a coupla nights ago I slipped on some bug spray on the kitchen floor (loadsa baby takabs literally came outta the woodwork, door skirting) and fractured my left tibia, looks bad, a 2" fracture at 45o to the vertical right at the ankle joint, the bone and the joint were initially dislocated (1" offset to both centerlines) but popped back into position...the doc I saw at emergency at the local district hosp said looks like surgery will be req'd but I am scheduled to talk to the local ortho surgeon on the 7th...

 

I ain't got no insurance so I haveta pay outta pocket...looks like the procedure should be able to be performed by any suitably qualified surgeon...so:

 

question 1: any benefit to going to a hosp in BKK like Samitivej to have it done? presuming that the op should be routine...

 

question 2: what should be the approx difference in cost percentage wise if a private BKK hosp was selected over the local district hosp? 

 

anything else to consider? my main concern is that it heal with the proper alignment so that I'll be able to walk again without pain...

 

note: beware of Chaindrite crawling bug spray on floors, it's like a lubricant...clean up immed. after use...

 

thanks in advance...

Sorry to hear that and can only give my recent cost difference for major surgery between top private/government hospital was about a factor of 10x the price private.  In my case of cancer it may have been life saving not to wait for long government queue (months) however.  For setting bone type procedure expect there would not be such a wait (although expect you may have hit a wait because of current holidays).

Private hospital costs range anywhere from 3-10X that of government.

 

The procedure requires an experienced orthopedic surgeon which you will almost certainly not find at a district hospital or even a provincial hospital unless it is a regional center. Believe me, you do not want a new graduate doing this.

 

A military hospital is probably your best bet and waits will likely be shorter than at regular govt hospital (but cost the same).  Military has plenty of ortho specialists and usually skilled at managing traumatic injuries.

 

Where do you live?

 

 

 

 

thanks lop, hadn't realized that you'd been in for major surgery...hope yer gettin' better...

 

private cost 10x gov't?...I better hope the local dude knows his stuff in that case...

You posted as Sheryl sent you good advise on using military medical facilities as they will always have experienced doctors for such treatment and being a paying customer waits should be short.

 

My problem was bladder cancer and had removed last June - so far no further cancer found and nothing was found outside bladder itself in operation.  Was very lucky to have good insurance option available.

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Private hospital costs range anywhere from 3-10X that of government.

 

The procedure requires an experienced orthopedic surgeon which you will almost certainly not find at a district hospital or even a provincial hospital unless it is a regional center. Believe me, you do not want a new graduate doing this.

 

A military hospital is probably your best bet and waits will likely be shorter than at regular govt hospital (but cost the same).  Military has plenty of ortho specialists and usually skilled at managing traumatic injuries.

 

Where do you live?

 

 

 

 

thanks Sheryl...I live in Suphanburi, is there a military hosp nearby?

 

I saw the (BBC? Aljazeera?) documentary re: new thai medic grads goin' out to remote areas for GP purposes but one would presume that ortho surgery would require someone with suitable experience...I'll haveta size up the local surgeon when I see him on the 7th...

 

don't wanna leave it fer too long as the fracture is probably healing up in an unaligned position already...

 

 

23 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

You posted as Sheryl sent you good advise on using military medical facilities as they will always have experienced doctors for such treatment and being a paying customer waits should be short.

 

My problem was bladder cancer and had removed last June - so far no further cancer found and nothing was found outside bladder itself in operation.  Was very lucky to have good insurance option available.

yeah...I'm 66 and have had type 2 diabetes for 17 years and high BP for 7 so I figured that reasonably priced insurance was not available...but I got a good bank balance but didn't reckon on havin' to use part of it for this purpose this soon...

 

goddam bug spray...I shoulda scooped up the baby takabs and stir fried 'em fer supper...

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 20179 yr by tutsiwarrior

Definitely DO NOT LEAVE IT. You'll need far more extensive surgery if you do.

 

there is unfortunately no military hiospital in Suphanaburi. However, the provincial hospital (in the provincial capital town) is a regional level facility so will have ortho specialists.

 

There are military hospitals in several neighboring provinces: Nakorn Pathom  (Chandrubeksa Hospital; air force), Kanchanburi (Fort Surasi Hospital, army), and Uthai Thani (Royal Thai Air Force Wing 23 Hospital). Hopefully you are located near one of these, otherwise try the regional hospital in the provincial town but it will be really crowded, they always are.

 

OK, thanks Sheryl...I'll check out Nakhon Pathom for the military hospital...not too far...

to update...went to the nakhon Pathom air force 'military hospital' where I had the ortho surgery (2 1/2 hrs, epidural, plate + 6 screws in fibula, 2 big screws in tibia) with all pre op tests, xrays, meds and 3 nights in a private room for about 22000 baht...haven't compared that to the equivalent private arrangement but for the info of anyone that's interested...

 

look out fer that bug spray on tiled floors...when ye see them little critters keep a blow torch handy...

48 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

to update...went to the nakhon Pathom air force 'military hospital' where I had the ortho surgery (2 1/2 hrs, epidural, plate + 6 screws in fibula, 2 big screws in tibia) with all pre op tests, xrays, meds and 3 nights in a private room for about 22000 baht...haven't compared that to the equivalent private arrangement but for the info of anyone that's interested...

 

look out fer that bug spray on tiled floors...when ye see them little critters keep a blow torch handy...

and how are you feeling? how is your leg after the fix?

 

22,000 baht seems quite the bargain

34 minutes ago, manarak said:

and how are you feeling? how is your leg after the fix?

 

22,000 baht seems quite the bargain

won't know about the fix until the bones set up after a couple of months...the surgeon couldn't guarantee nothin' but I presume that he did his best...the military hospitals are good fer traumatic injuries per prevous advice...they usually got a good ortho surgery staff; when I was wheeled into the consulting area before surgery someone left an xray on the viewer showing a spine with huge pins and plates all over it, looks like I didn't have it all that bad, somethin' that they could easily handle...

 

lotsa discomfort after the epidural wore off, couldn't move the leg but I had my MiL and my niece with me in the room the entire time to help in addition to the nursing staff...panadol was the best the hosp could do for a painkiller...things are better now at home 4 days after surgery; the step daughter and the niece moved my fridge next to my laptop area downstairs so I can mix my own vodka/soda/orange without gettin up from my chair...I am attended to by strong, capable young women and they are puzzled as tutsi weeps with gratitude...

 

 

Edited February 19, 20179 yr by tutsiwarrior

Glad to hear all went well.

 

22,000 is a serious bargain, you'd be looking at about 10 times that  at a private hospital.

 

And much of that 22,000 will have been for the hardware (plates and screws), these are imported and costly. You probably paid very little indeed for the surgery itself.

 

But only paracetemol after ortho surgery? That is some serious pain initially. In the West you're hooked up to a morphine drip or equivalent for about the first 24 hrs.

yeah, I asked the dude: ' stainless or titanium?' and he confirmed the latter...they use that in power station heat exchangers for the strength and corrosion resistance and very expensive...

 

I gave them all the meds that I had when I checked in; exforge, metformin, including some tramadol prescribed by a doctor in the same hosp before I went for surgery but they didn't let me have it, surgeon's orders...

 

tutsi is one tough m.f....but foolish enough to slip and break his leg in his sainted kitchen...

 

goddam takabs and bug spray laid me low...