A Good Plastic Surgeon In Chiang Mai?

[LJW]

Hi, I have managed to lose more than 140 Kilos (300+ pounds) from swimming

But now I need a 'Tummy Tuck' to finish up the work...

Can anyone recommend or unrecommemd a plastic surgeon ?

I've talked to one at CM Ram, he wanted 150,000 baht

Quality is more important than price I think.

[uptheos]

You could check this out - apparently he's quite famous here.

http://www.surgery-thailand.com/

[thequaife]

First of all, congratulation on your weight.

Please note that do not go to any clinics. You need to go to well known hospital.

Try yang hee hospital in BKK, I wouldnt suggest c.mai for major operation.

[uptheos]

First of all, congratulation on your weight.

Please note that do not go to any clinics. You need to go to well known hospital.

Try yang hee hospital in BKK, I wouldnt suggest c.mai for major operation.

Bamrungrad package is 165,000 baht and up - remember this is specialist surgery.

http://www.bumrungrad.com/overseas-medical-care/medical-services/procedures/plastic-surgery/packages/abdo1-2.aspx

I notice that Dr Witoon is one of their plastic / cosmetic surgeons, but when you look for a package price under cosmetic surgery, you will notice that he has a little red star against his name, which means if you opt for a package, you won't get him as he's more expensive and you need to make a special appointment with him. If this is the case, I don't see why you couldn't just get an appointment in Chiang Mai and check out his prices.

IMO I wouldn't just choose a hospital, I would do a lot of searching until I found a surgeon that has a good reputation and one that can show genuine reviews from satisfied patients. Once you have chosen a surgeon and feel comfortable with him / her, then have the surgery wherever they operate.

Chiang Mai or Bangkok hospitals, if you just take the surgeon they want to give you, then you might regret it.

Be careful

[ShopBoy]

http://www.chiangmaisurgeryclinic.com/

Apparently good. Give them a ring.

[uptheos]

http://www.chiangmaisurgeryclinic.com/

Apparently good. Give them a ring.

Cheap prices, but I wonder how many 140 kilo people they have seen, let alone a farang who has lost 140 kilo?

They seem to be geared towards Thai clientele......this doesn't mean that they are no good, but I would think there is a major difference in the surgical techniques used between Thai's and farangs. I think if I was contemplating having my stomach cut from hip to hip, I'd want someone who really had a lot of experience with this procedure and I'd want to be in a good hospital in case of complications.

[fcgprg]

it is very unlikely that it is possible to lose 300 + pounds from swimming alone in my opinion

if i am wrong could you tell us how long it took to lose this amazing amount of weight from just swimming.

Edited September 15, 2010 by fcgprg

[jayinoz]

Well if you start off with 70% body fat- must have been accummulated over many a year. And you 250kg then I can see how a change of lifestyle towards swimming daily can strip 40-50% of your bones.

Anyway in terms of tummy tuck- if price and quality pretty much on par for you. Then try out Yun Hee in BKK, otherwise you paying a lot more for a private hospital in CMai.

For a major OP think a tummy tuck from losing 140kg- clinic not advisable not matter how safe they say. In fact most clinics will not wish to do in fear of making a mistake. Go with your GUT (Nice Pun Lol) so to speak and review only surgeons whom have performed the surgery a few 100 or 1000 times in a good hospital.

I doubt you will get below 100K bt. Then if a quack offerred 30K bt- would you go for it- I think not as what is too good to be true- normally is.

Anyway you have 150K bt as a starting point- Doctors here negoitate the same as negoitating at the night market- try it- it works. They simply do not have standard rates- they say a figure u look like you can accept. Yet they have a base figure of cost in the hospital- probably 50K bt. As all top clinic surgeon state 50K bt to have it performed in a Good Hospital, on top of their fees. Chok Dee.

[jayinoz]

Do not go to this recommended clinic unless u wish to pay USA prices http://www.surgery-thailand.com/ .

Dr Witoon in CMai and BKK is appartently very good- but his fees are HUGE compared to other surgeons in Thailand.

Plus if your work is a little bit complex in anyway then he will not do... He will probably say he cannot do.

If he saids yes- he will charge over 200K bt without doubt. He is trained in USA and I think he feels he can charge USA prices. As that shows he MUST be the best. Look in other threads you will find he is very conservative- far too much so.

I saw him once and found him annoyingly arrogant. I simply wished to yell in his ear and say- Mate this is Thailand not USA- you are only worth one quarter of USA prices, otherwise move to USA.

