Cardiologist needed

[sundest]

Does anyone know a good cardiologist in Hua Hin or Bangkok?

[Bamboo Grove]

Im sorry, I will not be able to answer your question but I have a story to tell which might be of interest to you and others as well. About 2,5 years ago my Thai missus started having pains and irregular heart beat and was taken to a hospital for a couple of times. After the usual inefficiency and noncommitment, except for high fees, of a local hospital, she decided to go to a clinic we used to frequent in Hua Hin and the doctor there told her to go to Petchaburi for a check up. This she did and she was told that she probably had an aortic stenosis and this would require an operation within a 2-3 years period of time. They didn’t think it was serious and said that the costs would be rather low. Well, there was the Taksin health care system and all still in existance. However, she decided to have another opinion and went to Bangok to see a specialist who said that it was a mitral valve prolapse, which wouldn’t have to be operated in a near future and when the time for the operation came, it would cost about 100-200.000 Baht. She was given medication and told to visit the hospital once a month and to buy more expensive medicine every time. However, the symptoms of uneasiness didn’t go away so another check-up was made and this time the diagnosis was a ruptured aorta and she was told that she required an operation within a year.

Now my suspicions had arisen and so I sent the diagnosis and all the documents and pictures we had been given to Finland (my brother is a doctor here, not a cardiologist, but doctors know doctors as lawyers know lawyers) and the papers were sent to an experienced cardiologist. She said, she had only come across this kind of diagnosis twice in her career and that if true, it needed immediate operation. The hospital in Bangkok had given an estimate of at least 500,000 Baht for the operation and immediate costs in the hospital (remember, they had said she required operation within a year.)

At this stage I decided it was time to pack up our things and go to Finland, get her checked up here and if she needed an immediate operation to have it done here. As I had been living in Thailand for 19 years, I wasn’t part of the social welfare system here anymore, neither was she, as a Thai. So we went to a private hospital (certainly not cheap) for a check up and were told that there was no rupture in the aorta. The diagnosis was an enlarged aorta and she was told to go to see a vascularologist to get a more accurate diagnosis. However, he said there is no need for an immediate operation.

So we had no option but to remain here, we applied for a resident visa for her and the bairns in August (we got them in January this year). I got a job here (luckily I’m a teacher so it was fairly easy to get a job) and now the family is part of the health care system. She had another check up (this time mostly paid by the governement) and was told that there is no immediate danger but she should have annual check ups just in case that things might start to detoriorate.

Well, all in all my brother said to me that he was much revealed to learn about all of this as I might have easily ended up a widower with that very risky operation of a ruptured aorta, which after all would have been a wrong diagnosis.

So what I want to say is: go to the best possible hospital around (I’d say it’s Bumrungrad in Bangkok and that was also my missus’s advise just a moment ago when I asked her), it’s a very serious matter, as I’m sure you already know, although I don’t know why you seek a cardiologist.

To end the story, I must tell you that in the end it wasn’t a bad decision to come here, even though I hated and dreaded it. It’s much easier to get a good education to the kids here and the missus has now started a three year schooling and is close to good hospitals, if the emergency hits. I can live with that.

[bapak]

Does anyone know a good cardiologist in Hua Hin or Bangkok?

Doctor Polpat Euswas is in the process of opening Hua Hin Heart Clinic.. In the meantime he may be contacted at huahinheartclinic@hotmail.com

Bapak

[loverboy44]

Bamboo Grove,
so happy to hear that you and your wife are fine now.
I agree with you in all terms as i have seen so many hospitals all over Thailand through of my job.
Bumrungrad and all the BHP Group (Bangkok hospitals) are the ones to go. They even have 3 D heart scanners which are very rare even in developed countries.

[huahinheartclinic]

To Sundest, Are you have some problems about health or heart problem ?
i am cardiologist in Hua Hin, currently work in Hua Hin hospital.
You can send question at my email
Dr.Polpat Euswas (Cardiologist).

[bapak]

Doctor, I would suggest that you put email address in your "Profile"