Surgery – Anyone Had Any Personal Experience?

[meatboy]

you will find as time go's by you will get worse,we had £100k put away for a house in los the wife wanted to use that for my surgery,but wy should i after paying 44years ni.i got so stressed out 2006 i told my dr.i have had enough of waiting,seeing diff.consultants,they knew what was wrong,if you dont push them into doing whats right for you it could be too late.i stopped being mr.nice guy that seemed to work,then it was just a matter of time,eventually got a date sept.2007.so mobi if you are starting to get worse take the private route,it will cost you but you need after care as well,and if you are put on warfarin that could take time to find your i.n.r.level,in my case 11months.dont forget you only get what you pay for so cutting costs when your health is most important is a no no,stick to one hospice because each consultant you see will want to do their on tests so prolonging the op.and costing you more.once you have it done you will feel like a new man.good luck.

[Mobi]

Latest Update.

I had another echocardiogram at Bumrungrad this week and the doc advised me that the my condition hadn't got any worse in the past 3 months which she thought was down to my daily exercise and weight loss. She said that provided that the symptoms didn't get any worse, then I should repeat the 'echo' in 6 months time. When pressed for a long term prognosis, she said that I will need to replace the valve sometime within the next 2 years, but the timing will depend on my symptoms and deterioration of the valve, as identified by the 'echo'.

Then yesterday I went to Rajavithi hopsital where they also did an 'echo'. As with Bummers, the result stated that my condition is 'moderate to severe' and the heart doc thought that in his opinion I need surgery now. However, he is only a junior doctor so he has booked me to undergo a full examination and assessment by the surgeon in 3 weeks time when a final decision will be made.

I have now 'mugged up' on my condition and have learned a great deal on the net from such learned sources as the Mayo clinic and other esteemed bodies. It is clear that when the 3 main symptoms manifest themselves, then immediate surgery is called for, even if the condition is only 'mild or moderate' but when the symptoms are not present, then it is only when the valve deterioration becomes 'severe', that surgery is needed.

(The key 'severe' indicators from the echo are: AV area less than 1cm² ('Normal' is more than 2.0 - mine is 1.15, down from 1.27 in Dec) and Pressure gradient more than 40 mmHg (Normal is 0, mine is 35.05).

So I seem to be straddling the various risk factors. I did experience fairly sever symptoms back in December (severe breathlessness, dizziness and pains in the arms and chest), but since I have started exercising, these symptoms have largely disappeared, although they do re-occur occasionally in milder form.

One doc says I can wait, the other says go ahead now. Obviously I will not make any final decisions until after my forthcoming assessment, but it will put me in a bit of a dilemma.

On the one hand, if the operation is inevitable, I might as well do it sooner rather than later and avoid the increasing risk of having a heart attack. But on the other hand, all surgery contains risks, so maybe it would be prudent to wait a while.

Decision, decisions....

[JSixpack]

Thanks for the update. Please keep us posted.

[Sheryl]

The surgical risks will be much greater if you wait until you are symptomatic to have the surgery.

As a government hospital with heavy caseload and long wait lists for surgery, Rajavithi will not tell you that you need surgery now if you don't. Of course, due to aforementioned wait lists, their "now" will be some months hence.

[23962323]

"I don't have much confidence in any hopsital in Thailand, as fas I am concerned, all Pattaya hospitals are no go areas. Not sure I would trust them with an ingrown toe nail."

Exactly my sentiments,not even an ingrowing toenail would I get treated here in Thailand, anything more than a 300 baht return air fare and forget Thailand.

I have been ,and many more medical tourists go to India for treatment, absolutely first class in every respect,from equipment to surgery,most of the surgeons are UK or USA trained with outstanding track records.

I would look up "best cardiac care hospitals" or something like,skpe a few of them,the surgeons will willingly discuss your problem and then its up to you.

I have saved a fortune going there and first class all the way. I know India is a dump,but when in a medical facility it is most definitely first world.

Need a visa ,but can get medical visa,bit cheaper

[smokie36]

Best wishes Mobi whatever your decision.

[cheeryble]

MoBi

Sheryl's right....

There is no decision u have to get it done in two years so do it now.....they say of open heart surgery 'fit going in, fit coming out'......so go before you have anything to set u back.

Don't worry about 1% mortality figure......a number of the open heart patients will be in appalling and critical condition you're not one of them.

Sit back and play your part and watch the show.

