Gall Stones Op

[Johnniey]

Can anyone recommend a good hospital in Bangkok for such an operation. My mother(75) has been refused the op in the UK (NHS) due to failing a breathing test. She is fit, playing golf a few times every week. Also, prices would be useful if anyone could give an approximate amount. Thanks.

[Sheryl]

Any hospital can do a GB removal, the issue is choice of surgeon. For GB removal, would be a general surgeon. Additional factor is whether she wants to trey for laparoscopic removal (smaller incision, quicker recovery but much more costly) or open. All general surgeons can do an open removal but only some are trained for laparoscopic. An open removal, depending n hospital, will likely range 100,000 - 200,00 bhaht; laparscopic almost twice as much.

 

But of greatest concern is that your mother is apparently a high risk for surgery due to some sort of pulmonary or cardiac problem. That puts things in an altogether different light and I am reluctant to recommend having this surgery in Thailand at all under that circumstance...as you may well be looking at complications and an extended ICU stay afterwards, or even failure to survive the procedure.

 

I would strongly suggest heeding the advise of the NHS. Thai doctors and hospitals are much less cautious about such things (the "mai pen rai" philosophy) and  might indeed proceed with the surgery but this could have very bad consequences...and any cost estimates are out the window if there are complications. You could end up with multi-billion baht hospital bill and mother in ICU unable to be transferred home...if not an even worse outcome.

 

My advice: get a handle on what exactly caused her to fail the "breathing test", it was likely either a pulmonary or cardiac problem. Get that treated/managed first then repeat the tests and have the surgery down when the results indicate she is no longer high risk.

 

Ability to play golf is not a good indication of pulmonary or cardiac function. Neither is ability to carry on with normal daily life (except at the extreme stages of cardiac or respiratory failure).

 

 

 

 

[Johnniey]

Thanks Sheryl, great advice

[lopburi3]

Actually my two (admit small sample) surgeries required cardio and lung clearance in all three hospitals I used (including a government facility where it also required vision for glaucoma, internist for a removed thyroid and extra cardio testing and flat statement they would not operate if blood pressure was above a set amount).   So expect she might have the same issues here and as said above it could become extremely costly (or worse) if there are complications.  My most recent operation (more involved than GB) cost over 1 million baht without complications.

 

Prior to thyroid removal my cardio testing indicated issues so that had to be addressed first, with two stents taking care of that and a few month delay for thyroid removal.  As said other issues seem to need to be addressed first.

[Johnniey]

Thanks you , Sir!