“Doctor Padungkiat and Assistant Professor Doctor Sira”, two surgeons who elevate treatment of lung diseases for Thai society

At 15, the young boy experienced what changed his life forever --that was when his father had suffered from acute ischemic heart disease. He had seen his strong father suddenly become sick and then had to spend a large amount of time waiting to see the doctor each time. It made the teenager understand the suffering of patients and realize for the first time about the importance of being a doctor. 

He then continued his education at Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj, Mahidol University. Yet, while this medical student had been dedicating his effort into his study, he found that his mother also became sick from lung cancer. It stirred up his old feeling when his father was ill and brought the pictures of patients and their relatives awaiting surgeries back on his mind once again. That increased his intention to help people from illness and have them return to good health once again.

Inspiration to become thoracic surgeon

After his mother became suffered from lung cancer, he learned that lung treatment is critical especially treatment of lung cancer that spreads quickly and ranks the top cause of death of all cancers. That encouraged him to continue to study in thoracic surgery which was said the most difficult and time-taking branch of medical study.

His first step as thoracic surgeon began at Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj, Mahidol Universityonce again before he flied to further his study in foregut and thoracic surgery at Harvard Medical School Brigham and Women’s Hospital in America for two years. 

Doctor Padungkiat later brought the knowledge he had learned to set up Center for Lung Surgery at Bangkok Heart Hospital, which strives for excellence in every way from the process of diagnosis, techniques and treatment to patient care during recovery for holistic treatment.

Bangkok Heart Hospital and Varieties of Technique for Diagnosis and Treatment

Bangkok Heart Hospital has the capability to detect abnormal spots in lung with three methods: bronchoscopy, thoracoscopy for X-ray computer, and minimally invasive surgery or robotic assisting surgery. 

Normally, it is very difficult to examine tiny lung nodules, with the sizes in millimeters, screened with low dose computed tomography or low dose CT scan. However, Bangkok Heart Hospital is one of a few hospitals in Thailand that employ a highly precise method –that is Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy or ENB.  Like GPS, this method searches the position of small size lung tumor in order to locate it and inject dye along with fiducial marker into its location as to view the lung nodule or tumor precisely through minimally invasive surgery.

Besides ENB, the hospital also employs minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer treatment with Uniportal VATS. This technique is complicate yet beneficial to patients as to experience less pain and quicker recovery from the surgery than from other techniques. Because of its using long lens together with extra-long surgical instruments through a surgical hole between the ribs without ribs expansion, it offers only one 30-40-millimeter size surgical wound, causing patients to feel less painful, spend less time of only 1-3 days in hospital for recovery when compared with multiple incisions surgery through scope or open-surgery that requires an induction of an 8-15 centimeters surgical wound and ribs expansion.

Lately, robotic assisted thoracic surgery(RATS), which is the latest technology brought in for thoracic surgery, can enhance efficiency and precision, resulting in efficent operation and causing patients the least pain.

Quick treatment, quick recovery for normal living

The shorter time it takes for treatment, the more quickly a patient can return to live his or her normal life. There are several cases that spent much shorter time in recovery. For example, a patient with tumor in thymus gland could go back home and do exercise as normal after spending only 2 days in recovery at hospital.  For some other cases, the patients even drove back home themselves in other provinces. These cases help confirm that good treatment methods are a key to quick recovery.

In the case of Doctor Padungkiat, his life changed due to his parents’ illness.  Similarly, Assistant Professor Doctor Sira Laohathai, expert in thoracic surgery specializing in lung diseases treatment, minimally invasive surgery and hand sweating (hyperhidrosis ) treatment, Bangkok Heart Hospital, also turned into thoracic surgeon due to one patient.

Born and brought up in a doctor family, he had always wanted to be a doctor since very young age until later he went to study at Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi, Mahidol University. 

Thoracic surgery, an overlooked branch?

Having studied lung surgery from both western and eastern atmospheres, he gained varieties of knowledge and returned home to work in Thailand.  More than 10 years back then, there were only a few surgeons graduated in heart and lung surgery each year.

Even these days there are only around 200 heart and lung surgeons in Thailand because this area takes 5 years to study and requires hard work with pressure, causing stress constantly.

At present Assistant Professor Doctor Sira is specialized in lung surgery especially minimally invasive lung surgery technique, Uniportal VATS, which all instruments would be passed through a 3-4 centimetres incision at anterior axillary line.  

Besides surgery of lung cancer, he also does thymus gland surgery and surgery for relief of hand sweating by minimally invasive surgery through chest in order to cut off certain nerves as well as surgery of patients with pectus excavatum. Each year he does more than 800 operation cases, and so far, more than 2,000 lives of patients have been changed after operation.  It could be said that he is one of the thoracic surgeons in Thailand that perform a largest number of surgeries. 

What efficiently facilitates the surgery is the capability of the hospital.  Bangkok Heart Hospital is ready in terms of personnel and equipment, which makes the hospital equals to medical schools. Besides procedure of surgery, another key of treatment is post operation care and physical therapy for patients that enable patients to recover and return to their normal life more speedily.