The 27-year-old model and marketer underwent breast augmentation surgery on Wednesday at Phuket International Hospital. She had her first breast enhancement five years ago in Bangkok, and decided it was time for another visit.

”I wanted bigger boobs,” she told Phuketwan this week. There are many young Australian women who either want larger breasts or smaller breasts. Breast augmentation or reduction makes up 70 percent of cosmetic work at the hospital. The rest is mostly liposuction, tummy tucks or nose jobs.

Peter Davison, Manager International Service at PIH, said the interest level in cosmetic surgery on Phuket had increased beyond even the most optimistic projections made two years ago.

”I made the projections, and I underestimated how much attention the concept of cosmetic surgery would attract,” he said.

Earlier this month on the Gold Coast in the Australian state of Queensland, an initial meeting to launch a new company, CosMediTour, attracted 300 people. Peter Davison was there, and the scale of interest surprised and delighted him.

Equally surprised if not quite so delighted was the Australian Medical Association, which quickly issued a statement making the point that similar surgery is available in Australia. However, it’s likely to be more than twice or three times the cost and performed in a clinic rather than a hospital.

”Thailand and Phuket especially has a great reputation for top-quality surgery,” Mr Davison said.

Phuketwan asked Ms Perandis why she’d chosed Phuket. ”It’s great value,” she said. ”Much less costly than in Australia. And because I had such great treatment last time, I trust the surgeons here.”

Ms Perandis will stay 11 days in the comfort of the five-star Chava Resort in Surin, more a recuperation than a holiday, although any reaction to the surgery is likely to pass within a couple of days leaving plenty of time for the beach or shopping, or a trip to explore Phang Nga with her friend, Steve Cotton.

While Ms Perandis was having her breasts enlarged, Mr Cotton was in another part of the hospital having some dental surgery perfomed to repair damage sustained in a sports collision. The same advantages in value and quality apply to dental work on Phuket, too.

At an informal pre-surgery gathering at the Chava, the couple met Tourism Authority of Thailand regional director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, who told them the TAT would be undertaking a road show to the big Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane in September and medical tourism was likely to be one of Phuket’s best selling points.

By then Ms Perandis is likely to be making the most of her new role in marketing as the face, and probably a whole lot more, for CosMediTour and Phuket cosmetic surgery.

Phuket Public Health Office Deputy Director Dr Wiwat Seetamanotch said, “Over the past five years, Phuket has enjoyed great success in health services provided to tourists and earned a huge amount of money as Phuket is a world tourist destination that not only is beautiful in nature, but also complete in accommodations, food and transportation.

“In addition, health services here are cheaper than in neighboring countries,” he said.

The MoH, according to its current five-year plan for 2010 to 2014, expects to generate the 400-billion-baht windfall whilst spending only 3.13 million baht in developing the services that are to garner the revenues.

The preceding plan, for 2004-2008, concentrated on providing medical services to patients from abroad. Under that plan, the MoH aimed to make Thailand a “Center of Excellent Health Care of Asia”, through treatment businesses, health supplement businesses, health products and Thai herbs.

The current plan targets developing the same businesses and products, but adds more services in the realms of Thai traditional medicine and alternative medicine.

The move follows Thailand’s enjoyment of huge growth in its medical tourism over the past decade.

According to MoH statistics, 550,161 foreign patients received treatment or healthcare in Thailand in 2001, but in 2007 that number had swelled to 1,373,807. Most were Japanese, followed by Americans and Europeans.

More than 70% of the foreign patients during that period were medical tourists, with 25% being expatriates and less than 5% being tourists who came to Thailand but not expressly for medical or health care.

The most popular health services during that year were health checks, heart operations, knee replacements, cardiovascular surgery, plastic surgery, gender reassignment surgery, dental care and Lasik corrective eye surgery.

Dr Wiwat expects the number of medical tourists to Phuket to increase dramatically in the coming years.

“In the next 20 years, the number of elderly people in the world will rise by 18% to 20% – or one in five of the world’s population. That is an enormous market,” he said.

“In addition to three government hospitals in Phuket, there are also three private ones that are recognized as international standard.

“Some countries have problems with long queues for operations and it sometimes takes two to three years for people to receive treatment. So many tourists choose Phuket because of the international-standard services available here, and it’s cheaper with shorter queues – they are our prominent points,” he added.

Now is an excellent time to consider your Plastic Surgery in Phuket Thailand as these low airfares makes plastic and cosmetic surgery in Phuket even more affordable.

If you’re thinking about a resort holiday, now is a great time to book. Overseas resort destinations are battling it out for Australian travellers, resulting in rock-bottom deals for favourites such as Fiji, Bali and Phuket. “Many are discounting their prices to levels we’ve never seen before,” says the general manager, brand, of travel.com.au, Lisa Ferrari. “Many Aussies would be surprised to see where their travel budgets can take them. Australians can head off to neighbouring countries for under $1000.”

New flights are one of the biggest drivers of competition between resort destinations, bringing improved access and increased price competition. Fiji and Phuket have been among the biggest winners, with new services from Jetstar and V Australia.

The latest overseas arrivals and departures figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the number of Australians travelling overseas is up about 18 per cent on last year, with more than 900,000 people taking trips in January and February. “We have seen many holiday resorts heavily discounting their products to attract Aussie travellers,” Ferrari says. “Favourable exchange rates are boosting their popularity even more. In some cases it has become cheaper to travel overseas than domestically.”

Australian visitor numbers for Thailand were up about 11 per cent for the first three months of the year, based on figures from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Kanittanon says V Australia’s new flights to Phuket will provide a boost but it is too early to measure.