Best of luck, the main thing is a peaceful mind....

Cheeryble

ps India may be fine but so,s Thailand with much less chance of catching a truly severe bug which could affect you badly. I'd follow Sheryl's recommendation in fact I have before now. Ratchaviti sounds good.

Keep us updated!

Edited March 19, 2012 by cheeryble

[23962323]

MoBi

Sheryl's right....

There is no decision u have to get it done in two years so do it now.....they say of open heart surgery 'fit going in, fit coming out'......so go before you have anything to set u back.

Don't worry about 1% mortality figure......a number of the open heart patients will be in appalling and critical condition you're not one of them.

Sit back and play your part and watch the show.

Best of luck, the main thing is a peaceful mind....

Cheeryble

ps India may be fine but so,s Thailand with much less chance of catching a truly severe bug which could affect you badly. I'd follow Sheryl's recommendation in fact I have before now. Ratchaviti sounds good.

Keep us updated!

The only "bad" bugs that have ever effected me is whilst in Thailand!.

Try Malaysia if India too bug infected,roughly I have found to be half of Thailand's medical costings,speak excellent English,and are all well versed . Try a few around Penang,only an hour away There is life after the operation, not much though if your soaked by the huge fees here in Thailand

[cheeryble]

23962323 I think you are throwing confusion into this with no backup apart from us guessing you have had some bad experience in Thailand. We all have anecdotes. Mine is that my old friend went all the way to Cedars Sinai LA the top end for 3x heart bypass and valve......and it turns out they wired up the pacemaker wrong it had to be replaced with two-wire diagnosed here in Chiangmai followed by instant improvement.

The fact is very nasty bugs abound in India and there is a real chance of catching one. If Mobi lives in Thailand he's already resistant here. Keep it simple open heart surgery is an every day affair in all these countries and Sheryl's advice has genuine worth.

The prices at Rachaviti even if they have doubled or tripled will hopefully be affordable.

Edited March 21, 2012 by lopburi3
correct font

[23962323]

23962323 I think you are throwing confusion into this with no backup apart from us guessing you have had some bad experience in Thailand. We all have anecdotes. Mine is that my old friend went all the way to Cedars Sinai LA the top end for 3x heart bypass and valve......and it turns out they wired up the pacemaker wrong it had to be replaced with two-wire diagnosed here in Chiangmai followed by instant improvement.

The fact is very nasty bugs abound in India and there is a real chance of catching one. If Mobi lives in Thailand he's already resistant here. Keep it simple open heart surgery is an every day affair in all these countries and Sheryl's advice has genuine worth.

The prices at Rachaviti even if they have doubled or tripled will hopefully be affordable.

Your second paragraph regarding bugs is rubbish,sorry garbage.

The OP opened up about not trusting Thailand hospitals,my experience also,they principally are after fleecing you,not having a clue,and lumping you off with crates of unneeded medications

If the OP needed any advice other than here in Thailand ,he would be well advised to look at other ex- pat web sites that operate in locations that may offer similar treatment at relatively lower costing,just as this one he is reading seeking advice.

Edited March 21, 2012 by lopburi3
correct font

[cheeryble]

23962323 I think you are throwing confusion into this with no backup apart from us guessing you have had some bad experience in Thailand. We all have anecdotes. Mine is that my old friend went all the way to Cedars Sinai LA the top end for 3x heart bypass and valve......and it turns out they wired up the pacemaker wrong it had to be replaced with two-wire diagnosed here in Chiangmai followed by instant improvement.

The fact is very nasty bugs abound in India and there is a real chance of catching one. If Mobi lives in Thailand he's already resistant here. Keep it simple open heart surgery is an every day affair in all these countries and Sheryl's advice has genuine worth.

The prices at Rachaviti even if they have doubled or tripled will hopefully be affordable.

Your second paragraph regarding bugs is rubbish,sorry garbage.

The OP opened up about not trusting Thailand hospitals,my experience also,they principally are after fleecing you,not having a clue,and lumping you off with crates of unneeded medications

If the OP needed any advice other than here in Thailand ,he would be well advised to look at other ex- pat web sites that operate in locations that may offer similar treatment at relatively lower costing,just as this one he is reading seeking advice.

If you disagree that "very nasty bugs abound in India" your life experience is very different indeed to mine.

I doubt Mobi wants to go running around "outside Penang" in his present "deteriorating" condition, but I've made my point and I'll just keep quiet.

