Which Hospital For Colonoscopy

[TheJayMan]

I may need a colonoscopy soon and I was wondering if I should get it done at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya for 16,700 to 46,700 baht, or if I should go to Sattahip Queen Sirikit Hospital and pay 5000 baht or a little more. I don't have any medical or travel insurance. I am willing to pay the extra money if it is significantly safer or if there is a health advantage. I am 43 years old and this is my first experience with this. Please post if you have experience with having a colonoscopy at either hospital or if you feel you have other useful information to contribute.

I have had some mild abdominal pain for four weeks now. I saw general doctor two weeks ago who reported that my large intestine was inflamed and prescribed antibiotics that didn't help. On Monday, I saw a GI tract specialist at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, and he prescribed two antibiotics. He reported that I may have acute diverticulosis. If I am not better by tomorrow. three days after I started taking the medicine, I may need a colonoscopy. It looks like it will cost 16700 Baht if I don't have any polyps.

Here is the breakdown of the costs:

12500 Colonoscopy package

1200 Drink to take before colonoscopy

3000 biopsy to check for cancer

8000 to10000 cost to remove a polyp

If I have three polyps, the cost may rise to 46700 Baht.

Thanks

[thaisomchai]

Dont go to either. Go to Bangkok Nursing Hospital.

I had mine done there last month.

total 15,600 Baht and that included a biopsy.

Basic colonoscopy package was 13,900.

Excellent doctors and service staff. Their new gastrointestional suite alones is worth the visit. Absolutely first class.

First of all, dont worry about the proceedure. It is painless and in fact you wont remember a thing. They give you a mild sedative via IV and you just go off into lala land . .aware of something happening but your brain has no idea what and it just doesnt care.

Secondly, they cant do anything about diverticula. You have them and thats it. I have had them for decades and never a flareup. Diet helps and they can medicate when you do have a flareup.

Polyps are another matter entirely. They will take them out as they go along ( if you ask, you can get the video and photos!)

Hope this helps.

Happy to answer any other questions.

BTW It is important for EVERYONE to have this done at least at age 50 . .certainly get it done if you are older than that.

Colon cancer is called a silent killer. You can die before you even suspect something is wrong.

Hate to tell you this . .but the prep is the worst part of it. Ghastly drink they give you to flush out. The price you quote for that is high. Shop around.

Edited March 15, 2012 by thaisomchai

[tutsiwarrior]

I had a colonoscopy in saudi as a routine check (father died of colon cancer, etc) and polyp removal was part of examination as the 'tools' were inserted along with the endoscope...interesting to watch on the monitor when the doctor found a polyp with the camera and with the tools immediately at hand it was 'yank', 'plop' and 'snip' then removal and down to the lab...the extra charge that you mention for polyp removal sounds excessive...in my case it was part of the package (including lab work) that was about USD700 all in at a small private hospital in Jeddah that included a half day in hospital for preparation and 'recovery'...sudanese doctor and nice folks...got the video but no t-shirt was available...

see this link for a description:

http://www.thaivisa....er/page__st__25

if you presently have a persistent intestinal inflammation that doesn't respond to medication I'd have it looked after quick...

Edited March 15, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[thaisomchai]

Tutsi . .that is exactly my experience.

At BNH there was no charge for removing the polyp(s) it is included. The only extra charge was for the lab work on a polyp which is easy to understand.

When I have this done, I stay overnight in a nearby hotel. ( I dont live in Bangkok)

Edited March 15, 2012 by thaisomchai

[chiang mai]

The polyp removal cost is a con and should be avoided, by way of comparison an upper AND lower colonoscopy here in CM costs no more than 18k, regardless of however many polyps have to be removed.

[Sheryl]

Polyp removal is not a "con", standard practice as they often need to be biopsied. However there would not normally be an additional charge for polyp removal, only for the associated lab cost.

[chiang mai]

Polyp removal is not a "con", standard practice as they often need to be biopsied. However there would not normally be an additional charge for polyp removal, only for the associated lab cost.

Please note that I wrote that the "cost" was a con, not the removal!

[Mobi]

Bangkok Hospital Pattaya seems to be at the top of the list as far as charges are concerned. They always find ingenious ways of including 'add-ons' at every opportunity, so although their basic fees are usually commensurate with other private hospitals' fees, their 'extras' rack up alarmingly.

I had a 'virtual' colonoscopy at PhyaThai hospital in Sri Racha which was quite cheap and later had one at Bumrungrad, which from memory, was around 15K, although I can't be sure. I don't recall them charging me extra to remove polyps, and in fact they did remove one or two which were found to be non malignant.

The best way is to contact a few hospitals and compare charges. Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok, which is a sister hospital the the Pattaya one, shares many doctors and is much cheaper as most of their patients are Thai.

