Cataract Operation at Hua Hin Hospital

[pitsch]

What does that mean? 20K for him and 40K for the hospital. That can't be true. He was getting very much more when operating from his own practice. Even before his arrangement with BKK Hospital, they were referring patients to Dr. Pairat, especially any laser surgery because he had the equipment and they didn't.

I can't believe he would accept a deal where he gets only 20K per eye.

The lens is nearly 30K, so the hospital has only 10K including medication.

20K is not bad for about 1 hour work and he makes several operations each week, at least befoer Covid.

[Big Boy]

The lens is nearly 30K, so the hospital has only 10K including medication.

That one I find interesting. Hua Hin Hospital offered various lenses that started at just over 3K and top end was just over 6K. I opted for top end.

[caller]

That is still over double the cost of Hua Hin Hospital who have 2 dedicated operating theatres for eye surgery.

And if I only had to worry about the cataract, I'd be there like a shot. But I don't.

Going back to your first post, it seems like the clinic you were initially attending were making apts to check on the progress of your cataract, which will vary from person to person.

[Big Boy]

Yes, they were, along with my diabetic eye check-ups. What started as an Annual check, became more and more frequent based on the cataracts. Annual became 6 weekly, but never any action over a period of 7 years. It was getting very costly. The clinic was also prescribing medication, which the hospital said my stomach could not absorb.

I did not take much persuasion to try Hua Hin Hospital after the first wave of Covid.

[HHTel]

Going back to your first post, it seems like the clinic you were initially attending were making apts to check on the progress of your cataract, which will vary from person to person.

When Pairat first diagnosed cataracts, showing me on his big screen which was not a pretty sight, I asked just how long it would be for the cataracts to grow. His actual response was: "How long is a piece of string. It could be months or years!"

He urged me to have regular check-ups but with no pressure. I decided to go when I felt like it.

I have to agree with BB's post, 30,000 baht for a lens is off the scale.

[Big Boy]

PART 5

The Day of the Op

I was up at 5:30am, had a shower, and then had to administer the dreaded eye drops every 15 minutes, so it was a Grab to the hospital.

I turned up about 15 minutes early at the hospital. The reception window was in darkness, so we just took a seat in the waiting area. There were 3 other people waiting.

Whilst waiting, porters were delivering a steady stream of patients to be operated on. Of course, the porters had fingerprint recognition, and wheeled their trollies straight in.

About 7:56, a Farang who I recognised from the outpatients clinic arrived with his wife and went to the reception window, which had obviously opened now as they were being processed. I sent Mrs BB to check me in. It was fast and efficient, and I was through the door by 8am. Everybody who entered had to leave their shoes outside, and walk in barefooted. OK, not much danger of a Thai stealing a pair of size 14 sandals, but regular sized shoes were going to be left outside for how long?

As Farangs, our wives were expected to come in with us. They too had to leave their shoes outside. Once inside, our wives were handed gowns and a silly hat and told to prepare us. Well, this was my big worry – I’ve been to hospitals in the UK where I’ve spent the rest of the day mooning at everybody. How much of me would be covered by a Thai size hospital gown? Surprise, surprise, the gown fitted perfectly, in fact may have been a little too big - my modesty would remain intact.

At this point, the Farangs were parted from their wives, and led by the arm by a nurse through another door. Wives were sent back outside to the waiting area.

I think it is appropriate at this point to mention I had always wondered why Hua Hin Hospital had so many over aged, not so attractive nurses. Where are the younger nurses? Nurses are graduating all of the time, why aren’t they placed in Hua Hin? Well, they are – the operating suites are full of young attractive nurses.

I was directed to lay flat on a trolley. My first ‘size’ issue of the day. Thai trollies are about 5’ long and I am 6’5” long. This was a slight mismatch. Now I am very uncomfortable lying flat on my back at the best of times. Having to do this with my legs unsupported was VERY uncomfortable. I had been warned from my first visit of the flat on my back requirement, but I hadn’t anticipated dangly legs as well. 1 hour in this position was OTT. But I guess necessary.

I was supposed to be first on the operation list, but when the doc saw me, he pushed me back to number 2 while they got an extension for the operating table.

