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[Orion76]

Also some are university professors who work in the hospital on their off days.

[griffer]

Just as an aside...Bumrungrad probably makes more sense when you realise that the CEO is an american (Curtis Schroeder)..

a friend of mine who is a freelance journalist, interviewed him a year or so back. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for those of us who use the place, he couldn't find anyone interested enough to publish the piece back in USA. The idea was to compare standard of treatment and pricing. Apparently dental treatment was already very popular with 'medical tourists', to coin a phrase.

One can see by the way that Bumrungrad caters for foreign visitors--translators available for instance---we must already contribute a large percentage of the revenue.

[lopburi3]

Quote

One can see by the way that Bumrungrad caters for foreign visitors--translators available for instance---we must already contribute a large percentage of the revenue.

300,000 patients last year (1/3 of total) according to this recent Singapore Straits Times article.



My Webpagehttp://www.cancerstory.com/servlets/bumrungrad.jsp

[griffer]

Slipped disc surgery for Mubarak..

http://news.bbc.co.u...ast/3822571.stm


crikey..you never know who might be reading this forum....

[camerata]

Orion76, on Sat 2004-06-19, 11:02:29, said:

In my home country you first see your family GP, he then acknowledges something is wrong and he refers you to a hospital.

Your appointment is 2 weeks later and the specialist agrees with your doctor that something is wrong and he makes an appointment to do some tests.

2 weeks later you come in for your tests and are then asked to come back 2 weeks later for the results.

Actually, I think it's often a disadvantage that we DON'T see a GP at these big hospitals. They seem to be full of specialists who don't really look at the Big Picture as far as your health is concerned. And I don't recall ever being referred from one specialist to another.

A case in point is when I sprained my ankle one night. I told reception at BH I thought it was broken and got to see an osteopath (who turned out to be an expert in sports medicine). I ended up with the wrong size bandage ("It's the largest we have"), no cast, some pills and a recommendation to stretch my foot in one direction. 7 weeks later I reinjured it while walking. 6 months later I am still having trouble. There was never any referral to a physical therapist - I had to arrange that myself. Now I'm getting ultrasound, therapy and a whole bunch of range-of-motion, flexibility and strengthening exercises.

But the one GP I saw at BH was useless. She failed to diagnose the classic symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia (often called "the most painful condition known to medical science"), and sent me away with no medicine, no advice and no referral. When I arranged an appointment with a neurologist a week later, he knew exactly what the problem was, but even he didn't give me any useful advice. I had to get that from the Internet.

On the whole I like BH but I'd prefer having a good GP decide which specialists I should see instead of having to figure it out for myself. I can honestly say I've never been overmedicated (quite the opposite) or given unnecesary tests. And my dentist at BH is very conservative - not always wanting to crown teeth or pull them out.

[smo]

