Better Health 34 ENG

Dr. Verapan Kuansongtham,
Surgeon specializing in Spine Surgery
and Neurosurgery
Upon graduation from the Faculty
of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital,
Mahidol University, in the field of
Neurosurgery, Dr. Verapan pursued
further study in Minimally Invasive
Brain and Spine Surgery in Germany
and the United States. Subsequently,
he returned to teach at the Faculty
of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital,
Mahidol University – a position he
still holds. He is the founder of the
Spine Institute at Bumrungrad International
Hospital, providing treatment
and care to thousands of patients with
back and neck pain.
What sparked your interest
in Spine Surgery?
My personal experience of having
had back surgery due to a herniated
disc made me truly understand how
patients feel. At that time in 2007, despite
it being microscopic surgery, the size
of the incision was 7.5 centimeters.
I later learned of a spinal surgery
technique developed in Germany that
reduces the incision to only seven
millimeters. I was so impressed that
I expanded my interest from brain
surgery to minimally invasive spine
surgery as well.
Bumrungrad features a dedicated
Spine Institute, with state-of-the-art
facilities offering our patients a high
quality of care as well as conducting
research and education. Through this
collaboration of expertise, the Spine
Institute makes it possible for us to
provide the most up-to-date treatment
to our patients.
What’s it like working at
Bumrungrad?
I admire Bumrungrad for placing
importance on both teaching and
research. In conjunction with hospitals
from Germany, we’ve provided training
courses in endoscopic surgery for
surgeons from different countries
worldwide, for over eight consecutive
years. The training is held once a
year in Thailand, and twice a year
in Germany, welcoming physicians
from all over the world to join in.
Hundreds of Thai physicians have
been trained at our institute, organized
with support from Bumrungrad.
Dr. Thanyalak Chaiseri,
Physician specializing in Cardiology
For over 30 years, Dr. Thanyalak
has helped many patients with heart
diseases improve their quality of life.
After graduating in Medicine first in her
class with honors from Chulalongkorn
University, she studied Cardiac Medicine
at Ramathibodi Hospital.
What was your most
challenging case?
My most challenging case was a
patient who had cyanotic complex
congenital heart disease. Normally,
for young patients, most symptoms
could be properly controlled with
medication. But as people age, the
conditions of existing heart disease
have a cumulative effect on the function
of both the lungs and heart. This patient
also had developed thyrotoxicosis,
which caused complications and
directly affected cardiac function. There
was backflow of venous blood from
the right heart chamber through the
septal defect that caused the venous
blood to mix with the arterial blood in the
left chamber. The arterial oxygen level
dropped far below the normal range,
and that led to cyanosis and marked
exhaustion. As a result, the patient was
unable to perform any normal life
activities and was bed-ridden and fully
dependent on oxygen for support of life.
This patient was treated in our
cardiac care unit, where our full team
of specialists provided tertiary care
until the severe cardiac failure was
improved and her condition was safe
enough for surgical correction. This kind
of cardiac surgery specifically required
specialized cardiac surgeons. Happily, the
patient had a successful operation with
excellent results. The patient regained
a good quality of life and could finally
return to work, travel abroad, and live
a normal life. This outcome was beyond
the expectations of the patient and
the family prior to treatment.
What is the most impressive
treatment you have performed?
I have worked with Bumrungrad
International Hospital for over 25 years
and have successfully treated a great
number of heart-disease patients.
One was a female patient who had
severe valvular endocarditis and was
transferred to Bumrungrad from another
hospital, as her condition continually
worsened. She finally had surgery for a
prosthetic heart valve replacement, and
she regained normal heart function
and overall health. For twenty years after
her treatment, this patient had led a
life without limitations. Every time she
traveled abroad, she would buy me
agift – so often that I had to ask her to
stop. She once asked permission to hug
me, as a token of her appreciation and
said that she would never forget that it
was me who saved her life and continues
to take care of her to this day. I am truly
honored that she put her life in my
hands, and had complete trust in me.
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