I need an advice - broken collarbon on KohSamui!

[Frank James]

That is... Chok dee. And Happy New Year, too.

[BobTH]

I broke my collar bone around 15 years ago in a terrible car accident. I was air lifted to the best hospital in Milwaukee Wisconsin; the specialist who teated me also recomended that I not have surgery and I didn't. He told me about the only time they operate on single fractures such as mine is if you are a professional athlete. If you run your fingers along my collarbone you can definately feel it still, it is offset nearly a half inch or so where as the other side is completely smooth. Other than feeling it with your fingers it doesn't show when looking at it. It has never given me any problems at all and so I feel if the doctor that treated you said you do not need it, I would possibly get a second opinion and take it from there. As someone else mentioned you can always have it done later after it heals on its own if it gives you problems.

[VINCENT2012]

if what you have is serious ...go back home and scheck in your own country, better than in thailand because probably the one who tells you it doesnt mater is the one who have not the possibility to do anything or do not know what to do......the second one who tells you to get operated (in privat hospital) is 90% to make money.

for a year and a half, i got sick and i spend 400 000 baths in doctors and hospital care, also the bangkok hospital and more ...i tried everything, i got a privat clinic doctor who gave me a wrong diagnostic and medecine for 6 mounths.

But i made a page on her name in internet to denounce the way she took my money and the way she did every thing, i wanted to give the information here in that forum but the moderator gave me a warning and took my post away because it says it was shaming someboddy....even if it is an injustice , you can't tell and have to chut up in thailand. censure and more censure!

also i found that most of doctors are very young and follow a simple protocol " this symptoms - this medecine" you will find yourself in internet.they don't go further.

they ask me to make all expensive radios and irm and when they had it in hand they didn't even look at it.

at the end, i had to go back to france where they find right away what i had and cure me.

After my bad experience, i would say that if you get really sick, something not easy to cure in thailand...don't wait.... better you go back home, even if you pay sometimes they don't have the knowledges, and they give you medecine just to chut up and go home like you give candy to a kid.

good day and good night

[Sceptict11]

VINCENT2012

Clearly much better for some to stay at home !

Edited January 6, 2014 by Sceptict11

[Keesters]

I think a lot depends on age and lifestyle. I broke mine when I was in my fifties, retired and leading a sedentary lifestyle. I did not have an operation but got strapped up for a month. One year later I fell again and got a hairline fracture in exactly the same place. This time it was a sling for a month.

Had I been in my twenties and played a lot of sport I would probably have had an operation.

Hope you get better soon.

[Ebenezer]

I broke my collar bone several years ago as a result of a motor cycle accident in the UK. It was very painful and the 2 ends of bone were overlapping. The specialist advised me that the bones would heal by themselves but if I wanted to not have a bulge showing through the skin I would need an operation. He also advised that the bones would not join as well after an operation for reasons that he said no-one understood.

Anyway I decided to let it mend itself. The only advice I would give is that even though it hurts a lot, do not keep your shoulder immobilised for a long time. I did this because I thought not moving would help it heal quicker. The bones mended quickly but it was several years before my shoulder recovered!

[Johpa]

Your seeking medical advice here on ThaiVIsa?!? You do need help.

[Loptr]

I also have broken my collarbone twice. Never had surgery and wore a brace for 6 weeks. Still have calcium deposits where the bones healed 20 years later. Not sure what they would operate on, unless you have a compound fracture, in which case I doubt you would be typing on an internet forum asking for advice.

[Samuipie]

I understand how having an operation is up to you. Next question is does it need to be operated on? or held in place with a brace till it heal's.

Somebody says it does others say it doesn't. While I am wearing braces I've sent my X-ray to my friends who are doctors and they consider that my case has to be operated. I don't want to fly to Moscow I just wanna know how it is to be opereated here?

There are fine doctors on Samui and especially at the Nathon Hosp. They have one of the finest Orthopedic Doc's in Thailand. Also go ONLY to Bangkok Samui for "real" doctors. If you are worried about price then you're not really sick. Now is not the time to go bargain shopping.