Dear Griffer,

The few main points I wanted to share with you in this diskectomy experience that I also have gone through:
- Unlike you I did not have friends in the medical fields who could give me council. Actually, one of my close friends is an internal doctor. The word he mentioned at the beginning was “surgery” and he left it at that. Later on when I learned about the case of herniated disks and what to do with them did he elaborate on, just saying that “I did not mention it because I was afraid it would scare you.”
- The first part of my episode happened in the States. Last October I came down with sciatica, waking up one day and could not get out of bed because of tremendous pain in my right leg. I was diagnosed by a family clinic doctor who wrote “radiculopathy” on my diagnosis report. But she only said I was suffered from sciatica, gave me a prescription of ibuprofen and told me to take it easy. The next part was pure ######: since I did not have insurance and no guidance I did not go to an orthopedic doctor; and later I on when I had a better picture of my situation could not afford to. I floundered at the hands of chiropractors, accupressurists and physical therapists who kept telling me everything was going right and it’s gonna be fine. My chiropractor especially deliberately steered me away from any mentions of herniated disks/operations. After the holidays and many relapses, I no longer experienced pains, but numbness and loss of reflex occurred in my right leg. About this time I began to learn about “herniated disks”. I went to an orthopedic surgeon only to be asked how I could afford operation without any medical coverage.
- Finally I left for Bangkok in February, flying as a wheelchair passenger, determined to get the proper treatment after many researches on the internet, including council from a member of the Thaivisa forum who recommended his ortho doc in Bumrungrad. Also I could rely on the personal care of my Thai boyfriend to see me through hospitalization if it came to that. At this point I did post a note of the Thaivisa forum and got many good wishes from other members, but unfortunately the kind of postings such as yours which would have been instrumental to my search for treatment/doctors was nowhere to be found.
- The odyssey began. I saw several doctors both at Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospitals, I got an MRI and the diagnosis was not 1, but 2 herniated disks at l4-l5 and L5-S1. I actually I saw all the spine surgeons at Bum except yours. Ironically he was the one that I was looking for, someone with training in the States and who does diskectomy on a regular basis. Talk about hiding in plain sight! I was also at a loss at what to do. My condition was getting better, I was able to walk and climb stairs and the people around me, the folks that were giving me physical therapy and the surgeon I had set my sight on, Dr. Areesak at Bum, and my boyfriend all were saying that I should wait and see how much more I could improve. I was losing my sanity at this point so I decided to go to VN, my home country where a relative had some recommendations.
- The detour in VN lasted 2 months. I was preyed to more quacks and unecessary treatment, for example, a CT scan to better see my herniated disks, epidural shots that might prevent surgery (I wised up and refused these). I was moving better, including swimming, but the “referred” pain in the hip remained. Finally, I got communications with a friend of a friend in the States who had had the same exact diagnosis and decided after one year of living with the pain/discomfort to get operated. That helped me made up my mind to return to Bangkok and go in for the operation.
- I returned at the beginning at June. In retrospect this was the time when you posted your account of diskectomy, but I was too busy getting going that I did not check the web at this point. In mid June I was operated on by Dr. Areesak, assisted by another surgeon at Bum, doctor Apichat. They both were UCLA-trained, though Dr. Areesak is currently a “teaching” doctor and Dr. Apichat is a general “bone” surgeon. I woke up from the op and was able to lift my leg right away, the pain gone. The post-op care was impecca ble even though I had the catheter going in my penis for the first 24 hours. I was released 2 days later.

I don’t really know where to begin to give advice to any one going through this kind of experience. To me it has been a devastating episode in my life. Even though the operation was successful, I don’t know if and when I will get back to the physical shape I was before, part of the bundle of nerves of my S1 "has been damaged" and the doctor can not say if it will come back. I also remember lying on the theparist's table, with him/her going about their business of giving me relief and telling me that everything was to be ok, but we both realised how futile it was to just keep going. What really killed me was the certainty that the people around me did not know any better than I did! I hope that my and your accounts of our own experience will give other sufferers some insight and guidance. One thing I have to say though, is that “man proposes, God disposes.” So if anyone is in this predicamment, I wish you plenty of luck and especially a clear mind to do plenty of thinking, researching, and then “proposing” your own fate.

smo

[ASIC]

I am not going to write a long story, but I had surgery in Bamrungrad and it was a 100% success. Went back to Europe to have it done there, but the doctor didn't even bother. Seems like he was too stuck-up for such a simple operation. So I went back to Bamrungrad. I was really treated well, the nurses were friendly, the doctor knew what he was doing, and after 5 hours of surgery the problem was gone for good. Only complaint. I think all the money went to the doctor, and very very little to the nurses who also did a heck of a job.


ASIC

[Captain Chaos]

I'll offer my two cents worth ....

Started getting severe back pains around this time last year. Had a two day episode where couldn't stand upright, walk etc. Went to Bumrungrad. They diagnosed an acutely herniated ('slipped') disc at L5-S1. MRI scan later confirmed this.