Once again hope it goes smoothly for you Mobi

Cheeryble

Edited March 21, 2012 by lopburi3
Correct font

[23962323]

23962323 I think you are throwing confusion into this with no backup apart from us guessing you have had some bad experience in Thailand. We all have anecdotes. Mine is that my old friend went all the way to Cedars Sinai LA the top end for 3x heart bypass and valve......and it turns out they wired up the pacemaker wrong it had to be replaced with two-wire diagnosed here in Chiangmai followed by instant improvement.

The fact is very nasty bugs abound in India and there is a real chance of catching one. If Mobi lives in Thailand he's already resistant here. Keep it simple open heart surgery is an every day affair in all these countries and Sheryl's advice has genuine worth.

The prices at Rachaviti even if they have doubled or tripled will hopefully be affordable.

Your second paragraph regarding bugs is rubbish,sorry garbage.

The OP opened up about not trusting Thailand hospitals,my experience also,they principally are after fleecing you,not having a clue,and lumping you off with crates of unneeded medications

If the OP needed any advice other than here in Thailand ,he would be well advised to look at other ex- pat web sites that operate in locations that may offer similar treatment at relatively lower costing,just as this one he is reading seeking advice.

If you disagree that "very nasty bugs abound in India" your life experience is very different indeed to mine.

I doubt Mobi wants to go running around "outside Penang" in his present "deteriorating" condition, but I've made my point and I'll just keep quiet.

Once again hope it goes smoothly for you Mobi

Cheeryble

Probably why he is on his deathbed, ... been thrashing around Thailand too long seeking solutions

Something springs to mind,I think you are from the UK. If you go private to something like BUPA for a initial examination,yes private but a few hundred (if that),the doc will fast track you into national health care if emergency,it is well worth it,even at BUPA hospital (NHS paying) Known a few to do it that way. Anyway good luck you old bugger.

Edited March 21, 2012 by lopburi3
Correct font

[Mobi]

Hey guys, please don’t fight about this; it’s raising my blood pressure!

I really appreciate all the opinions, advice and good wishes I’ve had in this thread; thank you one and all.

Maybe I’d better clarify my position and thinking.

First and foremost I’m not on my death bed – I’m still more or les functioning as normal human being, and most people who see me out and about have no idea that there is anything wrong with me. But it probably wouldn’t matter where I was in the world, I would still be subject to the vagaries and uncertainties of any healthcare system, be it in in Thailand, India, The USA or the NHS with its notorious waiting lists in the UK.

For every imaginable health complaint in any imaginable healthcare domain you will find some people who will sing their praises and tell you they had the best treatment and care, and others who will tell you that the hospitals are butchers and they maimed or killed their nearest and dearest; and you can hear just about anything in between these two extremes, on a regular basis.

Even on this forum you will read widely differing accounts of treatment from the same hospitals in Thailand – some swearing they are the best and others who wouldn’t even have an ingrown toenail treated there.

In the UK you will hear the same sort of wide ranging stories – good and bad - about any hospital you care to name.

The truth is that all medical care is a lottery and all doctors and nurses are just as capable of making human errors as the rest of us mere mortals. Things can and do go wrong, whether it is Papworth Heart Hospital in Cambridge or BNH hospital in Bangkok. As Sheryl has stated so many times, it is really down to your choice of doctor rather than the hospital in which he/she operates.

I personally hate Bangkok Pattaya hospital because I have had so many experiences of them doing anything possible to bump up the charges and carry out expensive, unnecessary tests and procedures, but the fact remains is they do have some excellent specialists – many of them ‘moonlighting’ from Bangkok. The hospital has state of the art facilities and I am sure that they perform first class procedures in their well-equipped OR’s. I myself had the smashed bones in my wrist fixed in a 4 hour op where they inserted a metal T-plate to mould all the pieces back together and now – 2 years down the line, my wrist is almost as good as normal. I assume they did as good a job as I would have had done anywhere. But it was VERY expensive.

I think that most Thai doctors in the private sector simply regard their profession as a business and have little empathy with the Hippocratic Oath, but this doesn’t necessarily make them bad doctors. Many Thai doctors in the public sector however, can be very caring and compassionate. Unfortunately, once you move away from the principal Thai cities, the standard of medical care goes through the floor, as all the top doctors are attracted to the bright lights of Bangkok.