[uptheos]

Do not go to this recommended clinic unless u wish to pay USA prices http://www.surgery-thailand.com/ .

Dr Witoon in CMai and BKK is appartently very good- but his fees are HUGE compared to other surgeons in Thailand.

Plus if your work is a little bit complex in anyway then he will not do... He will probably say he cannot do.

If he saids yes- he will charge over 200K bt without doubt. He is trained in USA and I think he feels he can charge USA prices. As that shows he MUST be the best. Look in other threads you will find he is very conservative- far too much so.

I saw him once and found him annoyingly arrogant. I simply wished to yell in his ear and say- Mate this is Thailand not USA- you are only worth one quarter of USA prices, otherwise move to USA.

It's good for the OP that someone here has personal experience of Dr Witoon - sounds expensive to me.

[justmaybe]

I've used Dr. Witoon twice for procedures, one more complicated than the other. I did my homework and in the end decided to stick with his reputation and prices (which were fully disclosed up front). I was pleased and would go back. I'm sure there are fine surgeons working at much lower rates. I don't begrudge Dr. Witoon getting to a point in his career where he feels he can charge what he thinks he's worth- it seems to be working as a business plan.

[LJW]

Do not go to this recommended clinic unless u wish to pay USA prices http://www.surgery-thailand.com/ .

It's good for the OP that someone here has personal experience of Dr Witoon - sounds expensive to me.

Thanks for your good advice. I am alone here and don't have any friends to talk with about this.

Dr. Witoon sounds expensive, but I sent him an inquiry. I am pretty scared of the whole process,

but I NEED a tummy tuck. And I am still losing weight

[LJW]

it is very unlikely that it is possible to lose 300 + pounds from swimming alone in my opinion

if i am wrong could you tell us how long it took to lose this amazing amount of weight from just swimming.

Well, I DID lose the weight from swimming... I got the swimming pool in 2003 because I suffered 2 major strokes and I could not walk. With my diabetes, I knew I needed to do some excercise to keep my weight down. I did not intend to lose much weight, but I did !

by 2006, I was down to 150 kilos (from 250), so I decided to get serious about my weight.

Now, I am at 110 kilos. It wasn't very hard either. I ate whatever I wanted, but only a little bit. Instead of a whole pizza, it was only one piece for a meal. My calorie count was mostly less than 1000 calories a day, and with my 2 hours of swimming everyday, it worked!

[uptheos]

Do not go to this recommended clinic unless u wish to pay USA prices http://www.surgery-thailand.com/ .

It's good for the OP that someone here has personal experience of Dr Witoon - sounds expensive to me.

Thanks for your good advice. I am alone here and don't have any friends to talk with about this.

Dr. Witoon sounds expensive, but I sent him an inquiry. I am pretty scared of the whole process,

but I NEED a tummy tuck. And I am still losing weight

Congratulations on losing the weight and I hope your health has improved.

The prospect of a tummy tuck is quite scary and with your amount of weight loss, perhaps it might be wise to look for someone with good plastic surgery credentials as well as being a cosmetic surgeon. Cosmetic surgeons are not necessarily plastic surgeons.

By all means go and see Dr Witoon and see what your feelings are afterwards, but do go and see at least another two surgeons with a good reputation. You have been very patient and determined to lose the weight, now be patient and determined to find the right surgeon for you.

You could probably schedule a consultation with two or three different surgeons in Bangkok, over a couple of days, the cost and time will be minor in the bigger scheme of things.

Good luck.

[LJW]

Do not go to this recommended clinic unless u wish to pay USA prices http://www.surgery-thailand.com/ .

It's good for the OP that someone here has personal experience of Dr Witoon - sounds expensive to me.

Thanks for your good advice. I am alone here and don't have any friends to talk with about this.

Dr. Witoon sounds expensive, but I sent him an inquiry. I am pretty scared of the whole process,

but I NEED a tummy tuck. And I am still losing weight

Congratulations on losing the weight and I hope your health has improved.

The prospect of a tummy tuck is quite scary and with your amount of weight loss, perhaps it might be wise to look for someone with good plastic surgery credentials as well as being a cosmetic surgeon. Cosmetic surgeons are not necessarily plastic surgeons.

By all means go and see Dr Witoon and see what your feelings are afterwards, but do go and see at least another two surgeons with a good reputation. You have been very patient and determined to lose the weight, now be patient and determined to find the right surgeon for you.

