Beware of luxury hospitals! Long story this one!

[leggo]

Two years ago whilst living in Europe I had my eyes operated on to remove the cataracts that had formed over the years and at the same time have my vision corrected - all on the social security of the country I was resident in. All went brilliantly and for the first time for years I could see clearly long distance - anyway -just after Xmas this year I caught an infection,probably conjunctivitis and more or less one of my eyes went a bit blurry - went to the chemist to get some drops but it wouldn't clear up so decided to go to one of the big chains of hospitals who for me had a good reputation and everyone more or less agreed - expensive but good! I saw the eye specialist who gave me some differnt drops , which I could have bought in the chemist for half the price, and was told to come back in ten days. Ten days later no progress, back to doctor, same scenario differnt drops, ten days later back again no improvement -this time strong antibiotic pills which according to the internet should have been given to me first time round. Anyway ten days later infection gone but blurry vision still. You have such and such and it will cost 75000 bht to have fixed by laser -No thanks Doctor I'll go back to Europe and have it done. Doctor then loses interest and more or less pushes me out of the door after 5000 bht of visits and no real diagnosis. Forward to last month when my Thai teacher recommends Pattaya Eye centre behing big C extra. OK I'll give it a go cos I was getting a bit desperate. One minute of being ushered into the surgery Doctor Nattawat had diagnosed the problem which apparently affects 50% of cataract patients (figures confirmed on the net) and told me he could laser the cloudiness out at the Eye,Nose and Throat hospital in Bkk where he did all his surgery for 6000bht plus hospital expenses of about 1000bht. Went in on Thursday and after 5 mins of laser treatment came out with perfect vision -the good doctor had driven up from Pattaya in some difficuly after a knee op and didn't really want the drive but his clinic in Pattaya couldn't find my number to change my appointment so he came anyway not to dissapoint me.

Sorry, this is a long and convaluted story showing the illegal and immoral side of the medical business on one side and the professionalism of a good and honest doctor on the other side!

[kriswillems]

The big private hospitals are very expensive. You can read hundreds of posts on this forum saying the same (only the first page of this forum there are 3 similar stories).

If your insurance doesn't cover the expenses and you're not very rich you better look for cheaper alternatives.

I wouldn't call it illegal, it's just big business.

Also, when going to a private hospital for instance to deliver a baby, you must take into account that the price they agreed with you can dramatically change if complications occur. There's an example on this page of somebody that lost 230000 baht in just 12 hours time.

The standard packages at private hospitals are very competitively priced (because people compare prices), but if you need something extra you pay ten times more than elsewhere.

Personally, I only go to a private hospitals for checkups (standard competitively priced package) because I don't like to wait. If the checkups indicate a problem I either fly back to my country or go to a government hospital.

For a blood check I go to the guy that works for the lab of the government hospital. I pay 200B for a complete check and I get the result within 30 minutes. I don't even need to see a doctor if all values are normal.

In case of an emergency or a standard treatment I would never go to a private hospital.

It's true you've to wait long on the first visit to a government hospital, but you can avoid that by going in the evening. In this case you pay 100 to 150 baht extra, but you'll have an appointment for for the next visit (or operation). Also, in the evening you can directly go to see a specialist and you don't need to see a normal doctor first. You need to check the schedule of the hospital to check which specialist works on which day.

Smaller private clinics are sometimes an alternative, but my experience with them is not so good (poor price/quality compared to a government hospital).

Edited April 6, 2014 by kriswillems

[kriswillems]

Also, being from Europe, you probably know that the doctors get checked.

Government knows how much of each kind of medicine they prescribe and which operations they do and they know the success rates.

Because the doctors are checked they will not give unnecessary treatment.

Here in Thailand, in the big private hospitals, everything is about money.

For instance if you go to deliver the baby in a private hospital, there's a huge chance that they invite you for to a meeting about stem cell extraction (from cord blood). They will they you in this meeting how important it is you do this and they will show you photos of poor, sick, dying children who's life was saved because of stem cells. They will tell you they can heal Alzheimer and hundreds of other diseases. For only 30 baht per day you precious newborn will be ok forever. Of course this is all pure bullshit and any organisation making such claims would be immediately shutdown in Europe.

But it shows about the ethics used by the private hospitals (in case Samitivet).

So, be careful.

Edited April 6, 2014 by kriswillems

[Jessi]

Thank you for sharing this with us.

[Jingthing]

Yes, this is very common in patients who have already had cataract surgery. Everyone who has cataracts, before or after the surgery, should be aware of this issue.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-secondary-cataract.htm

[AhFarangJa]

Thanks for the post, I do not mean this as a pun, but it is an eye opener. I would have trusted the expensive hospital before, but now I will do my homework more,

thank you again, and a speedy recovery to you!!