I can well accept that some farangs may have had bad experiences of bugs in Thailand, but this is to be expected, in much the same way as anybody moving from one continent another will encounter different strains of bugs which some people will have more difficulty in resisting than others.

But that doesn’t mean that every farang who comes to Thailand and seeks medical attention will go down with some terrible bug. This is just plain nonsense. If it were true, then Thailand wouldn’t be one of the most popular medical tourist destinations in the world. And just look at some of the scandals in the UK where hospitals have had to be closed due to outbreaks of infection.

I have given passing consideration to going to somewhere like India, or even Goa which apparently has a fast growing medical tourism business. But it was only a passing consideration, for the simple reason that replacing my heart valve is major surgery. Yes, it is a well-practised procedure and the death rate is low, but it still involves a degree of after care both as an impatient and during convalescence.

I would not go through this process without having people I know around me to help me through all this, which means I could either go to the UK, where my family would take care of me, or have it in Thailand, where my dear girlfriend can take care of me and if necessary, I have friends I can call on.

I am also an insulin dependent diabetic and I need people around me who understand this and the particular issues it raises. My experience of hospitals – in the UK, as well as here, is that they tend to downplay or even conveniently ignore or forget other ailments that a patient may be suffering from, so I need to have my own people to watch these things for me. The worst thing I can ever do is let hospitals take my insulin and other meds away from me as invariably they forget to administer them at the right time.

I just can’t imagine being in some Indian hospital without anyone around who can help, if needed. It could be even worse if there were any post-operative complications. Far better that I stay in Thailand with my GF and other friends who can rally around, if push ever came to shove.

And suppose the worst happened and I pegged it? What a nightmare for my family, if my body was stuck in India…..

I understand the point about getting a private doc in the UK referring me into the NHS. I think many years ago, I did just that, but current regulations prohibit any UK expatriate having free access to the NHS if he has been living outside the UK for more than 3 months. To do what is suggested, I would have to move back to the UK and re-establish my residence there, and this is something I am not prepared to do. (In any event, it takes at least 6 months). If I do decide to go back just for the operation, I will have it done privately.

I will almost certainly take my chances in Thailand as I do not consider to be at any greater risk here than having the op done anywhere else in the world, including the UK, and Rajavithi is still top of list.

[23962323]

Good for you,we all have to go,you old bugger (I'm just 65 so your older than me). A few things I'd pick you up on tho,yes the NHS ,it says ordinarily out of the UK,yes we all know what that means,but never ever have they picked up a UK citizen and refused /charged him as I'm aware,( and there are ways to put yourself there without leaving Thailand)

Was not thinking of Goa,but a bit further inland,have been there done and got the t shirt all on my own some,

'fraid Thailand would be my last choice for anything medical

All the best

[oswald]

My wife had her aortic valve replaced in the US and one thing she was told was that if she

chose a mechanical valvee she would have to take a blood thinner (cumadin?) for the rest of

her life. She chose the animal valve (cow) and now takes a baby aspirin every day.

[Mobi]

Depends on expected life expectancy. Animal valves have to be replaced after 10 years. Metal valves last much longer, but patient has to take warfarin. I hope your wife was told this.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Mobi]

Good for you,we all have to go,you old bugger (I'm just 65 so your older than me). A few things I'd pick you up on tho,yes the NHS ,it says ordinarily out of the UK,yes we all know what that means,but never ever have they picked up a UK citizen and refused /charged him as I'm aware,( and there are ways to put yourself there without leaving Thailand)

Was not thinking of Goa,but a bit further inland,have been there done and got the t shirt all on my own some,

'fraid Thailand would be my last choice for anything medical

All the best

I think if you do a bit of research you will find you are bit behind the times on getting away with free medical treatment in the UK.

Those days are long gone and the hospitals check every patient's eligibility very carefully. I know this for a fact.

You are correct that no patient will ever be refused treatment - but that is emergency treatment only. If I was about to peg out, then I would probably get the op done and they would try to get me to pay afterwards. But provided I am not about to die, they would not perform the treatment, unless I paid up front. If I refused, they would tell me to go back to wherever I resided and have it done there.

Sad but true.

You can find much more info on this in my own topic that I started in General Topics. Here is the link:

http://www.thaivisa....__fromsearch__1

Thanks for your good wishes:)

[Mobi]

Update following my visit to Rajavithi hospital yesterday.

I was paraded before a room full of medical students as a 'suitable case for study' and had to lie down while many of them prodded and poked me and took my vital signs. There was one very pretty young doctor who held my hand so I didn't complain...