So the procedure began. The doc went to the other Farang first, and asked which lens he wanted (I had selected mine at both the first and second appointments). It seemed the other guy couldn’t decide. The doc said he had to decide, and he had already prepared several options. The other guy then asked the doc which he would choose. I was pleased to hear the doc say he would select the lens I had selected. This is what the guy went with. Then the doc tells the guy, “This is going to hurt a little” (not words I wanted to hear). I turned my head slightly out of curiosity, and saw that he was injecting the other guy’s eye. Yes, the other guy started moaning a lot, and I’m thinking how much I dislike pain. A few minutes later, the other guy was invited to walk into the operating theatre.

Almost immediately, the doc comes out, and says, “This is going to hurt a little. Just look at my nose.” Well, I looked at his nose, hoping for something peculiar to take my mind off the imminent pain, but no, it was just a regular Thai nose. The injection was actually no problem whatsoever – I’ve had much worse at the dentist. He then covered my eye, and asked for 2 fingers, which I duly held up. He directed my fingers to the covering he’d put on my eye, and told me to apply pressure. He then went away and operated on the other guy.

About 10 minutes later, the doc was back, removed the cover from eye and told me to open it. I said, “I can’t,” to which he said, “That’s good.” I was then invited to walk into the operating theatre.

What a relief, not to be flat on my back any longer. It was about 10 steps. The doc made a big thing about how they had made the operating table larger for me. He then told me to lay flat on my back again. Thankfully, they put the world’s smallest pillow under my head, but it made a huge difference. Again, he asked me to open my eye, with the same responses.

The nurses then prepared me. First thing, they removed my Covid mask, and told me to hold on to it. They then cocooned me in a blanket, which was fastened with poppers (every time I took a breath I could feel another popper burst – their problem, not mine I thought). Then they cleaned my face with the coldest face cleaner in the world. Songkran iced water was nothing compared this. They then completely wrapped my face in cloths, just leaving my eye exposed. They taped open my eye. Oops, this was the bit I was dreading – I could see them, so I’d see the knives there were about to slice me open with. They then moved something over my eye, and all that I could see was 3 blue lights – 2 square and 1 oblong. They then turned on the water feature – a slow drip into my eye (at least that is how it felt).

So there am I looking at my 3 blue lights, with a mild stream running down my face. Gradually the lights faded (I guess old lens removed), and then they grew bright again. I felt minor discomfort, like a spec of dust in my eye. Occasionally, the stream grew into river, but that was it. Without any pain whatsoever they unwrapped me, and bandaged the eye. At this point I thought that’s it, time to get up, pay my money and go home – no chance.

With my good eye, I saw a petite nurse carrying the biggest pat slide I’ve ever seen towards me. They’d placed a trolley beside the operating table. I’m told to slide onto the trolley without moving my head. Well, my body had been lying in such an uncomfortable position for so long, it was impossible without moving my head. Anyway, I got onto the trolley somehow; I’m wheeled into the recovery area where I’m told I have to do another 2 hours flat on my back.

About 20 minutes into my recovery endurance test, I needed to pee. The only people around were other people in recovery. Eventually, a nurse was walking through, and I managed to get her attention (I was expecting her to bring me a bottle). She actually came back with another nurse. They wheeled me through several doors, and then put a set of steps beside the trolley. They told me to get down, and pointed me in the direction of the toilet. Job done, I got back on the trolley, and was wheeled back to my berth in the recovery room.

Now, I’m back in the position that hurts, flat on my back. I decide that I walked to the toilet with nothing bad happening, so I thought I’d chance my arm, and lay in a more comfortable position. The worse that would happen would be I’d get told off. I lay on my side, head supported by a hand, and folded my legs – I was now completely on trolley and comfortable.

Meanwhile, back in the waiting area…………………………… the hospital staff gave our wives little errands to run to pass the time i.e.

• They were told we’d be a few hours, so were advised to go for breakfast. We know Thais dont miss a food opportunity.
• When they came back, they were sent to the pharmacy to collect home meds.
• Finally, they were sent to pay the bill. We had been told the op would cost 40.000฿, but we should bring 50.000฿ just in case. Actual cost was 24,700฿ - result!!!

