Foreign Clinics Lure Americans With Unproven Treatments

Heart stem cell injections - have changed my life

Brefly: In 2000 I was in the hospital with a heart atach. Three local heart specialists tryed to put in a stent, they couldn't. They told my son, sister and myself that I needed a bypass, however since I was a smoker, they couldn't do it for 30 to 60 days - and they couldn't keep me alive that long! A Dr. was found, in a larger city, that over the next 5 years put in several (about 9). I read in the news paper that Don Ho had been to Bangkok, had heart stem cell injection and was able to return to work. After research, and no support from my Dr's, I made the arrangements and went for the injection in 2006. There was marked improvement. Everything there was very professional. Never did they ask me if I planned to return. I have since gone 4 times, once a year. My "infraction rate" has gone from the low 30s to 62. After over 20 years of taking BP meds, local Dr's took me off of them when I returned the last time in April 2009. It's never been high since. And I've not had the need for any more stents since 2005. I don't know if the stem cell injections help everyone, I know they did me! I strongly reccomend it. Compaired to medical costs here, it is not expensive. Three days in the hospital here, getting a defibulator, cost $260,000. Paid by insurance. Insurance does not cover the cost in Bangkok. However if you are dead, what good is money? For 27 years I was in business, with a personal secretary that did all my dictated correspondence. Wehn it comes to spelling, "use it or loose it"

Gbvvqrhm

wSrdPP

IMPOSTER - Jerry Margolis

The person using the alias of Jerry Margolis is an imposter.

Harry Depietro is actually writing under this alias.

Harry Depietro is a disgruntled former patient. Disgruntled not because the treatment DID end up saving his life BUT because the management at TheraViate declined on offering him a position within the company.

The man is a hypocritical, lucky-to-be-alive, ungrateful person who is trying to extract his "revenge" for being turned away upon begging for a job within this life-saving company.

Oh yeah...Harry is an American lawyer...go figure.

Dear Mr Margolis

I appreciate your humility and will not even put my url on the site so that you won't be infuriated. By the way, where do you go for medical care (you know where I get mine) and is anyone ever denied access there. I do hope the rates are reasonable as i need good quality affordable care here in the US. Perhaps you will be so kind as to help pay my bills. All I am trying to do is enable folks to get health care. I am sorry is this offends you.

I am curious why you did not offer to aid the 90 year old man in Thailand as you were so concerned. Finally, I do not toss the word "pimp" out and call you names, so you must understand why I responded.

Simply (no url)

Robert Cooper

Robert Cooper

I am sure that you are a fine person with only the best of intentions.

It just seemed obvious to me that you were jumping on an opportunity to get a little free advertising for your web site - which you got - so perhaps we can end this discussion ...?? If I were the moderator of this site, I would have removed your post or at least edited out the URL which adds nothing to the discussion.

As far as nationalized health care in Thailand goes - Give me a break - it is HORRIBLE!! Perhaps you should send some of your clients to a few up-country Thai government hospitals and see what they think? However, this is far off-topic so I will go no further. Feel free to get your last URL plug in by responding because it will be the last opportunity I give you to do it.

Response to Mr Margolis on Medical tourist companies.

Without a doubt you are right that private hospitals are out of the realm of many in Thailand. All medical treatment is out of reach for more than 100 million Americans. If you include the aged and poor who receive Medicaid and Medicare and other government aid (nationalized health) these numbers would be even higher. All hospitals and clinics in the US are "elitist" in your definition. Your name calling does not help the discussion. I am losing my shirt trying to help a segment of a population to get health care. That I can not help everyone in the world should not denigrate attempting to help some. I have a Thai business partner who is a good human being and not an evil money grubbing soul as you imply. I am a house painter and have worked in the trades for over 35 years. I am in this business to help folks and hopefully to make a little bit to live on (right now I am going broke trying to get the word out). Excuse me for attempting to support myself by bringing health and well being to others. I am curious what you think of insurance companies here in the US and Thailand. I believe they exclude many.

Oh, and by the way, nationalized health care is available in Thailand for all. You must know this but instead use the shameful argument that one Thai (and as in any other country there are more) has received what you consider bad treatment. All our clients received bad to shameful treatment in the US for rather prohibitive prices, that is why they went to Thailand. Some, such as myself, couldn't afford the treatment needed to save my life. If you think we are all rich cats living off the poor Thai you are seriously wrong. If the medical system in Thailand brings in money and clients it will encourage more to become doctors, nurses and medical workers. I don't think that is such a bad idea. It is an industry that offers to improve the Thai economy and life style. I would rather do that than encourage more folks to make more clothing in sweat shops. Most important is the health and well being of those that I can help. I can not save the whole world, but what little I can do I will do. Oh,I do volunteer at Father Joe's Mercy Centre (www.mercycentre.org) in Bangkok. Just so you know I am not that bad a person.

