Looking For A Good Cardiologist – Pattaya / Sri Racha Area

[Mobi]

I am still seeking a good cardiologist in or near the Pattaya area who can provide me with after care following my aortic valve replacement surgery 8 weeks ago.

Ruling out Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for the usual reasons, I have only succeeded in finding one cardiologist based in Pattaya, in whom I do not have much confidence.

What I hate is a specialist who talks down to his patient and doesn’t want to listen to what they have to say and doesn’t really want to look at any additional information the patient brings with him like a print out of blood pressure results, and blood test results. Also one who doesn't consider the inter-reaction of medication of medication being taken for other conditions, like diabetes and the effect those illness may have on cardiac problems. I have found these kind of issues over and over again with Thai doctors - especially the men.

(I had a full round of very comprehensive blood tests taken at a local lab, just before my last appointment, and the doctor didn’t even bother to look at them. I had to point out my elevated cholesterol levels or he would never have known - or cared)

So I am now looking a bit further afield and was wondering if anyone had any experience of cardiologists at Phyathai hospital in Sri Racha, or anywhere else, this side of Bangkok? Maybe one who has a private clinic?

Thanks

[Sheryl]

Bite the bullet and travel to Bkk, is my advice.

[Mobi]

Bite the bullet and travel to Bkk, is my advice.

Fair enough, but what cardiologist and at what hospital?

The choice of hospital is becoming ever more critical when somewhere like Param9 charges 32,000 Baht and takes 3 days to diagnose a baby with a cold!!! Pretty scary stuff IMHO. (see another thread)

[chiang mai]

A really good cardio in Chiang Mai is Dr Patarapong and at Bumrungrad is Dr Arram, you'd like Dr Pat, he listens to his patients.

[BAYBOY]

If you can get to Bangkok go to the heart clinic at Chula or the heart clinic at Siriraj.Both Govt hospitals but all doctors and specialists are graduates from either Chula or Mahidol Universities.

PM me if you want further onformation.

BAYBOY

[Lefty]

Mobi,

Can from personnal experience recommend Dr. Chad Wanishsawad M.D. MSC.at Bumrungrad. Certified by the American Boards in 4 cardio areas.

Lefty

[Sheryl]

Mobi didn't you [previously have a cardiologist at Bumrungrad you had been seeing? If so and if satisfed with him/her, go back.

[Mobi]

Thanks for all the good advice and recommendations. I was due to see the doc that I'm not too impressed with this coming Wednesday, so after days of soul searching I have decided to give him one last try.

If I still feel unhappy, I will take up one, or more of the suggestions made in this thread or by PM. I certainly have a few alternative choices and names.

Chiang Mai, thanks for the recommendations, but I really don't think I'm going to fly to CM to see Dr. Pat - much as I'd love to shoot the sh..t with him

I was knocked flat with a bad chest infection a couple of weeks ago and am still not totally out of the woods on this - have had to stop exercise for over a week now because breathing has been difficult. Hopefully on the mend now after pumping myself full of antibiotics, and I'll see what the specialist says on Wednesday.

These things are sent to try us, I guess....

[Naam]

Ruling out Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for the usual reasons, I have only succeeded in finding one cardiologist based in Pattaya, in whom I do not have much confidence.

What I hate is a specialist who talks down to his patient and doesn’t want to listen to what they have to say and doesn’t really want to look at any additional information the patient brings with him like a print out of blood pressure results, and blood test results. Also one who doesn't consider the inter-reaction of medication of medication being taken for other conditions, like diabetes and the effect those illness may have on cardiac problems. I have found these kind of issues over and over again with Thai doctors - especially the men.

what's wrong with BPH Mobi? since my fistful of bypasses 4 years ago i'm going there regularly, give the cardiologist 5 pages of comprehensive blood tests (done outside of BPH), undergo once a year various tests (stress, ecg, echocardiogram, ultrasound) and i have no complaints.

p.s. of course i can't judge whether the chap knows his job or doesn't.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Naam

[Mobi]

Ruling out Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for the usual reasons, I have only succeeded in finding one cardiologist based in Pattaya, in whom I do not have much confidence.