Three months of physio didn't really help. Had two more 'episodes'. Bumrungrad eventually recommended a discoscopy (spelling?). Did some research on this. To those that have had it and feel it has provided relief, I'm really happy for you. However, I was concerned that it seems to address the symptoms not the cause, and leaves a weakspot which may lead to more trouble later on. No particular complaints about the standard of care I got at Bumrungrad, but I always felt that they just had too many patients and maybe, just maybe, they drew their conclusions rather quickly.

I went for a second opinion at BNH. The doc at the spine clinic there concurred that as physio hadn't really given much relief, surgery should be considered. However, BNH are offering Total Artificial Disc Replacement surgery using the German 'Charite Disc'. This appears to offer a better, long term solution than a discoscopy (maybe - depends on lots of factors of course), plus the recovery time from the procedure may be shorter.

I'll not get into the medical options, as that depends on each individual, but it has worked brilliantly for me. More importantly, I felt that the team at BNH were less rushed and had more time to check out the details. Just my experience / opinion, but I know where I'll be going in future ....

[kathyjune]

Griffer - it seems that you have had some serious problems - with your back. Thanks for the info.This must be the place to go if you need help. Can Americans just walk in during an emergency?

[drbones666]

Statistically we know that 50% of all back ops fail within one year. By the 7 year mark it's almost 100% failure.

The total disc replacement is a very promising op and I've not heard anything bad about it yet but it is still considered experimental.

In my experience it's what the patient does that has the most effect on back pain and disc damage. Most people are damaging their discs on a daily basis. How is the poor disc supposed to heal if you keep tearing it? Trouble is, most advice given by professionals is the same stuff they were saying 50 years ago. Didn't work then, doesn't work now. Also, despite plenty of research showing that strengthening of the "core" (stupid term) muscles has little to no effect on low back pain.

Treating and living with low back pain is a bitch. Most people don't want to hear what it takes to stay out of pain and those that op for the simple way out usually find themselves in pain again, even after the 2nd or 3rd op.

[ProThaiExpat]

While I agree largely with drbones666 general tone, he word use raises many questions in my mind.

Torn annulus fibrosis does not heal if herniated, thus the avenue for the nucleus propulsis to find a nerve root to impinge on and create pain remains for ones life.

"The total disc replacement is a very promising op and I've not heard anything bad about it yet but it is still considered experimental."

I wonder what this sentence means. Total removal of disc material has been around for fifty years or more. It is rarely sucessful as it leaves nothing behind to prevent vertebral bone on bone grinding. Does that statement mean they are inserting prothesis in place of the removed disc material? It seems so, based on the previous post about the German insert. Would sure like to know about this proceedure, which is certainly new. How is it maintained in position after insertion. It certainly provides cushioning after the disc material is removed.

The major cause of post surgical long term back pain is the scar tissue left behind by the surgeon. With micro-surgery this has been greatly reduced.

Fusion of the adjacent vertebral bodies was the usual scenario once the disc material was removed in classic discectomies/laminectomies in the past. I will research the German prothesis and update my knowledge on a subject I have been associated with for many years.

[ProThaiExpat]

We live and learn!!! Seems though they limit use to the last two intervertebral space in the lumbar spine!! Mechanically it makes a lot of sense to replace the completely removed old disc material with a prothesis, however only one level can be so treated according to the literature and many patients have disc failure at more than one level.

"The CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc was originally developed at the CHARITÉ University Hospital in Berlin, Germany in the mid-1980's by Prof. Karin Büttner-Janz, Prof. Kurt Schellnack, leading spine specialists. Further refinements to the design were incorporated with the cooperation of the staff at Waldemar Link GmbH, a leading European based medical device manufacturer.

In 2003 DePuy Spine acquired the Link Spine Group, Inc., and gained exclusive worldwide rights to its principal product, the SB CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc. The FDA approved the CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc in October of 2004 after extensive review of the two year U.S. clinical trial results. In addition to these studies, total disc replacement with the CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc has been performed in Europe for over 17 years and has been used in treating thousands of patients worldwide with successful results.

