Michael has been living in Thailand for over 20 years. On a week long trip abroad he ate something that disagreed with his stomach. When he returned home, he had persistent stomach pain and decided it was time to visit the doctor. During his visit, Dr.Korn told him that, because he is over 50 years old, he should get a colonoscopy. Knowing the risk of colorectal cancer increases with age, Michael agreed to the procedure. The colonoscopy showed there was a polyp present, and Dr. Korn had reason to believe it was active.

I have high confidence in the professionalism of the hospital staff and Dr. Korn. He gave me good advice, good information and good care. I believe I received higher quality of care from Thai doctors than I would from other doctors in Australia, Europe or America. Everyone should get a health check-up. If it is time to get colonoscopy, you should; It’s important. I should have had a colonoscopy earlier because my mother had colon cancer, placing my risk higher than average. Thank goodness my polyps were benign and we were able to get rid of them. Some people may think that a colonoscopy is cumbersome, but the fact is, it’s quite simple and very necessary.

Mr. Michael C.

Taken care by Korn Pongjitdham, M.D.

For Michael, the polyp was not normal. It was large and flat against the colorectal wall. This type is called a flat polyp, and there is a higher risk that these will turn into cancer. Luckily, it turned out to be benign, but the cells changed so much that they were at a high risk for becoming cancerous.

Michael cooperated very well, but it was difficult for us because there was a high risk of making holes in his intestines to remove the polyps. So we needed to use the heat from Argon plasma to burn it away little by little to lower the risk of creating holes in his intestines. For Michael’s case, we repeated the procedure about 5-6 times. We removed a little bit at a time and let the area heal before scheduling another procedure. We were able to recover normal tissue back in that area.

A patient’s belief in their doctor is the most important thing. I often think of my patients as close relatives; like brothers or sisters. I just want to give them the best care possible. A routine colonoscopy is nothing to be apprehensive about. It is a routine procedure. The patient receives a moderate sedative and sleeps during the procedure. The nurse will wake the patient once everything is done. In Michael’s case, after he gradually became accustomed to the procedure, he no longer needed the assistance of sedatives. He is now happy, and no longer in need of further treatment. The excretory system is normal.

It is better not to wait for something benign to become cancerous. If you wait, surgery and chemotherapy is necessary for treatment. Neglect will cost you more than money; it may cost you your life.

Korn Pongjitdham, M.D.

Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist