A secret 'souvenir' from Thailand

A secret souvenir, that's how you can call it when a woman has undergone cosmetic breast surgery in Thailand. After all, friends and acquaintances do not need to know and she does not have to declare it to customs upon arrival in her home country.

Big business

Cosmetic breast surgeries (usually augmentations) are big business in Thailand. The number of medical tourists who come to Thailand for this purpose is increasing every year. You can go to all major international hospitals in Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Phuket and there are also specialists who perform breast corrections in a private clinic.

When one considers that cosmetic breast surgeries in addition to augmentations also include breast lift and breast reduction cases, all of which can cost between 150.000 and 300.000 Baht per case, it is clear that these "boob jobs" can bring in a lot of money. Most cosmetic surgeries would cost 2-3 times as much in the home country.

plastic surgeons

In an article in the Phuket Gazette is told that the Phuket International Hospital and Bangkok Phuket Hospital performed more than 1600 (!) breast surgeries last year. That actually seemed like a lot to me, but I checked and saw that both hospitals each employ 5 plastic surgeons. On average, each surgeon therefore performed 160 breast augmentations.

For comparison, I also mention that Pattaya Bangkok Hospital has four plastic surgeons attached to it, while the Bungrumrad Hospital in Bangkok works with no fewer than 26 plastic surgeons. And then there are the countless private clinics. Google "plastic surgery in Thailand" and you will get a long list of websites with all the information about the clinic, the doctors, the procedures, the prices, etc.

How?

As mentioned, most of the patients undergoing cosmetic breast surgery are foreign women from all over the world. Although a much smaller number, the Thai young woman, who is generally not very well endowed with her breasts, also forms a growing part of the patient base. An even smaller number, but should be mentioned, are the ladyboys (katoeys), who also have two shapely breasts fitted.

Top-10

Breast surgeries (enlargements, reductions, lifts) are among the Top 10 of plastic surgery, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. Breast augmentation is even in second place, surpassed only by liposuction. The fact that many of these operations are now carried out in Thailand is partly due to an active recruitment policy of the Tourism Association of Thailand (TAT). It regularly invites foreign journalists and employees of travel agencies to get an idea of ​​the many possibilities in this area.

History

Breast corrections are not something modern, it has been done for a long time. Silicone implants were already used more than 50 years ago, for the first time in 1962 in the United States. But long before that, at the end of the 19th century, women were already striving to enlarge their bosoms. It started with paraffin injections, but that didn't work well. Later, in the 20s and 30s, fat from other parts of the body was used in the breasts. Still later, materials such as polyurethane, cartilage, sponges, wood and glass balls were used.

Motivation

Despite the pain, cost, and hassle, women are willing to undergo this essentially unnecessary surgery. Why? It may be that a woman herself considers herself to be very scantily endowed, she may also do it at the (sometimes urgent) request of her partner or because the woman, after nursing several children, has flabby and/or shriveled breasts. Of course, more motives are conceivable.

Risk

Breast surgery in itself does not have to take long. After a preparation, the operation itself only takes an hour or two. You usually stay in the hospital for a week for a check-up. Even after that, it is strongly recommended to have regular checks for the formation of scar tissue for about six months. It is also advised to stop some activities, such as certain sports, and not to sleep on your stomach.

Breast surgery is not without risk. Sometimes an additional operation has to be performed because of capsular contracture (scar tissue, which deforms the implant), the patient may complain of pain in the breasts and the implant may also leak spontaneously due to a rupture. For the latter, the US government recommends an MRI screen after about three years, which can detect a rupture of the implant.

Future

Medical tourism to Thailand is growing enormously. The Ministry of Health in Thailand reports that medical services to foreigners have increased from 365.000 in 2004 to 673.000 in 2012. Plastic surgery accounts for a large part of this and it is therefore no surprise that all major hospitals already have a have a dedicated cosmetic center with plans for expansion or new construction.

Finally

This story is about cosmetic breast corrections, which are generally not covered by health insurance in the Netherlands. It is different with the costs of medically necessary breast operations, usually as a result of breast cancer, which are reimbursed