This makes the CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc the first and most clinically tested total disc replacement in the world. A breakthrough in non-fusion technology, it offers an innovative surgical option to physicians for treating some patients with degenerative disc disease and related conditions."

[kathyjune]

Has anyone had colon surgery here? Which Doctor?

[Head Snake]

I had double dischotomy, fusion and pedicle screws inserted. My surgery was back in 1993 in the US and it is a success for me and continues to be.

If you have back pain, get an MRI. It shows you the truth.

I tried Chropractors. I don't think too highly of them based on my experience. I know others who swear by them; but, not me.

Good luck to all who have this condition. It is NO FUN.

[Captain Chaos]

 Picture0001.jpg   79.47K   41 downloads

For those that are interested, here's a sideview x-ray of my artificial disc. It was taken in November 05, about 3 months post-op'. The chromium end plates show up well, the high density polyurethene insert in the middle obviously doesn't, although you can make out the metal strip that runs through dead centre.

I make no claims about what is the best approach to back surgery, or indeed, bearing in mind some comments in this interesting thread, whether surgery is the best / only approach. I do know that I was impressed by BNH (rather less so by Bumrungrad) and that the replacement disc approach has delivered everything promised .... so far.

If anyone wants to discuss anything more specific, then they're welcome to PM me.

CC

[donna]

Dr Panya did an operation on my left shoulder. hurt like hel_l. but he fixed it up. i have nothing but praise for the man.

[capt morgan]

Just returned to USA from bumrungrad..Had laminectomy (spell) on L4 L5 and fusion including S1
Had surgery march 21, 2006 I feel it was success, no pain except soreness of incision, but no back pain.I am very pleased with my experience at that hospital
If interested in more info PM me

[jcnlv]

I thought I would share my experiences with medical and dental care in Thailand.

I'm back from Thailand almost 5 weeks now. I am one of the millions of self-employed, uninsured Americans. I have been having problems with my hip and lower back and thought that I had a heart attack a few months back. After spending thousands of dollars on tests with local doctors, a friend who lives in Thailand suggested I go there for a complete examination. I had seen the 60 minutes show on Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok and decided to go there for additional opinions on my problems.

It was very impressive. The doctors there were wonderful. The facilities are state of the art and all for a fraction of the medical and dental cost here. I had the comprehensive checkup and a full orthopedic exam. I also ordered and had ala-karte eye and hearing tests, some skin growths removed and tested.

I found that for my age (58) I am in pretty good shape. The main cause of my problems - 20% overweight and not getting enough exercise, and my tall frame (6' 4-1/2") that puts added stress on my back. They discovered a gall stone during the abdominal ultrasound, and they recommended changing my blood pressure medicine, which turned out to be a very good change. I was so impressed with the fact that I was told that I did not need any of the more radical treatments I had considered. I was not pushed into any kind of treatments which was something I thought might happen. I had been thinking of hip and/or back surgery, angiogram etc. The doctors instead suggested diet and lifestyle changes.

After considering my options I elected to have my gall bladder removed there, rather than risk an emergency happening here in the states that would send me to the "poor house". They did a laproscopic surgery. I was in-patient for only 48 hours and then was back out sightseeing and shopping and walking, climbing stairs and all - like nothing had ever happened. $3,400 total... including a beautiful private room with all the amenities. My sister said her laproscopic gall bladder surgery bill to her insurance in Los Angeles was around $30,000... and she ended up having complications after the surgery from having her abdomen inflated causing her lots of pain. My surgery was problem free.

I was treated like a VIP everywhere. It was quite an experience. All the various doctors I saw had studied and or interned in the states and spoke very good English. They spent so much time with me going over all my tests, xrays and all, that I felt they really cared. The technicians all seemed well trained and the nurses and administrators were like a different breed from my experiences here in the US medical establishment.

