Cardiac Pacemaker Surgery in Bangkok, Thailand
Cardiac pacemaker surgery is minimally invasive and done under local anesthesia that usually takes less than 45 minutes so heart pacemaker recovery is swift. The pacemaker procedure involves numbing the area under the patient's collarbone and making a 3-inch incision in the tissue above the muscles to create a “pocket” for the artificial pacemaker insertion.
During pacemaker implantation, the leads of the pacemaker are inserted through a vein near the site of the pocket, and advanced into the heart using fluoroscopy (X-rays) for guidance. The leads are attached to the generator in the pocket and the incision closed.
The heart pacemaker surgery fee is approximately Thai Baht ฿65,000 (about US$1,833 [on 16 March 2009]), including one night hospital stay, nursing care for the pacemaker patient, meals and the doctor's visits to the patient.
Pacemakers come in two basic types. Pacemaker type depends on the condition of the heart and whether one or two heart chambers need to be stimulated. A single chamber defibulator pacemaker costs Thai Baht ฿52,000-69,000 (about US$1,466-1,946 [on 16 March 2009]).
A biventricular pacemaker (dual chamber pacemaker not including implantable cardioverter defibrillator [ICD]) costs Thai Baht ฿105,000-127,000 (about US$2,961-3,582 [on 16 March 2009]).
The pacemaker lead, also know as the “pacing lead”, which connects the heart and the power source of the pacemaker costs Thai Baht ฿18,700 (about US$527 [on 16 March 2009]).
Approximate minimum total cost for single-chamber pacemaker implantation: Thai Baht ฿135,700 (about US$3,827 [on 16 March 2009])
Approximate maximum total cost for biventricular pacemaker insertion: Thai Baht ฿210,000 (about US$5,922 [on 16 March 2009])
For reasons of cost control, quotations for the larger biventricular pacemaker defibrillator that combines an internal defibrillator with pacemaker functions for the lower two chambers of the heart are given after physical exam and testing determines it is indicated.
