Ebct Scan Of Coronary Arteries

[Siki]

Aloha

I am looking for a medical facility that can do an EBCT (Electron Beam Tomography) scan of my coronary arteries and give me a calcium score.

The price for this simple procedure in the U.S. is $250-$400.

The only facility that I can find to do this in Thailand is Bangkok Hospital and they quoted me 16,000 baht.

Has anyone had any experience with this scan and/or know of a reasonable place to have it done in Thailand?

Thanks

[Sheryl]

Aloha

I am looking for a medical facility that can do an EBCT (Electron Beam Tomography) scan of my coronary arteries and give me a calcium score. 

The price for this simple procedure in the U.S. is $250-$400. 

The only facility that I can find to do this in Thailand is Bangkok Hospital and they quoted me 16,000 baht. 

Has anyone had any experience with this scan and/or know of a reasonable place to have it done in Thailand?

Thanks

It is probably available at Bumrungrad (www.bumrungrad.com) and Samitivej (www.samitivej.com) hospitals. These 2 and BKK Genereal tend to be similiar in prices but no harm in asking. Although health care in Thailand on the whole is alot cheaper than in the US this is primarily due to lower personnel costs and doesn't necessarily hold true where the main cost is imported high-tech equipment. They have to defray the capital outlay of gettuing the equipment, and in such cases sometimes it's actually cheaper in the US where hospitals have had the equipment longer and places already recouped their investment (and are also doing a higher volume of procedures). But no harm in asking. Good luck.

[Siki]

Aloha

I am looking for a medical facility that can do an EBCT (Electron Beam Tomography) scan of my coronary arteries and give me a calcium score. 

The price for this simple procedure in the U.S. is $250-$400.  

The only facility that I can find to do this in Thailand is Bangkok Hospital and they quoted me 16,000 baht. 

Has anyone had any experience with this scan and/or know of a reasonable place to have it done in Thailand?

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is probably available at Bumrungrad (www.bumrungrad.com) and Samitivej (www.samitivej.com) hospitals. These 2 and BKK Genereal tend to be similiar in prices but no harm in asking. Although health care in Thailand on the whole is alot cheaper than in the US this is primarily due to lower personnel costs and doesn't necessarily hold true where the main cost is imported high-tech equipment. They have to defray the capital outlay of gettuing the equipment, and in such cases sometimes it's actually cheaper in the US where hospitals have had the equipment longer and places already recouped their investment (and are also doing a higher volume of procedures). But no harm in asking. Good luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Sheryl:

I contacted Bumrungrad some weeks ago and was given an intense sales pitch for a 30,000 scan. The claim was that the EBCT scan was not available in Thailand any more because it was old technology.

I emailed Samitivej and they responded promptly with a price of 10,000 for the EBCT scan.

Could it be that these hospitals are more expensive -the closer they are to the tourist areas?

Do you of a good cardiologist at the Samitivej Hospital on Sukhumvit?

Aloha

Siki

[Sheryl]

Thanks Sheryl:

I contacted Bumrungrad some weeks ago and was given an intense sales pitch for a 30,000 scan. The claim was that the EBCT scan was not available in Thailand any more because it was old technology.

I emailed Samitivej and they responded promptly with a price of 10,000 for the EBCT scan.

Could it be that these hospitals are more expensive -the closer they are to the tourist areas?

Do you of a good cardiologist at the Samitivej Hospital on Sukhumvit?

Aloha

Siki

All 3 hospitals are upscale. Bumrungrad is owned by businessmen and pretty blatantly out to make money hand over fist. Their equipment is first rate and many (but by no means all) of their doctors are good...but even the good docs are under the thumb of the administration which requires them to do things to maximize profit. I was told recently by a very good specialist at Bumrungrad, in confidence, that they are not allowed to provide presecriptions for pastients to fill outside because the hospital wants the phe revenue from its own (higher proiced) pharmacy. I had brought a very poor Thai man to see him for a consultation (I paid) and, understanding the circumstance, he slipped me the rx under the table and then prescribed a very small amount of the same drug to be filled by the hospital pharmacy so he wouldn't get in trouble.

Bangkok Generakl as far as I can make out seems to be pegging its prices to Bumrungrad.

Samitivej is unusual in that it is doctor-owned and managed, which means much more freedom for the docs to practice good medicine as they see fit. Of course, there are greedy doctors around too, but on the whole doctors are better than pure businessmen types, and they do usually have a sense of professional pride and ethics to counterbalance desire for revenue.

I saw a cardiologist at Samitivej about 2 years ago who I thought was pretty good but unfortunately I don't remember his name. From the " find a doctor" search function on their website I find 7 cardiologists with U.S. Board Certification in cardiology. It takes a lot to pass specialty boards in a language which is not your native one, so I find that a pretty good yardstick. Since they have so many and unless someone else reading this can give a personal recommendation, I sugest you just ask the international pt svcs department to recommend someone with expertise relative to your particular problem (give them the details) and US Board certified in cardiology. Good luck.

[haha]

about 5 years ago, I had a heartscan done at the ramathibodi hospital. it is connected with the mahidol university.

http://www.ra.mahidol.ac.th/radiology/eng/...ment/about.html

I don't know if the hospital currently has the latest equipment. but I remember the price was right. 5k baht for the heartscan here in bangkok versus 500 dollars in the states.

the prices might be different now since I did it back about 5 years ago. but doesn't hurt to find out. it should be cheaper because they cater mainly with thai people.

you might want to communicate with the guys in the states to see if they would still recommend the facilities in mahidol university.

www.heartscan.com

hope this info helps.