Dental work just as good. My teeth have been an embarrassment that has bothered me since I was young... small and with large spaces. I have had many bottom molars removed over the years. My friend recommended a clinic in Bangkok and I had my teeth all fixed while I was there as well. They did 4 veneers, 4 crowns, a root canal and a full lower partial. The clinic was not only beautiful http://www.thantakit.com/ but had all state of the art equipment, staffed by some of the most considerate, gentle and caring personnel imaginable. My dentist went to school at New York University, spoke perfect English and really went out of the way for me. All the work came to $2600 total and my teeth now look and feel great.

I spent around $10,000 for everything - including all the medical and dental work I had done, my airfare, 3 weeks hotel, great food, entertainment and lots of shopping. I had a fantastic time. I bought some new custom suits and a bunch of shirts plus bought my wife all kinds of clothing and beautiful fashionable leather goods at a tiny fraction of what they cost here.

My experience at Bumrungrad and the dental clinic were everything I could possibly have hoped for. I was very satisfied.

jcnlv

[dekka007]

Dr Panya also done a ACL ligament reconstruction surgery on my knee last year using a ham string graft.

Good as new 1 year later nearly to the day. Highly recommend him.

[ArtfulD]

Im considering surgery at Bumrungrad or BNH, Ive yet to see a Dr at either as Im back in the UK but the delays here are frustrating. Im interested in hearing about peoples experiences, from what Ive read/seen BNH seems to have the more advanced spine centre.

My condition is a fairly complex one I think so im curious as to if its too risky. I want to have a Pectus Carinatum (Pigeon Breast) correction (protruding sternum) and a upper spine fusion/straightening (ankylosing spondylitis has already fused my spine at the upper levels with a bad curvature and bad neck postion) ive seen a documentary on a 45 year old man getting something similar fixed at Bristol in the UK and they had to break his spine first to straighten him out before placing the screws and plates...

Must admit makes you wary incase a mistake happens and you end up paralyzed! But ive litterally lost like 6 inches in height over the past 7 years.

[Head Snake]

Thanks to the OP and other posters for the input.

It looks like my second back surgery is on the horizon.

Ms. Sciatica has returned and she is a bitch.

I've arranged my MRI at Bumrungrad for today and hopefully, I can see if I can go golfing tomorrow based on the results.

The best thing is I feel comfortable with this hospital after reading this thread. That is very important as you really don't know if your first or second opinion is valid. With an MRI and a qualified surgeon and professional hospital staff, you know you are getting good opinion.

Edited by Head Snake, 2006-05-19 06:07:02.

[oopapasan]

jcnlv, on 2006-05-07 03:52:39, said:

I thought I would share my experiences with medical and dental care in Thailand.

I'm back from Thailand almost 5 weeks now. I am one of the millions of self-employed, uninsured Americans. I have been having problems with my hip and lower back and thought that I had a heart attack a few months back. After spending thousands of dollars on tests with local doctors, a friend who lives in Thailand suggested I go there for a complete examination. I had seen the 60 minutes show on Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok and decided to go there for additional opinions on my problems.

It was very impressive. The doctors there were wonderful. The facilities are state of the art and all for a fraction of the medical and dental cost here. I had the comprehensive checkup and a full orthopedic exam. I also ordered and had ala-karte eye and hearing tests, some skin growths removed and tested.

I found that for my age (58) I am in pretty good shape. The main cause of my problems - 20% overweight and not getting enough exercise, and my tall frame (6' 4-1/2") that puts added stress on my back. They discovered a gall stone during the abdominal ultrasound, and they recommended changing my blood pressure medicine, which turned out to be a very good change. I was so impressed with the fact that I was told that I did not need any of the more radical treatments I had considered. I was not pushed into any kind of treatments which was something I thought might happen. I had been thinking of hip and/or back surgery, angiogram etc. The doctors instead suggested diet and lifestyle changes.