[Tywais]

Yes, this is very common in patients who have already had cataract surgery. Everyone who has cataracts, before or after the surgery, should be aware of this issue.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-secondary-cataract.htm

Yep, happened to me also. Had cataract surgery and artificial lenses put in both eyes. The doctor was very good explaining all issues including that around 50% may have to return for laser treatment due to clouding on the membrane behind the new lens. About 9-12 months after it was starting to blur and 15 minutes in the chair and laser removing the membrane, both eyes, all back to normal. That was 10+ years ago and still fine. A proper ophthalmologist would easily see this with the proper equipment and known the history. Mine was done at Bumrungrad in Bangkok, same doctor for the original op and the laser treatment. Seemed either no cost or very little cost for the laser treatment as it was considered a followup procedure.

[Jingthing]

Eye doctors should warn their cataract patients about this even before the initial surgery. It shouldn't be any kind of big surprise at all.

[thepool]

The OP raises a coulple of points which require clarification.

1. A pharmacist is not a good source of health care advice especially when many pharmacies do not have full time, "in the shop" pharmacists so "advice" often comes from an unqualified shop girl.

2. A hospital treats nothing and no one it is just a building !

3. The choice of doctor within the private sector should be carefully made. Individual hospital websites often list medical staff by specialty and include a CV. Look for a Dr with at least some Western training/experience.

Edited April 6, 2014 by thepool

[sms747]

what was the name of the first hospital at 75000?

[leggo]

The big private hospitals are very expensive. You can read hundreds of posts on this forum saying the same (only the first page of this forum there are 3 similar stories).

If your insurance doesn't cover the expenses and you're not very rich you better look for cheaper alternatives.

I wouldn't call it illegal, it's just big business.

Also, when going to a private hospital for instance to deliver a baby, you must take into account that the price they agreed with you can dramatically change if complications occur. There's an example on this page of somebody that lost 230000 baht in just 12 hours time.

The standard packages at private hospitals are very competitively priced (because people compare prices), but if you need something extra you pay ten times more than elsewhere.

Personally, I only go to a private hospitals for checkups (standard competitively priced package) because I don't like to wait. If the checkups indicate a problem I either fly back to my country or go to a government hospital.

For a blood check I go to the guy that works for the lab of the government hospital. I pay 200B for a complete check and I get the result within 30 minutes. I don't even need to see a doctor if all values are normal.

In case of an emergency or a standard treatment I would never go to a private hospital.

It's true you've to wait long on the first visit to a government hospital, but you can avoid that by going in the evening. In this case you pay 100 to 150 baht extra, but you'll have an appointment for for the next visit (or operation). Also, in the evening you can directly go to see a specialist and you don't need to see a normal doctor first. You need to check the schedule of the hospital to check which specialist works on which day.

Smaller private clinics are sometimes an alternative, but my experience with them is not so good (poor price/quality compared to a government hospital).

Agree with all this entirely and nothing in your kind reply is new to me but to ask ten times the normal fee without even being willing to give a patient the right diagnosis in most countries could be considered fraudulent. By the way the doctor who finally did the treatment runs his own private clinic and I have since found out that the fee he charged is more or less the current price. it's a very specific treatment which takes 5 minutes and is practiced in eye hospitals all over the world, and none of them even in US charge 75000 bht for this operation - the thing that upset me most was that the original doctor was unable to diagnose the problem at all but yet the second one was able to within one minute!

[leggo]

The OP raises a coulple of points which require clarification.

1. A pharmacist is not a good source of health care advice especially when many pharmacies do not have full time, "in the shop" pharmacists so "advice" often comes from an unqualified shop girl.

2. A hospital treats nothing and no one it is just a building !

3. The choice of doctor within the private sector should be carefully made. Individual hospital websites often list medical staff by specialty and include a CV. Look for a Dr with at least some Western training/experience.

quite agree with point 1, 2 is totally obvious, 3, Quite - but we are in Thailand and although my Thai is getting better I don't have a vast selection of Thai friends, at least not in Rayong, who can recommend a good eye specialist. Luckily my Thai teacher was able to recommend someone who turned out to be a gem. Thanks for your comments.

.

[leggo]

what was the name of the first hospital at 75000?

I'm afraid you'll have to guess but if you've lived here for a while and read all the comments made here shouldn't be too difficult to work out!

[lopburi3]

Actually from my reading PCO is not something that routinely occurs within 2 years anymore (due to current lens/procedures - about 3-10% I find being reported for first 3 years). Later in life it is more likely to occur. But as mentioned it is a quick fix to remove a bit of the tissue.

[Jingthing]

Common is not the same as routine. It would be the first thing you would think a doctor would suspect for blurry vision AFTER cataract surgery.

[lopburi3]

Treatment was for infection - not for vision - from OP.

[Issangeorge]

I had the same thing, went to my ophthalmologist in Kalasin and he said I needed a I believe it is called Yag Laser. He did it at Kalasin Government Hospital, it cost me ฿2,000 total, with some eye drops included. Took about five minutes.

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[Pacificperson]

Kudos to Doctor Nattawat at the Pattaya Eye Centre behing big C extra.

[Jingthing]

OK I was talking about laser correctable blurring after new lenses have been done.

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