What I hate is a specialist who talks down to his patient and doesn’t want to listen to what they have to say and doesn’t really want to look at any additional information the patient brings with him like a print out of blood pressure results, and blood test results. Also one who doesn't consider the inter-reaction of medication of medication being taken for other conditions, like diabetes and the effect those illness may have on cardiac problems. I have found these kind of issues over and over again with Thai doctors - especially the men.

what's wrong with BPH Mobi? since my fistful of bypasses 4 years ago i'm going there regularly, give the cardiologist 5 pages of comprehensive blood tests (done outside of BPH), undergo once a year various tests (stress, ecg, echocardiogram, ultrasound) and i have no complaints.

p.s. of course i can't judge whether the chap knows his job or doesn't.

Hi Naam, well I'm not so pig headed that I won't give it a try. I certainly respect your views and maybe BPH would be OK for after care and monitoring if the cost is not too extortionate.

It might be better than having to travel to BKK.

Any chance you could let me know in this thread or by PM which doc you see and also ball park figures for the various tests - echo cardio, stress etc - that they do for you?

Thanks,

[Naam]

Hi Naam, well I'm not so pig headed that I won't give it a try. I certainly respect your views and maybe BPH would be OK for after care and monitoring if the cost is not too extortionate.

It might be better than having to travel to BKK.

Any chance you could let me know in this thread or by PM which doc you see and also ball park figures for the various tests - echo cardio, stress etc - that they do for you?

Thanks,

i don't like filing paper Mobi but i looked up a few amounts paid by a €UR denominated credit card which came up converted in Baht ~4,500 stresstest, ~7,500 echo cardiogram, ~1,500 ecg, 700 basic consulting fee for 15 minutes small talk and confirmation that my blood tests look like those of a man half my age and inspite of my preference for Portwine my liver values (all six of them) are equivalent to those of a baby breastfed by a female member of the Salvation Army.

Dr Piya Pongbhaesaj (english fair and acceptable)

p.s. i like BPH because they seem to be well organised and have proper equipment, nurses and assistants are able to communicate in a language i master, appointment times are met and, last not least, any doctor you consult in another department has your whole history popping up on the screen.

pps. this year. by order of Mrs Naam who believes in second and third opinions, i had some tests done abroad. i'm due to visit Dr Piya within the next days and i will negotiate a "new patient introduction commission" which i will share with you

[FBN]

From my exposure to Thai docs is that they are difficult to interact with as you have mentioned and complained about and quite rightly so, until you have been able to establish a relationship with them. This requires loads of patience and jai yen but it does eventually pay off if you can stick with it. More so if you have complicated and multiple medical issues; they will feel much more comfortable dealing with them if they know you better.

[BAYBOY]

Mobi/Naam,

interesting those prices Naam.

I had an echo cardiogram at Chula Hospital, Bangkok early this month 2000 baht.

BPH know how to charge.

BAYBOY

[Mobi]

Hmm... Bumrungrad charged me 4,500 Baht for an echo cardiogram this year and Rajavithi 1500 Baht. Now we learn that BPH charge 7500.

Off the top of my head, that is about what I had expected - BPH being more than 66% more expensive than the top private hospital in BKK, and 400% more than the top government hospital in BKK.

I guess 'you pays your money....' if you want the convenience of not having to drag to BKK.

Thanks for the info, Naam, I will consider my alternatives, and let you know if and when to claim your commission.

One thing that has always puzzled me in Thailand is the fee the specialists charge for an outpatient consultation - usually in the region of 700 Baht in most hospitals, although I have occasionally been charged a bit more.

This is extraordinarily cheap, as more than a decade ago I would pay something in the region of 15,000 (GBP300) to have a consultation in Harley Street. God knows what they would charge these days.