Back in the recovery room, now that I’d made myself comfortable, I did manage to nod off for a while. I was awoken when they came to fetch the other Farang. I think, good, I’m only about 10 minutes behind him. I was wrong; they wheeled me out immediately behind him. After being laid uncomfortably for over 3 hours the other guy was struggling to walk, but having taken the comfort initiative, I was fine. I was dressed and out of there, leaving him behind. My sandals and my wife were there waiting for me. My first stop was the coffee shop, as I was gasping, and then a taxi home.

Instructions were to remove bandages the next morning, clean around the eye, apply eye drops and report to the hospital 24 hours after that to let the doc have a look.

Bandages came off at about 8am, and my vision was already perfect in that operated eye although there was a little discomfort in the top right hand corner. I had a plastic cup over the eye to stop me rubbing it. That soon became overnight only.

A brilliant service - absolutely nothing to worry about. Well done Hua Hin Hospital.

[huahin4ever]

My mother in law did the same surgery and paid approx. 10k per eye. This was at the public hospital in Tak.

YNWA

[Big Boy]

Wow, that's a good price. I had a friend do it a public hospital in Samut Sakhon, and she paid about the same as me. Was your MIL's op recent?

Of course, Hua Hin Hospital do make Farangs sign something advising they will be charged a premium price. However 2.5 times as much does sound very premium

[HHTel]

Glad everything went well, BB. With your new sight it'll seem a whole new world has opened up.
However, BB, regardless of cost, your experience seems horrendous. When mine was done:

Wednesday : Complete eye-test confirming the need for lens replacement.

Following Sunday: Turned up at 8am. Thorough eye-wash, which they appeared to use a jet spray and was much more uncomfortable than the op. Spent a couple of hours in the waiting room having eye drops frequently.
Walked to his operating room. Shoes off in an ante room then into the room and sat on what appears to be a dentist's chair. Operation was just a few minutes. No pain and vision of what I can only describe as kaleidoscope.
Dressing and eye-patch placed. Walk back to reception to pay and collect medication.
30 mins later, I was at my local on 112 for a promised London Pride.

Monday morning : Turned up to have the dressing removed and eye checked. In and out in half an hour.


My next op was 4 Sundays later with the same procedure.

All in all - each eye required one visit for the op and a further visit to remove the dressing.

No stripping down and hospital gowns etc.

And here I am several years later with continued excellent sight.

I know which I prefer.

[Big Boy]

Horrendous is debatable. I chose a hospital, and would have been shocked if they had not taken such care. Hospital gowns etc are a hygiene thing. Who knows what nasties I might have taken into a sterile environment. OK, you got away with it, but what if something from your clothes had found its way into your eye?

The only horrendous thing to me was having to lay flat on my back for 3 hours (which as you read, I didn't).

I've never had an operation at a hospital without a pre-op. Everything seemed quite normal to me.

[HHTel]

Everyone's happy. Just my personal opinion. Regarding clothes in a sterile environment, I did have what could be described as a large dentist's bib so no more risk than having a tooth out.

I know several people who had the op as I did and a couple of people from the UK who had the procedure while on holiday. I've never heard of any complaint.

I would be interested to hear of any.

[Big Boy]

No, I'm not disagreeing. I too have heard of many satisfied customers. As I said, the hygiene factor is debatable. I would guess a clinic can get away with a lot more than a hospital.

My 2 operations at Bangkok Hospital saw me having to walk into the operating theatre totally starkers. I wonder if BH have imposed similar restrictions (I'm not suggesting starkers) to Hua Hin Hospital, now he is using their facilities.

[HHTel]

You could be right, BB. Working under the BKK Hospital umbrella, he'd have to comply with hospital policy without question.

[buksida]

Interesting though slightly scary report, thanks for sharing. It reminds me of when I had the Lasik treatment in Bangkok.

Was the 25k price per eye or for both?

[Big Boy]

Only one eye. As you'll see in tomorrow's conclusion, the left eye is still very good.

Maybe I've made it sound scary, but that was not the intention. I would be totally relaxed about doing the other eye. There is nothing whatsoever to be scared of, and this is coming from somebody who the dentist had to send for his wife to hold his hand because he was terrified.

HeeHee, maybe a short visit to Tak might be in order.