Fyi: Not Very Good Experiences At St. Louis Hospital, Bangkok

[dblaisde]

I went to St. Louis Hospital, Sathorn Rd, Bangkok, a year ago for a fractured collarbone from a motorbike accident. I had 3 visits to the orthopedist, a nice old guy, over the 3 months of healing (just a sling). At the end, he said I was fine and didn't need a return visit. I kept asking him, during the 3 months about the fact that the space between the break (as seen on the xrays) didn't seem to be filling in with bone: there was just a dark blank of 5 mm or so between the two bones. He said: "New bone never shows on an X-ray. It's OK." After the 3 months, I went to Bumrungrad, just to make sure I really was "OK". The doctor there took an X-ray and said the arm would be pretty much useless, because the bones never connected, a "non union". In addition, both supporting ligaments had been severed. I'd need surgery, a bone graft (to fill the gap), wire scaffolding for the ligaments, and a metal plate to hold to all together while it healed. The Doc said that the probability of success was diminished because I'd waited 3 months to get the operation done. After a year (now), the bone is mostly healed (the gap has been bridged with bone that's visible on the xray. (BTW, I confirmed the Bumrungrad diagnosis at Bangkok hospital, and at Lerdsin, a Bangkok public hospital specializing in Orthepedics before getting the surgery.)

One more: A few days ago, I was diagnosed at Bumrungrad with osteoporosis. The treatment I chose is a single 15 minute outpatient IV of a very expensive medication (Reclast) that's good for a year. Bumrungrad estimated 30-35,000 for the treatment. (baht). I went to St. Louis yesterday, and asked an orthopedist how much it would cost there. First he said that the medicine might not even be available there because it was "too expensive for Thai people", so he had to look it up. He found it: 23,000B for the medication. "OK, and how much for the IV?" "7000 B". So, 30000 B total. I asked him: "So 7000 Baht just for an IV?", he smiled, shrugged, and refered me to a government hospital, where he said I could get the job done for 25,000 B.

Infer what you like from this. These are my only experiences with St. Louis. I'm not trying to disparage the positive posts on thaivisa about St. Louis. No doubt there are things I don't understand, but suffice to say that St. Louis won't be *my* first choice.

[candypants]

posting this twice just shows you up as someone with an axe to grind

[Sheryl]

It is possible to have bad experiences at any hospital.

There is no such thing as a hospital where all the doctors are good.

Chose the doctor, not the hospital.

[lopburi3]

Flame removed.