Today, BCM Lifestyle invites Asst. Prof. Dr. Weerachai Nawarawong, the skillful Cardiac Surgeon at the Heart Center of Excellence, Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai, to talk about a proactive approach that focuses not only on heart patients but also on their families—the morale and compassionate partners throughout every phase, from pre-op to full recovery.
The Heart Is a Patient and a Family
“The so-called Family Meeting is when the full medical team sits down with the patient and their relatives in simple language, answers questions, and builds a shared understanding of the treatment plan.”
— Medical Director & Surgery Head, Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai
To ensure every patient at the Heart Center of Excellence feels fully informed and confident, we’ve embedded Family Meetings into our ACS Pathway—a standardized ischemic heart care plan. Unlike other hospitals that reserve family meetings for only the most critical cases, ours are routine for all surgical and ACS patients.
“Adding Family Meetings to the Pathway greatly boosts patient and family insight—beyond just diagnostics, medication, or surgery. A complex medical roadmap becomes clear when the whole team is in the room together.”
Speaking the Patient’s Language
“We explain in plain terms—sometimes even in the local Lanna dialect.”
Families always ask, “What’s next? What will recovery look like? How can we help?” Post-op updates are given bedside to avoid any surprises. Larger rooms with slides are used when needed, and a dedicated Nurse Case Manager records every meeting in the chart.
Proactive Cardiac Rehabilitation
After surgery, while the patient is still in the ICU—and even when they’re unconscious—our team briefs waiting relatives. As soon as the patient awakens, we transition straight into Cardiac Rehabilitation. No more waiting for discharge to start therapy—recovery begins the moment they open their eyes.
Our multidisciplinary team—including cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, rehabilitation physicians, physiotherapists and nutritionists—gets patients moving in bed, then to walking (IV line and all!) to prevent complications like pneumonia, blood clots, or muscle atrophy.
Even an 80-year-old who once couldn’t walk was on a walker within days—thanks to our Cardiac Rehabilitation pathway.
As a JCI-accredited hospital, the Heart Center of Excellence delivers true “heart-based” care—respecting patient rights, understanding every context, and always prioritizing safety.
