Hernia Operartion

[naammanow]

Any members have any experience with a hernia operation in Chiang Mai? It is just a one hernia in the groin area. Dr Seree at Ram hospital, which comes recommended on TV, suggested an open or a laparoscopic surgery. Cost about 150K Baht for the laparscopic ONE. An open surgery will be about 75K Baht. Both will require a stay in the hospital of 2 nights.

Any other doctors that come highly recommended regarding hernia operations?

Referring to an earlier threat of on TV from “seesip” as herewith:

Open surgery to repair a hernia is no big deal. I had mine done in the USA and I was out of the outpatient surgery center and up and around in about 3 hours’ time. I'm not sure what kind of hernia the above poster had repaired when he talks about spending the night in the hospital, taking antibiotics and other meds? A good hernia surgeon will have you up and around in a few hours’ time. They don't even use sutures anymore, they just glue up the incision.

Does anybody know if this method is available in Chiang Mai? It would be great if one could have the operation as an out-patient procedure. Thanks!

[Rama]

Go to 3 hospitals. Prices vary widely depending on the surgeon and hospital. Surgeons can fix their own prices. I did not have the endoscope but got it done for 32,000 baht (double hernia) at McCormick (1 night stay). A friend had endscope at Sripath for 52,000, no stay overnight). I went to Sripath and they quoted 100,000 + 2 night stay. He said Ram quaoted him 82,000. They are only milking you for a 2 night stay, trying to get some additional tests done so they can get their friends work. Doctors will negotiate. Treat doctors here like any other Thai vendor.

[elektrified]

That was my post.

Sounds like you have an inguinal hernia? 96% of hernias in men are this type. The "tension-free repair with mesh" is the most widely performed repair. Most good hernia surgeons only use laparascopic repair if you have a hernia on both sides. You do not need to spend 2 nights in the hospital. That is an over-sell in Thailand. I was out of the surgical suite in 3 hours time and on my way home, and so were about 6 other guys who had their surgery the same morning as me. My surgeon did one after another before lunch. They only use 2 sutures to keep the mesh in place and then glue up the incision. Minimal pain and discomforft. Ask the surgeons you interview how many hernias he/she has repaired. Being it is one of the most common surgical procedures, an experienced surgeon should have done thousands. I paid about $5,000 USD about 7 years ago. It should cost a lot less here.

[elektrified]

Go to 3 hospitals. Prices vary widely depending on the surgeon and hospital. Surgeons can fix their own prices. I did not have the endoscope but got it done for 32,000 baht (double hernia) at McCormick (1 night stay). A friend had endscope at Sripath for 52,000, no stay overnight). I went to Sripath and they quoted 100,000 + 2 night stay. He said Ram quaoted him 82,000. They are only milking you for a 2 night stay, trying to get some additional tests done so they can get their friends work. Doctors will negotiate. Treat doctors here like any other Thai vendor.

Precisely my point.

[naammanow]

Will visit a few more places tomorrow. Mc Cormick and Sripat and maybe even Rajavej (near Holiday Inn) If I can be in and out in a day I will be ever so pleased.

[ProThaiExpat]

You might check with Dr. Ekachai who works both Ram and Sripat. He did a herniated umbilical for a friend of mine and I don't recall the price but it was reasonable considering it was done at Sripat. I have been going to RAM for ten years and have been happy with them except for their prices. You learn how to reduce your bill with them from experience. However, I have recently incurred an eye problem and have found that Sripat cost me 30% less than Ram and that included the doctor whose procedure price was 3500 baht at Ram but only 2000 Baht at Sripat.

Operating room cost for the eye procedure at ram was 1500 Baht, 700 at Sripat. Likewise, the pharmacy at Sripat charged the same as outside pharmacy charged for antibiotic while Ram charged four times as much as outside pharmacy.

[Sheryl]

In Thailand day surgeries are rare, they will probably insist on keeping you in overnight but you can easily be out the next day if all goes well.

One reason for this is that the cost of a night;'s stay in a hospital here isn't that much. Another is that Thais react very strongly to any type of sedation and typically take a long time to wake up from anesthesia and are zonked if given a dose of opiates (and you will be wanting at least one of those in the immediate post-op period). General anesthesia and 1 or 2 shots of morphine or demerol afterwards, and your average Thai can't sit up let alone walk out for 2 days. Seriously. Never ceases to amaze me. And the alacrity with which non-Thais wake up and get over a dose of a sedative or opiate is an amazement to Thais.

Laparoscopic always costs significantly more than open, and open is as others have said, no big deal.

A nephew of mine just had an inguinal hernia repair at St Louis Hospital in Bangkok (a non-profit), came to about 70,000 baht all inclusive (give or take), with 1 night in hospital.

[elektrified]

That's true. They try and admit you if you have nothing more than a cold/flu with a fever in Thailand. Thais seem to enjoy being 'pampered' in hospitals. I would refuse to spend the night myself. I was out walking around, going to 7-11, etc. after about 2 hours rest at home. I was not that sedated when I left the outpatient surgical center. I was given about 10 Vicodin when I was discharged but only took about 1 or 2 the first day.

[masuk]

I was once told that the speed of recovery from a general anaesthetic or sedative depends entirely on the state of one's liver.

[SantiSuk]

In the UK when I asked for a referral from my general practitioner to use my private insurance he commented that its like shelling peas for absolutely any general surgeon - no need to look for recommended individuals like one might with less common procedures. You'd probably get a junior doctor doing the work anyway.

Just his view