After considering my options I elected to have my gall bladder removed there, rather than risk an emergency happening here in the states that would send me to the "poor house". They did a laproscopic surgery. I was in-patient for only 48 hours and then was back out sightseeing and shopping and walking, climbing stairs and all - like nothing had ever happened. $3,400 total... including a beautiful private room with all the amenities. My sister said her laproscopic gall bladder surgery bill to her insurance in Los Angeles was around $30,000... and she ended up having complications after the surgery from having her abdomen inflated causing her lots of pain. My surgery was problem free.

I was treated like a VIP everywhere. It was quite an experience. All the various doctors I saw had studied and or interned in the states and spoke very good English. They spent so much time with me going over all my tests, xrays and all, that I felt they really cared. The technicians all seemed well trained and the nurses and administrators were like a different breed from my experiences here in the US medical establishment.

Dental work just as good. My teeth have been an embarrassment that has bothered me since I was young... small and with large spaces. I have had many bottom molars removed over the years. My friend recommended a clinic in Bangkok and I had my teeth all fixed while I was there as well. They did 4 veneers, 4 crowns, a root canal and a full lower partial. The clinic was not only beautiful http://www.thantakit.com/ but had all state of the art equipment, staffed by some of the most considerate, gentle and caring personnel imaginable. My dentist went to school at New York University, spoke perfect English and really went out of the way for me. All the work came to $2600 total and my teeth now look and feel great.

I spent around $10,000 for everything - including all the medical and dental work I had done, my airfare, 3 weeks hotel, great food, entertainment and lots of shopping. I had a fantastic time. I bought some new custom suits and a bunch of shirts plus bought my wife all kinds of clothing and beautiful fashionable leather goods at a tiny fraction of what they cost here.

My experience at Bumrungrad and the dental clinic were everything I could possibly have hoped for. I was very satisfied.

jcnlv

What was the name of the dental clinic?

[oopapasan]

griffer, on 2004-06-16 16:46:44, said:

Dr.adam...yep, it would be naive to believe the best doctors for evry speciality works out of Bumrungrad..

as you say, through the medical profession you have heard of many higher quality specialists working out of other hospitals. The point here is that you have heard this "through the medical profession".How does joe public find this out?...well, he can't. He can ask around,hmmm..and it still comes down to someones subjective view...

I think the ordinary punter is probably going to have to take his chance on one of the big hospitals and see how the doctors shape up. As I said, I tried to get as much info as possible before the op and cross-checked it with someone in the UK.
It seemed to stack up. But any operation has some level of risk..whether I had it in Thailand or the UK.

As for the doctors in private practises being able to charge appropriate to their skill....there is something like that happening in Bumrungrad..I haven't got details..but as I understood the set-up, the doctors charge independently of Bumrungrad, though still under their billing system, and Bumrungrad takes a percentage back out of what they charge.


dr.bone... crikey so I've got a 50% chance of getting through the first year..better get some parachuting in quick....

they are amazingly high failure rates that you quote...and within 7 years I'm back to square one? is there anywhere on the web where this is documented? seems bizarre...

i guess anyone who is back to square one by implication had the op done 8 years ago...my understanding is that these ops have improved markedly over the recent times....so I hope your figures were calculated by using statistics from the early roman empire..


another link for those interested is this
http://www.alphaklin...h-Stenosis.html

its a klinik(?) in germany specialising in this type of surgery..if you follow the links it will actually show you what happens in the op. It was another of the places I considered going. They are willing to do the op with you still conscious..crikey..."pass me the scalpel, will you please, patient"...

Chriopractors couldn't make it to medical school--wannabes

[Head Snake]

I got my MRI done. Same type of price schedule as the OP; so that was a pleasant surprise.

It turned out I started to feel better after 2 nights in the hotel bed. I think my bed at home has lost its support.

I also went golfing that Sunday and felt no ill effect. I actually played better knowing my back has not degenerated since the last I saw a MRI 12 years ago.

Most people get an MRI as a last step. I think it should be done first to avoid a bunch of mistreatments.

