Hi

To give a bit of background my mother in law has a heart condition and it is getting worse,

She is in Chumphon and I don't believe she is getting good advise,

She has a hard time getting up now or even feeding her self, from what I can understand she has a blocked

Artery . But i am not a foctor . So i am looking for a doctor in bkk and hospital.

My wife is bringing her to bkk on Sunday and she told me she is going to take her to chilikorn university heart

Hospital,

Has any posters had experience with this instruction or other advise would be grateful on other hospitals also

She is now 78 years old some what fragile

Thanks in advance

You might like to try the Chest Institute in Nonthaburi - +662 580-3423. Govt hospital, highly regarded, not expensive. Best of luck with the MIL, hope she pulls through ok.

That would be the Chulalonghorn University Hosp. It is indeed very good.

Equally good, and closer to you (Thonburi side of the river), is Siriraj Hospital 's Cardiac Center. Be careful not to get confused as Siriraj has both a government hospital complex and a private hospital affiliated to it, private will be very costly.

Rajawithi Hospital, near Victory Monument, is another government hospital which has excellent cardiac services. It was the first in Thailand to do open heart surgery and remains the primary teaching hospital for cardiac perfusionists.

Any of these 3 would be fine, but be prepared for long waits and bureaucratic hoops to be jumped through, it may take a week or more just to meet with a specialist. During which time she'll need a place to stay, so you might make choice of hospital in regard to where you have friends or family nearby.

If at all possible get a referral letter from the hospital in Chumporn as without it she may have to pay for treatment (I am assuming she is Thai and hence covered under the universal health scheme).

Even if covered under the universal scheme, should she need stent placement (which sounds like it may be likely, she certainly doesn't sound like a candidate for major surgery), the cost of the stent device will probably not be covered and will be considerable. Other than the device itself, all the other aspects if care would be free, provided she has been referred from the government hospital in Chumporn.

That would be the Chulalonghorn University Hosp. It is indeed very good.

Equally good, and closer to you (Thonburi side of the river), is Siriraj Hospital 's Cardiac Center. Be careful not to get confused as Siriraj has both a government hospital complex and a private hospital affiliated to it, private will be very costly.

Rajawithi Hospital, near Victory Monument, is another government hospital which has excellent cardiac services. It was the first in Thailand to do open heart surgery and remains the primary teaching hospital for cardiac perfusionists.

Any of these 3 would be fine, but be prepared for long waits and bureaucratic hoops to be jumped through, it may take a week or more just to meet with a specialist. During which time she'll need a place to stay, so you might make choice of hospital in regard to where you have friends or family nearby.

If at all possible get a referral letter from the hospital in Chumporn as without it she may have to pay for treatment (I am assuming she is Thai and hence covered under the universal health scheme).

Even if covered under the universal scheme, should she need stent placement (which sounds like it may be likely, she certainly doesn't sound like a candidate for major surgery), the cost of the stent device will probably not be covered and will be considerable. Other than the device itself, all the other aspects if care would be free, provided she has been referred from the government hospital in Chumporn.

Thanks for the info very informative and I will be passing it on to the wife. My wife is free during the day to go to the hospital with my MIL as we live in nontaburi.

Thanks again

Chest Institue and Chula? Don't recall any connection, but never mind. It's still a good place. Might be the better choice for William's MIL as he's in Nonthaburi. As to cost, the CI told me several years back that a stent would cost about 140,000 baht, and a single bypass about 240,000. Don't know if it has gone up much.

Cheers,

Wit

No relation between Chest Institute and Chula to my knowledge. I was referring back to OP reference to "chilikorn university hospital".

As they live in Nontahaburi, Chest Inst may indeed be ideal for them.

140,000 or so for single stent sounds still about right for a govt hosp. A Thai will not have to pay this full rate (provided referred from her local hosp), but will have to pay the stent device cost alone..the rest should be free (doctor's fee, hospital stay, angiogram etc etc).

Based on my procedure two years ago at a higher level private hospital in Bangkok, Vejthani, believe 140k per stent (if only talking about stent cost) would be rather high at a government hospital (although mine were plain non drug covered which are the lower priced). My cost was 55,283 baht each for Vision Stent 2.5x12 and 2.5x23 with total cost of Angioplasty and stents just under 300k. The materials used in angioplasty are also expensive and one time use (balloon and such)

I assume the 140K to be the total cost not just the stent, as was paid by an expat and is consistent with what I have known others to pay at a govt hospital.

My misread as took it to be just stent price rather than procedure full cost (didn't read previous post at same time) - would sound right for full cost.