In the meantime, the big boss surgeon showed them pics of my chest x ray and echo cardiogram on the big screen and explained to them why it was necessary to replace my aortic valve!!!

Conference over, I was put back into the hands of a junior doctor who had first examined me and he told me I was booked into hopsital in three weeks time to undergo an angiogram to determine whether I will need a bi-pass at the same time as the valve replacement surgery. This seems to be quite likely as I have had coronary stenosis for more than 10 years.

The only thing that puzzles me about the angiogram, is that it will require a 2 night, 3 day stay, and I was told that I would be anaesthetised for about 6 hours. I have had two angiograms before, one in the UK when it was done on a local anaesthetic and I went home after it was finished, and then one at Bumrungrud, where I was put to sleep, but I still went home the same day.

So why a three day stay? I know they will be doing a blood tests, and maybe some other stuff, but even so, three days seems a bit excessive. Can anyone throw some light on this? Do they do a different kind of angiogram which takes longer, or is it just a Thai thing to keep me in?

Can anyone throw any light on this?

I know I should have pressed the doc, but communication was not easy and I was a bit traumatised by the news that major surgery was prescribed.

Once they have completed these tests, the consultant will talk to me about my surgery and arrange a date to operate. As best as I can determine, this may be about 2 or more months later, as there is a long waiting list. The longer the better as far as I am concerned....

As regards costs, I was told my angiogram, including blood tests tests etc would cost 15,000 Baht, excluding the overnight bed charge, which is 'minimal.' I was also advised that a 'ball park ' figure for the major surgery would be in the order of 200,000 Baht, depending upon whether they would also do a bi-pass and also what kind of valve I opt for. All this will be finalised later.

This compares to around 800,000 Baht at Bumrungrad, and slightly less in a major Chiang Mai hospital. Costs in the UK start at 20,000 pounds (1 million Baht ++)

The problem is that only major heart hospitals do valve surgery - even in the UK there are only a few places that do this op.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Mobi

[Sheryl]

I have no idea why the long stay for the angiogram. But it may have to do with the general slowness of things in government hospitals i.e. they may not be able to book you for an exact time or even an exact day.

[smokie36]

Hey guys, please don’t fight about this; it’s raising my blood pressure!

I really appreciate all the opinions, advice and good wishes I’ve had in this thread; thank you one and all.

Maybe I’d better clarify my position and thinking.

First and foremost I’m not on my death bed – I’m still more or les functioning as normal human being, and most people who see me out and about have no idea that there is anything wrong with me. But it probably wouldn’t matter where I was in the world, I would still be subject to the vagaries and uncertainties of any healthcare system, be it in in Thailand, India, The USA or the NHS with its notorious waiting lists in the UK.

For every imaginable health complaint in any imaginable healthcare domain you will find some people who will sing their praises and tell you they had the best treatment and care, and others who will tell you that the hospitals are butchers and they maimed or killed their nearest and dearest; and you can hear just about anything in between these two extremes, on a regular basis.

Even on this forum you will read widely differing accounts of treatment from the same hospitals in Thailand – some swearing they are the best and others who wouldn’t even have an ingrown toenail treated there.

In the UK you will hear the same sort of wide ranging stories – good and bad - about any hospital you care to name.

The truth is that all medical care is a lottery and all doctors and nurses are just as capable of making human errors as the rest of us mere mortals. Things can and do go wrong, whether it is Papworth Heart Hospital in Cambridge or BNH hospital in Bangkok. As Sheryl has stated so many times, it is really down to your choice of doctor rather than the hospital in which he/she operates.

I personally hate Bangkok Pattaya hospital because I have had so many experiences of them doing anything possible to bump up the charges and carry out expensive, unnecessary tests and procedures, but the fact remains is they do have some excellent specialists – many of them ‘moonlighting’ from Bangkok. The hospital has state of the art facilities and I am sure that they perform first class procedures in their well-equipped OR’s. I myself had the smashed bones in my wrist fixed in a 4 hour op where they inserted a metal T-plate to mould all the pieces back together and now – 2 years down the line, my wrist is almost as good as normal. I assume they did as good a job as I would have had done anywhere. But it was VERY expensive.