Robert Cooper

www.patientvacation.com

Theravitae Stem Cell Therapy

Dear Dr. Pryor,

Since you seem to know so much about TheraVitae's remarkable "results", perhaps you could enlighten everyone about the current status of a few of TheraVitae's first "J-9" direct injection patients' current conditions. They've all appeared in the news at one time or another as TheraVitae stem cell "success" stories; namely:

1) Jeannine Lewis - Dead

2) Calvin Miller - ?

3) Harry DePietro (see above)

4) Don Ho - Dead

5) Esteban Bonilla - ?

Perhaps you can get Don Margolis or his son Robert Clark to contact Mr. Miller and Mr. Bonilla and have them post MRI (not EKG results which are too subjective) results that show they are better today than when they were treated. By the way, did Mr. Bonilla pay full price or did he receive a "discount". If he did receive a discount, might that affect his "objectivity"?

And your following statement is utterly ridiculous::

"...I think I sufficiently trust the medical staff used by TheraVitae to believe that probably 70% of those treated improve significantly by objective measures within months to a year, and probably 1% of those treated die (after all they are dealing with some really sick patients)..."

So you "trust the medical staff used by TheraVitae!!" enough to "believe" that 70% of those treated (is that by catheter or direct injection or both?)improve "significantly" by "objective measures" (what are these measures and who did them and when?) .... and "PROBABLY 1% of those treated die"...(of course, anyone who dies would have died anyway because they were "really sick" right?)

If you bothered to read the "clinical trial results" (and I use that term very loosely) that doctors from Bangkok Hospital Published, you would know that "The 30day mortality was 4.3% and 3.5 % in the DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) and ICM (ischemic cardiomyopathy) groups,respectively." - need I say more?

I invite you to respond but I also warn you to first consult with Don Margolis or his son, Robert Clark before you do. The genral public might not be ready to hear everything I have to say.

Theravitae

Dear Mr. Stuart,

Could you please honestly answer these questions:

Since being treated have you ever lived in Thailand or have you ever been employed or paid by TheraVitae in Thailand, Robert Clark or his father Don Margolis?

Can you confirm or deny that TheraVitae has in the past offered former patients money or other incentives for each new patient they refer for treatment? What about now?

TheraVitae Stem Cell Treatment

Mr. Cooper, It strikes me as a bit disingenuous of you to comment on the morality and ethics of "withholding medical and health care from those without money and insurance", as someone pimping a web site business that profits on medical tourism by sending Americans to elitist hospitals in Thailand that were built to service wealthy Thais and foreigners who can afford it. These private hospitals' prices are far out of reach to the average Thai citizen. Anyone who has ever lived in Thailand can attest to this.

I live in Thailand and believe me, if you don't have the cash or credit, you won't be getting any treatment at Bangkok Hospital or Bumrungrad.

Perhaps you can become an advocate for a system in Thailand where the average Thai doesn't have to accept appallingly sub-standard medical care while hospitals like Bangkok Hospital and Bumrungrad suck up all the medical talent in order to cash in on foreigners and wealthy Thais.

But then again, there is no 10-15% commission in that for you is there?

I leave you with one example of the "appalling care" available to the average Thai...

I visited an old man in the country who was 90 years old and dying of cancer in his wooden, stilted "house". He was lying on a straw mat in the middle of the floor in 90 degree heat with no fan. The government "doctor" come by while I was there and gave him a "free" shot. Since I can speak Thai, I asked the "doctor" what he gave him. He said, "vitamin B-12" and walked out the door.

TheraVitae Stem Cell Treatment

Yes, the TheraVitae procedure is unproven; just as the space program that landed the first man on the moon was unproven until the first person went. BUT, it is unproven in the scientific sense only because of limited publication of results and lack of published replication by other researchers. To the extent that I have been able to verify the results of others who have undergone the TheraVitae procedure, I believe some have had a doubling or tripling of their cardiac ejection fraction. I think I sufficiently trust the medical staff used by TheraVitae to believe that probably 70% of those treated improve significantly by objective measures within months to a year, and probably 1% of those treated die (after all they are dealing with some really sick patients). At two months post-op I feel better than I have in many years and can stay awake for most of the day, instead of collapsing from fatigue after a few hours like before. While it is true that I do not know what the future holds for me or others who had undergone the stem cell treatment, at least we have started the voyage to find out instead of just waiting to die.

Everyone who has been through the procedure should post their verifiable echocardiogram results and other data quarterly for the first year post-op. That should afford us a “people’s revolution” in medical research – and may well show that 70% get a second chance at life.