[CBPMSM]

:rolleyes:

griffer, on 2004-06-05 06:53:00, said:

This is just intended as general information for anyone considering surgery in Thailand. I had heard of various levels of success and just thought I'd share my experience.

I will try and give plenty of detail and costs--apologies if it bores those who already know.

I had been suffering back pain for several years. It had progressively become worse. I visted a doctor in Bumrungrad Hospital Bangkok for the first time in September 2002. For those who don't know, Bumrungrad is one of the best hospitals in Thailand. Although relatively expensive for Thais, it is comparatively cheap for westerners. I arrived at the hospital without an appointment--I saw a doctor within about 45minutes.He sent me for Xrays --a nurse escorts you to the Xray department---I waited maybe 25 minutes--had the Xrays -- and then returned to the Doctor.He reviewed these and said they were indicative of a disc problem but to make certain it would be better to have an MRI scan. This was booked for the following evening.They took me down to the MRI machine to see it in operation.Apparently many patients get claustrophobic inside and they want to see what you think...you can ask to be sedated.
I arrived the next evening...half an hour before the appointment.You get changed and wait. You are taken into the MRI room and laid onto a sliding bed.Earphones with music playing are put on you and you are given a panic button. The bed slides into the machine. It is very claustrophobic.If you press the button they pull you out.You are in the machine for 30--45 minutes.
I came the next day to see the doctor. The results of an MRI are amazing.Its like a series of photos down through your body and understandable by even the untrained. He showed me where my disc had herniated and was pushing out against a nerve.
He suggested I try physiotherapy and certain exercises..and see how it goes. The alternative is surgery and it seemed premature for that.
The cost for the above set of Xrays/doctors consultaion/ MRI was about 14,000baht(an MRI scan is 10080 baht)You can also keep the MRI scans if you would like to take them to someone for a second opinion.

OK..so my back does not improve..I am back in March 2004...by now the pain is nearly constant..waking me at night..I am limping..the only relief is to lay down.
Back to see the doctor..Xrays..another MRI..we then try 2 weeks of physiotherapy.They manage to stop the pain for a few minutes at a time.They inject Novacaine into my buttock and back of my leg and that switches the nerve off for about 30 minutes and its bliss.
So..we are at the point where they are advocating surgery. I speak to a doctor friend in the UK and he seems to confirm their diagnosis. I try to get some prices out of BUPA UK...they seem to say the operation alone will be around 8000pds+ tests+aftercare.
So I take the plunge and sign up to go into Bumrungrad.I have to wait 1 week to get a bed and the necessary surgeon available. I go in on a Friday afternoon. I choose a private room(+private bathroom+TV+kitchen).
The surgeon and the original doctor visit me on Thursday afternoon and explain what they will be doing.The surgeon has spent 2 years working in a hospital in Chicago (USA), speaks english very well and seems very competant.
I have the operation at 6am on Friday morning.It takes about 1 hour 40 minutes.I come round about 9.30/10am. I felt rough. I had a morphine drip in my arm and a dispenser in my other hand...I could push the button and it injects more morphine into me..up to a certain level.
They took me back to my room and eased me back into my bed. The surgeon visited me about 2pm and said he felt the operation was a success. He gave me a small bottle with the part of the disc they had removed inside.Lovely...
He came the next day and asked me to allow him to lift my leg. I was dubious. Before the operation I could only lift my left leg about 9 inches off the bed.He lifted it about 2 feet and there was no pain.
By Sunday I was walking around, and I was discharged on Wednesday.

The cost..each physiotherapy session combined with a doctor consultation cost around 2000 baht. I had about 8 of these. The MRI cost 10080 baht. The Xray and consultation cost 4400 baht.The pre-op tests(cardiac/blood tests) 2800 baht.The actual operation ,room fees, nursing costs, medicine 155,353 baht.
So I make that around 188633 baht.

So far its been a complete success...I can only recommend the hospital and the doctors. If anyone out there is suffering like I was, I hope you are as fortunate as I have been.