I think that most Thai doctors in the private sector simply regard their profession as a business and have little empathy with the Hippocratic Oath, but this doesn’t necessarily make them bad doctors. Many Thai doctors in the public sector however, can be very caring and compassionate. Unfortunately, once you move away from the principal Thai cities, the standard of medical care goes through the floor, as all the top doctors are attracted to the bright lights of Bangkok.

I can well accept that some farangs may have had bad experiences of bugs in Thailand, but this is to be expected, in much the same way as anybody moving from one continent another will encounter different strains of bugs which some people will have more difficulty in resisting than others.

But that doesn’t mean that every farang who comes to Thailand and seeks medical attention will go down with some terrible bug. This is just plain nonsense. If it were true, then Thailand wouldn’t be one of the most popular medical tourist destinations in the world. And just look at some of the scandals in the UK where hospitals have had to be closed due to outbreaks of infection.

I have given passing consideration to going to somewhere like India, or even Goa which apparently has a fast growing medical tourism business. But it was only a passing consideration, for the simple reason that replacing my heart valve is major surgery. Yes, it is a well-practised procedure and the death rate is low, but it still involves a degree of after care both as an impatient and during convalescence.

I would not go through this process without having people I know around me to help me through all this, which means I could either go to the UK, where my family would take care of me, or have it in Thailand, where my dear girlfriend can take care of me and if necessary, I have friends I can call on.

I am also an insulin dependent diabetic and I need people around me who understand this and the particular issues it raises. My experience of hospitals – in the UK, as well as here, is that they tend to downplay or even conveniently ignore or forget other ailments that a patient may be suffering from, so I need to have my own people to watch these things for me. The worst thing I can ever do is let hospitals take my insulin and other meds away from me as invariably they forget to administer them at the right time.

I just can’t imagine being in some Indian hospital without anyone around who can help, if needed. It could be even worse if there were any post-operative complications. Far better that I stay in Thailand with my GF and other friends who can rally around, if push ever came to shove.

And suppose the worst happened and I pegged it? What a nightmare for my family, if my body was stuck in India…..

I understand the point about getting a private doc in the UK referring me into the NHS. I think many years ago, I did just that, but current regulations prohibit any UK expatriate having free access to the NHS if he has been living outside the UK for more than 3 months. To do what is suggested, I would have to move back to the UK and re-establish my residence there, and this is something I am not prepared to do. (In any event, it takes at least 6 months). If I do decide to go back just for the operation, I will have it done privately.

I will almost certainly take my chances in Thailand as I do not consider to be at any greater risk here than having the op done anywhere else in the world, including the UK, and Rajavithi is still top of list.

Mobi...if you do decide to have this done in London I recommend a surgeon who works at the London Bridge hospital. His name is Chris Young. Best I've worked with by a long way.

[Mobi]

I have no idea why the long stay for the angiogram. But it may have to do with the general slowness of things in government hospitals i.e. they may not be able to book you for an exact time or even an exact day.

I will have to wait and see I guess.

My GF confirms that the doc said I would be anaesthetised for 6 hours, and that seems an awful long time, so maybe they are doing something else, in addition to the angiogram.

The procedure for admission seems to be very well organised - I have a sheaf of forms to bring with me and I have been told where and when report early on the Wednesday morning. All the processes so far have been very prompt and efficient, so lets see what happens.

[Mobi]

Mobi...if you do decide to have this done in London I recommend a surgeon who works at the London Bridge hospital. His name is Chris Young. Best I've worked with by a long way.

Thanks smokie, but it looks like I'm going with Rajawithi.

[Sheryl]

I have no idea why the long stay for the angiogram. But it may have to do with the general slowness of things in government hospitals i.e. they may not be able to book you for an exact time or even an exact day.

I will have to wait and see I guess.

My GF confirms that the doc said I would be anaesthetised for 6 hours, and that seems an awful long time, so maybe they are doing something else, in addition to the angiogram.

Is she sure that was the angiogram and not the actual open heart surgery? 6 hrs for the latter sounds correct, but not for the angio, not even if they end up putting in a stent while they are at it. I think thety must have been referring to the actual surgery.

[FBN]

The 6h after an angio may actually be just the time required to stay under observation in hospital to watch for bleeding from the artery where the catheter was inserted.

This is done just under local anaesthetic. Six hours under general anaesthetic is more than enough for a valve replacement which usually takes about 4h at most.

[Mobi]

The 6h after an angio may actually be just the time required to stay under observation in hospital to watch for bleeding from the artery where the catheter was inserted.

