Heart Centres and Cardiology Departments in Thailand

Emergencies come first

The World Health Organization lists the usual warning signs of a heart attack as pain or discomfort in the centre of the chest, pain in the arms, left shoulder, jaw or back, and breathlessness, nausea, light-headedness or a cold sweat. If you or someone with you has these symptoms in Thailand, call 1669, the free national medical emergency number, rather than booking a clinic.

If you have a heart condition, find out in advance which nearby hospital publishes a 24-hour cardiac catheterisation laboratory and save its emergency line. A heart centre with excellent planned services may not be the nearest place that can open a blocked artery at 3am.

What a heart centre does

Published services usually fall into a few groups. Diagnosis covers the electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, exercise stress test, Holter monitoring and CT coronary angiography. Interventional cardiology covers coronary angiography and angioplasty with stents. Electrophysiology treats rhythm problems with ablation, pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. Cardiothoracic surgery covers bypass and valve operations, and some centres list structural procedures such as transcatheter valve replacement.

Check that the specific procedure you need is listed for the branch you will use, not only for the hospital group.

• Diagnostic tests: ECG, echocardiogram, exercise stress test, Holter, CT coronary angiography
• Catheter procedures: coronary angiography, balloon angioplasty and stents
• Rhythm care: ablation, pacemakers and defibrillators
• Surgery: coronary bypass and valve repair or replacement

Doctors, accreditation and certifications

Ask for the name of the cardiologist or cardiac surgeon who will treat you and check their licence and recorded specialty on the Medical Council of Thailand's public lookup. Hospital accreditation, either Thailand's HA, whose public search shows certificate dates, or Joint Commission International, shows that the hospital's systems are inspected; some hospitals also publish JCI programme certifications for conditions such as acute coronary syndrome. Confirm the dates are current.

Heart check-up packages

Many hospitals publish heart check-up packages with a fixed price. Compare what each includes rather than the headline price: some add a CT calcium score or CT coronary angiography, others stop at an ECG, echocardiogram and exercise test. Ask whether a cardiologist reviews the results with you, whether contrast or sedation costs extra, and what happens if a test finds something that needs follow-up.

Costs, insurance and second opinions

Catheter procedures and surgery are usually quoted as an estimate, because the final bill depends on what is found, the number of stents or devices used and the length of stay. Ask for a written estimate, which items are billed separately and what deposit is required. If you are insured, ask your insurer to confirm a guarantee of payment before a planned procedure; the UK travel advice notes that hospitals require one before treatment.

For a recommendation of major surgery, a second opinion is reasonable. Ask for copies of your angiogram images, echocardiogram and reports so another cardiologist can review them.

After a procedure

Ask how long you will stay, when it is safe to fly, which medicines you will need and for how long, and who will follow you up. Some centres publish cardiac rehabilitation programmes. If you are returning home, ask for a medical report in English and copies of imaging for your own doctor.