Queensland-based Dr Daniel Fleming, who has conducted 1200 implant operations over the past three years, said his typical clientele were young women often from professional backgrounds who were flat-chested or had uneven breasts. Or they were also older mums seeking a post-pregnancy “rejuvenation”, he said, adding the women were after a boost to their confidence as well as their bra size. “Confidence is the word that the patients use most frequently,” Dr Fleming told AAP today. “It’s the people who have never had any breasts, it’s usually before they have had any children, and they want them (implants) … and then there are the mums who want a rejuvenation. “The Zoo magazine, Pamela Anderson thing is only a subset of the market – the vast majority of my patients just want to look normal.”

Dr Fleming, who is past president of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS), said the number of Australian women undertaking the surgery had grown steadily over the past 10 years and it had now stabilised at about 8000 women a year. While the global financial crisis had dented numbers of women seeking breast implants in United States, he said there appeared to be no similar drop-off in demand in Australia where the procedure costs $10,000 to $13,000. Dr Fleming also said it was important for women to be aware of the risks of the surgery, and they should research the latest in technologies available. He pointed to a 10-year review of the safety of silicon breast implants, ordered by US authorities, which got under way in 2000 and is soon to conclude. After eight years, 16.8 per cent of women in the study had encountered a problem with their implants known as “capsule contraction” – their implants had hardened as a result of pressure applied by surrounding, naturally growing collagen in the breast. The re-operation rate – those women who needed follow-up surgery to correct a problem with their implants or maybe they had opted for a different size – was 32 per cent within eight years. Both figures were much higher than the industry had expected, Dr Fleming said. The study looked at the problems associated with “smooth” and “textured” breast implants. He said there was a third type of implant – foam covered – which studies indicated had a lower complication rate as their design discouraged problematic collagen growth. “Make sure that you’re fully informed about the option of polyurethane foam covered implants because it can reduce your risks,” Dr Fleming said to those women considering the procedure. “It’s my strong belief, based on 40 years of published data, that these are better for patients.”

Inform your surgeon of any allergies, all medical conditions, and any medication that you are taking (both prescription and non-prescription). Avoid aspirin and blood thinning medication such as brufen for two weeks prior to surgery to eliminate the chance of post op. bleeding. You should not smoke for 2 weeks prior to surgery as this may affect your reaction to the anaesthetic and prolong the healing process. Patients that suffer from hypertension must inform the surgeon prior to surgery. No food or liquid intake at least 6 hours prior to surgery.


Post operative Care and Recovery Expectations

While admitted, intravenous antibiotics are given to prevent infection and pain is managed accordingly. Wound dressings re changed as required. Upon discharge from the hospital, oral antibiotic, pain reliever and anti swelling medications will be provided. Compression garments are worn 24/7 in the first week. On the second to third week compression garment can be taken off at bedtime. Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness or burning sensation may be noted. Patient usually returns to work and resume normal daily activities after 5 to 14 days. Strenuous activities can be resumed after two to four weeks. It may take one to six months for the swelling and bruising to totally subside depending upon the amount of fat and the areas treated.

Common Name: Liposuction

Introduction: Liposuction is the removal of unwanted and exercise resistant fat deposits with a tube and a vacuum machine. It is usually performed as a cosmetic surgery with the objective of slimming and smoothing the contours of the body. Permanent fat cell removal with small unnoticeable scar is one of its benefits. Individuals with no serious medical condition and no contraindications to general anesthesia are good candidates for liposuction. Most common areas for liposuction are: neck, upper arms, the area above the breast, abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, calves and ankles.

Surgical Procedure: During the procedure surgeon makes a small incision which is usually hidden in areas like the joint crease and in the navel. Liposuction technique is performed after targeted fat cells are infused with a saline solution containing a local anesthetic and adrenalin to decrease blood loss, allow an easier removal of fat, as well as diminish postoperative discomfort.

In 2006, both Silicone and Saline implants were both approved by U.S. health officials. Implants manufactured by Inamed and Mentor – the two leading marketers of implants – were considered safe and effective for continued use.

Risks and Complications
Since 2006, statistics show that a low number of silicone or saline implant recipients have experienced complications.

Capsular contracture occurs if the capsule or shell around the implant begins to tighten and thicken. This will cause the breast to feel hard and appear unnatural. This can be prevented by regular self massage. Should this occur, removal of the capsule is required or perhaps implant may need to be
replaced.

If the breast does become infected from collection of blood or deflated, the implant must be removed immediately. You will need to wait for several months before repeating the operation. With the
advent of silicone gel filled implant, chances of deflation has been eliminated.

Despite bleeding generally being minimal during the operation, there is a possibility that continual bleeding after surgery may result in a blood clot formation which needs to be removed. This is
uncommon and it is suggested you remain in Thailand for approximately 2 weeks for your surgeon
to monitor your improvement after surgery. Infection is uncommon, but possible. Your surgeon should
provide you with antibiotics prior to surgery to eliminate this possibility.

Implants do not cause breast cancer but may obscure its detection. For women with silicone implants an annual mammogram is advised to ensure that implants are not leaking, as silicone leaks out slowly unlike saline – which is easier to rupture and will deflate fairly quickly. The new generation of cohesive gel will not leak out easily but can have some reactions. If there is a leakage
or break in the implant, it should be replaced. Inform the radiology technician that you have implants if you need an X-ray Autoimmune Risks According to scientific research, women with breast implants are not at any increased risk of autoimmune or connective tissue diseases. Although some patients have claimed of complications to their health due to ruptured silicone implants in the past, studies have not conclusively indicated that implants bring about increased risks of any rare diseases.