The whole pricing structure here is weird - the outpatient doctors fees are low, but once you are admitted , their fees go through the roof, and most private hospitals grossly overcharge for meds and push patients to have unnecessary expensive tests.

Its almost as if the outpatient consult fee is a loss leader....

[Mobi]

From my exposure to Thai docs is that they are difficult to interact with as you have mentioned and complained about and quite rightly so, until you have been able to establish a relationship with them. This requires loads of patience and jai yen but it does eventually pay off if you can stick with it. More so if you have complicated and multiple medical issues; they will feel much more comfortable dealing with them if they know you better.

I completely agree with everything you say.

The problem is, how many doctors might I have to go through before finding one who I can communicate with on a satisfactory level? Not all of them will come round, no matter how much patience and 'jai yen' I try to impart...

Hence the request for recommendations...

[Naam]

I guess 'you pays your money....' if you want the convenience of not having to drag to BKK.

i'd be willing to pay much more for the convenience not having to go to BKK which i consider a nightmare (3 utmost boring hours on the highway to and fro and most probably another 1 or 2 hours in BKK traffic = one lost day) not to mention the cost of fuel as well as wear and tear of the car.

[Naam]

From my exposure to Thai docs is that they are difficult to interact with as you have mentioned and complained about and quite rightly so, until you have been able to establish a relationship with them. This requires loads of patience and jai yen but it does eventually pay off if you can stick with it. More so if you have complicated and multiple medical issues; they will feel much more comfortable dealing with them if they know you better.

i don't recall experiencing this problem and i was dealing with Thai medics as a tourist (including a short hospital stay and several times minor surgery) years before we settled here.

[Mobi]

I guess 'you pays your money....' if you want the convenience of not having to drag to BKK.

i'd be willing to pay much more for the convenience not having to go to BKK which i consider a nightmare (3 utmost boring hours on the highway to and fro and most probably another 1 or 2 hours in BKK traffic = one lost day) not to mention the cost of fuel as well as wear and tear of the car.

Yes... but for the record, If I get up at the crack of dawn, I can be in Bumrungrad hospital about 90 minutes later - straight off the Express way, straight into the multi storey car park. Later, I can be out of the hospital, onto the Express way for a similar journey home, well before the evening rush hour. No time spent in BKK traffic jams.

I can't speak for other hospitals., but even Rajavithi government hospital was similar, as it was straight off the Express way at Victory Monument and less than 5 mins drive to the hospital.

I did the trip to Bungrungrad for years, with little pain, but I must confess I am getting a little old for all this rushing around, and I hate getting up at the crack of dawn!!!

It's also not a good idea to have your specialist too far away when you heart might decide to go into overdrive at a moment's notice, so maybe I will bite the 'BPH bullet'.

But for younger, fitter farangs who don't mind a bit of driving, they will save quite a lot of dosh by making the round trip to Bangkok.

[Mobi]

From my exposure to Thai docs is that they are difficult to interact with as you have mentioned and complained about and quite rightly so, until you have been able to establish a relationship with them. This requires loads of patience and jai yen but it does eventually pay off if you can stick with it. More so if you have complicated and multiple medical issues; they will feel much more comfortable dealing with them if they know you better.

i don't recall experiencing this problem and i was dealing with Thai medics as a tourist (including a short hospital stay and several times minor surgery) years before we settled here.

Your Teutonic charm obviously overcame all language and cultural barriers....

[Naam]

I hate getting up at the crack of dawn!

to each his own. when dawn cracks in Thailand i have normally 2-3 hours of hard work behind me and the banker lady in Singapore who's name is "Dawn" might crack because of half a dozen e-mail instructions from me

[JSixpack]

Did you try Phyathai in Sriricha?

http://www.phyathai-sriracha.com/pyt_en/

[Naam]

I hate getting up at the crack of dawn!

to each his own. when dawn cracks in Thailand i have normally 2-3 hours of hard work behind me and the banker lady in Singapore who's name is "Dawn" might crack because of half a dozen e-mail instructions from me

and there's my good friend Stanley...