BTW, this may be completely irrelevant, but I had been having stomach discomfort for years, which gradually got worse and worse, and after spending a small fortune trying to identify the problem, it turned out that I had become lactose intolerant. As soon as I stopped all cow's milk products the problem cleared up and has never come back - unless I inadvertently have a latte, or an ice cream when I immediately know that I shouldn't have done...

This is not an uncommon problems for men approaching middle age, and might be worth checking it out.

[chakatee]

I had a 'virtual' colonoscopy at PhyaThai hospital in Sri Racha which was quite cheap and later had one at Bumrungrad, which from memory, was around 15K, although I can't be sure. I don't recall them charging me extra to remove polyps, and in fact they did remove one or two which were found to be non malignant.

(http://en.wikipedia....ual_colonoscopy)

Virtual colonoscopy (VC, also called CT Colonography or CT Pneumocolon) is a medical imaging procedure which uses x-rays and computers to produce two- and three-dimensional images of the colon (large intestine) from the lowest part, the rectum, all the way to the lower end of the small intestine and display them on a screen.

...

Disadvantages

According to an article on niddk.nih.gov, the main disadvantage to VC is that a radiologist cannot take tissue samples (biopsy) or remove polyps during VC, so a conventional colonoscopy must be performed if abnormalities are found. Also, VC does not show as much detail as a conventional colonoscopy, so polyps smaller than between 2 and 10 millimeters in diameter may not show up on the images.

Are you sure that they didn't just "virtually" remove your polyps?

[Mobi]

I had a 'virtual' colonoscopy at PhyaThai hospital in Sri Racha which was quite cheap and later had one at Bumrungrad, which from memory, was around 15K, although I can't be sure. I don't recall them charging me extra to remove polyps, and in fact they did remove one or two which were found to be non malignant.

(http://en.wikipedia....ual_colonoscopy)

Virtual colonoscopy (VC, also called CT Colonography or CT Pneumocolon) is a medical imaging procedure which uses x-rays and computers to produce two- and three-dimensional images of the colon (large intestine) from the lowest part, the rectum, all the way to the lower end of the small intestine and display them on a screen.

...

Disadvantages

According to an article on niddk.nih.gov, the main disadvantage to VC is that a radiologist cannot take tissue samples (biopsy) or remove polyps during VC, so a conventional colonoscopy must be performed if abnormalities are found. Also, VC does not show as much detail as a conventional colonoscopy, so polyps smaller than between 2 and 10 millimeters in diameter may not show up on the images.

Are you sure that they didn't just "virtually" remove your polyps?

Yes, I read all that as well, but apparently they are becoming more widely used by doctors. I guess it depends on the purpose of the examination.

The polyps were removed during a real world colonoscopy at Bumrungrad whereas the doc in the virtual world was investigating other possible stomach ailments. 'Virtuals' are much quicker, much less invasive and much cheaper - so you pays your money and takes your choice. I had both....

[ktamp]

My colon cancer was diagnosed at BPH by Dr Varocha. She saved my life. She mainly works out of Bangkok so I saw Dr Sompote for GI followup. I have had two colonoscopies at BPH. My experience was much better than the one done in the US. I was given two different colon preps. The second one was an oz or so of this medicine called swift followed by 2 liters of water. That worked faster and was easier to drink than the big jug of go lytely stuff. Cost was very reasonable IMO. 20,000thb or so the first time. That included the biopsies. I was charged one additional cost for all biopsises. I was not charged for every sample they took, just one price for all of them. Second one was 17,000 thb or so, no samples were needed. As a colon cancer survivor now, I can say the best GI care I've had has been the GI department at BPH. I had my first surgery for the cancer back in the US. I never recovered from that surgery and it was Dr Sompote who correctly diagnosed the problem....an allergic reaction to the metal clips used to reconnect my colon. He tried to heal it up for a few months, knowing my desire not to have another operation. In the end, I did have a second surgery to remove the metal clips and reconnect the colon at BPH by Dr Prayuth. Excellent experience at BPH post surgery. I found them to be very hands off and let me rest. No post op labs, nobody waking me up all hours of the night to take vitals. They did check on me but for the most part, I was allowed to rest and recover. So in a nutshell, I would highly recommend Dr Sompote at BPH for any GI concerns.

[23962323]

Taking a "hike" to India is quite good too. £36 for the camera to wend its way up the pipes and abdomen,not painful as such but at the journeys end if there is gas in the gut that could be painful,pulling the polyp out was something to see,a grabber and a splash of blood,no pain as I was told no nerve ending attached to the gut,£15 to get it analised,but the doctor can usually tell by the polyp size if it is cancerous.

Just go at times to get everything and anyything done ,even a camera up the backside to view the prostate, blood tests tumour testing etc pile up with anything that is cheaper there which is just about everything