This is done just under local anaesthetic. Six hours under general anaesthetic is more than enough for a valve replacement which usually takes about 4h at most.

Your suggested scenario sounds about right. I guess it will be a 'local' rather than a 'general' - these things tend to get a bit confused in translation.

The 3 day stay later this month is definitely not for any kind of surgery or stent procedure. I will be admitted to the 'angiography ' unit, and the surgery will be carried out later in a different building and the cost for my forthcoming tests is a standard 15K.

All my discussions with the doctor and medical people were in connection with my forthcoming 3 day stay. they told me that the surgeon would discuss the operation with me once the angiogram had been done.

I do have one further question. I asked if I should stop any of my medication prior to having the angiogram and they said no. But I have since read that it would be advisable to stop my daily aspirin, as it thins the blood and will be more difficult to stop bleeding. They don't even know what my medication is except for a perfunctory glance by the junior doctor several months ago.

Any thoughts?

Edited April 6, 2012 by Mobi

[FBN]

It may be advisable to stop Aspirin about 72h prior to the angio but protocols differ and a call to the radiologist would probably be good if that's achievable..

[FBN]

Off topic post and reply removed.

Poster "vegasphl" please open a new topic or search the forum on your particular request; this has been discussed before.

[Mobi]

I have written a very detailed account of my 3 days stay in Rajavithi hospital last week in my latest blog post, so those who are interested in chapter and verse can find it all there – in all it’s glory.

In summary - the first day is taken up with a series of checks- blood, x-ray, EKG etc and then settling into bed in late afternoon, where yet more personal information is gleaned and many forms are filled.

Then a nurse comes along and checked all my vital signs, before relieving me of my pubic hair in advance of the angiogram procedure, the next day. (They have to open an artery in my groin and inject dye, followed by a little camera which runs up the artery and around my heart.)

Finally the doc came by, after all my test results were in, (including, incidentally an HIV check) and checked me over and went through my list of meds, which I had provided earlier.

To cut a long story short, I had managed to get myself a private room which made my stay immeasurably more pleasant.

The next morning I was wheeled down to the O.R, and was subjected to a very a very long wait before finally undergoing the procedure - during which I remained conscious throughout, which took about 90 minutes. The equipment all looked state of the art and I detected the year 2011 imprinted on a large device on a dolly over my head.

It took the doc about an hour to stop the bleeding in my groin wound after the procedure was finished and I wasn’t allowed to move my leg for 8 hours. (This is where the ‘6 hour sleep’ came from; after the op – not during it.)

I was fussed over like a baby and the doc came twice that day and once the following morning to check on my condition, before discharging me. He told me that I did not require any bi-pass procedures, which was a relief.

I have to go back for the final all clear this Friday and then wait my turn to have the valve replaced – it could be anything from 1 – 3 months.

I have never experienced so much wonderful care from a hospital – ever in my life – and it more than compensated for the long queues and waiting around and the incredible bureaucracy that I had to wade my way through.

The doc has even called me since I have been home to ask if I am Ok and to make sure I go to see him on Friday.

But Sheryl was quite correct - even with my fairly decent knowledge of Thai, I would have been ‘dead in the water’ without having a Thai to help me through all the bureaucracy. It wasn’t easy, but well worth it in the end.

[Mobi]

My symptoms have got much worse of late. Even a gentle stroll of more than a couple of minutes is enough to bring on chest and arm pains and feelings of exhaustion.

I also seem to have a permanent 'ache' in the area of my heart which gets worse upon physical exertion - like standing up! I am wondering if this pain is coming from my defective aortic valve, and if so, is it a sign that it is about to give up the ghost?

My BP is also getting worse - not that it was ever much cop, but the morning and evening readings are higher than ever and even in the middle of the day when my mountain of BP meds should have the maximum effect, the systolic is still over 150, whereas before it was always in the low 130's, only rising as the meds wore off.

This morning my GF called the hospital to tell them my condition had worsened and they told her they would put my name further up the waiting list, but I still have no idea how long I will have to wait. It has already been a month.

I'm not sure what to do now... should I keep my fingers crossed and wait it out, or try somewhere else and pay through the nose? But even if I do that I will probably have to go through the normal processes which will no doubt take a few weeks.

Any thoughts or suggestions, anyone?

[Mobi]

Just had a call from the hospital. I have to go and see another cardiologist next Wednesday,obviously in response to the call we made this morning.

Not sure how much closer this will take me to an operation, but I can live in hope.