[Naam]

Did you try Phyathai in Sriricha?

http://www.phyathai-...cha.com/pyt_en/

don't know about Sriracha but the surgeon who did the job on me in Germany mentioned that he and his team visited Phyathai in BKK two years earlier and they were positively impressed.

[Sheryl]

A completely off topic flaming post and responses to it were removed. Please stay on topic.

[Naam]

Mobi/Naam,

interesting those prices Naam.

I had an echo cardiogram at Chula Hospital, Bangkok early this month 2000 baht.

BPH know how to charge.

BAYBOY

we rural boys in Pattaya suffer Bayboy but Burumgrad or Phyathai are not valid reasons to move to BKK. in this respect i think i can speak for Mobi too. there is a way to save some Baht. BHP has like shops and supermarkets "promotions" and "special offers" for various tests

[JSixpack]

Mobi/Naam,

interesting those prices Naam.

I had an echo cardiogram at Chula Hospital, Bangkok early this month 2000 baht.

BPH know how to charge.

BAYBOY

we rural boys in Pattaya suffer Bayboy but Burumgrad or Phyathai are not valid reasons to move to BKK. in this respect i think i can speak for Mobi too. there is a way to save some Baht. BHP has like shops and supermarkets "promotions" and "special offers" for various tests

True. I enjoyed the colonoscopy promotion at BHP and it was cheaper than the quoted price at Phyathai. Not as cheap as Q. Sirikit, mind you, but convenient, relatively comfortable, professional, and competent. And I got the DVD.

[Mobi]

After much soul searching, I have decided to 'bite the BPH bullet' and have an appointment to see a cardiologist at BPH next Wednesday.

I certainly think Naam's suggestion is well worth a try and I will try to beat the BPH 'cash cow system' by bringing my own blood tests and buying all my meds outside.

In theory, this will mean that I will only have to pay the doctor's fees (unless I undergo any special tests) and should get away with a thousand Baht or so per visit. Lets see if I am right....

I appreciate all the suggestions about Phya Thai, Samitivej and elsewhere - all of which hospitals I have attended for one reason or another through the years , so I know them quite well.

When perusing the cardiologists listed on The BPH website to make my choice, I was struck by the superior training and experience of these docs, (all trained and worked in the top Bangkok hopsitals and several have overseas experience), as compared with the doc I was currently seeing and also those listed at places like Phya Thai.

Clearly BPH has better specialists, although I was interested to note that even BPH does not do valve replacement surgery.

Getting the best specialist is important as my medical situation is not 'run of the mill'. My new aortic valve can cause many post op problems, ( I have had some already), added to which, I am also a insulin dependant diabetic which must also be taken into account. Amazingly, my current doc not only showed no interest in my blood tests, but is still unaware that I am diabetic as he has never asked me about other medical problems.

So I cancelled my appointment with him this week and will see how the new guy goes next Wed. I have chosen a specialist who has post grad experience in the USA, and generally has an impressive, relevant CV for my condition. I also note that he regularly gives talks to one of the Pattaya ex pat clubs so I assume his English must be pretty good.

My INR is 4.4 - way over the acceptable range ( 2 - 3), so I need to get that sorted, if nothing else.

Edited August 25, 2012 by Sheryl
Reference to deleted post

[Naam]

INR is 4.4 - way over the acceptable range ( 2 - 3)

are you taking additional anticoagualants besides the usual aspirin Mobi?

[Mobi]

INR is 4.4 - way over the acceptable range ( 2 - 3)

are you taking additional anticoagualants besides the usual aspirin Mobi?

No aspirin. I take warfarin as I have metal valve in my heart - I will have to take it for the rest of my life.

Its mainly a question of adjusting the dosage - 2 weeks ago my INR was too low , 1.6, and now it is way too high. But fluctations can be due to factors other than dosage levels; that's why I need a specialist.

[Naam]

tried to find my INR value in one of the old reports. result = mai mee, even those which were done in Germany and Switzerland. will now ask cardio on wednesday why it was never tested.