You could probably schedule a consultation with two or three different surgeons in Bangkok, over a couple of days, the cost and time will be minor in the bigger scheme of things.

Good luck.

This is Dr. Witoon's response..

Tummy tuck is normally performed under either regional or general anaesthesia, and requires one night hospitalisation. All sutures are self-absorbable. Interestingly, unlike a caesarean operation, this is a painless procedure. Risks are not greater than other general surgery procedures such as bleeding and infection, all of which are preventable, and manageable if any happens.

The total cost of tummy tuck is 180,000 Baht. This includes two-night hospitalisation, anaesthesia, anaesthesiologist fee, all prescriptions and follow-up. Patients are recommended to stay in bed as much as possible during the first 5 – 7 days post-op so seven to ten more days in Thailand are more than enough for follow-up.

180,000 is a lot, but it is almost the same as CM Ram if you add the hospital room and such.

[uptheos]

This is Dr. Witoon's response..

Tummy tuck is normally performed under either regional or general anaesthesia, and requires one night hospitalisation. All sutures are self-absorbable. Interestingly, unlike a caesarean operation, this is a painless procedure. Risks are not greater than other general surgery procedures such as bleeding and infection, all of which are preventable, and manageable if any happens.

The total cost of tummy tuck is 180,000 Baht. This includes two-night hospitalisation, anaesthesia, anaesthesiologist fee, all prescriptions and follow-up. Patients are recommended to stay in bed as much as possible during the first 5 – 7 days post-op so seven to ten more days in Thailand are more than enough for follow-up.

180,000 is a lot, but it is almost the same as CM Ram if you add the hospital room and such.

Well, I guess it's a question of who do you trust?

As I said earlier, I would try to see two or three surgeons before making a decision.

The reason patients are advised to stay in bed during the first 7 days, is because you are cut horizontally from hip to hip and you don't want to put too much stress on the cut that has been stitched. I know of a person that had to stay in bed for the first 72 hours, with support under the knees so as no to pull on the wound. This is OK but she got a terribly sore bum and couldn't really turn. This was many years ago, maybe things have changed for the better. When I talk to her today and ask if she would have it done again...she says yes.

Once again good luck, I hope you find the right person who can do a good job - you deserve it.

[jdinasia]

Dr Witoon sounds fine ... but I can certainly unreccomend Yan Hee hospital in BKK. I have a friend in the field here in Thailand (not in Chiang Mai -- the place you asked about) that has made a comfortable living just on doing corrective surgeries to deal with the mistakes other places have made.

If you decide on BKK then BH or BNH are both places I would consider.

[LJW]

Dr Witoon sounds fine ... but I can certainly unreccomend Yan Hee hospital in BKK. I have a friend in the field here in Thailand (not in Chiang Mai -- the place you asked about) that has made a comfortable living just on doing corrective surgeries to deal with the mistakes other places have made.

If you decide on BKK then BH or BNH are both places I would consider.

About bangok hospital. over the many years of living here, I have heard over and over about them ripping off patients and poor medical care.

Why do you recommend them?

[jdinasia]

Dr Witoon sounds fine ... but I can certainly unreccomend Yan Hee hospital in BKK. I have a friend in the field here in Thailand (not in Chiang Mai -- the place you asked about) that has made a comfortable living just on doing corrective surgeries to deal with the mistakes other places have made.

If you decide on BKK then BH or BNH are both places I would consider.

About bangok hospital. over the many years of living here, I have heard over and over about them ripping off patients and poor medical care.

Why do you recommend them?

http://www.bumrungrad.com/ --- BH

and

http://www.bnhhospital.com/ ---BNH

are the ones I would reccomend in BKK for hospitals. My friend also has his own clinic in BKK.

I have no experience with BKK Hospital -- other than BKK -Phuket and BKK-Pattaya (both of which I would reccomend in an emergency in either location but tbh I would not pick them for elective procedures.

[FTB]

I find it amazing that amongst all of us living here, there is only one surgeons name that has been recommended.

Others are kind enough to recommend hospitals but the most important variable for a successful outcome I owuld think would be the actual surgeon.

It would be a help if others that have had work done over here to provide their experiences so that these Thai visa threads can be a benefit for the OP and others in the future.

i had some orthopedic surgery done by a decent surgeon in CNX that works with two hospitals. I arranged the surgery to be done outside Chiang Mai Ram by that recommended othopedic and the savings were monumental. That option may be available for for plastic surgeery as well.

Best of luck.

[uptheos]

I find it amazing that amongst all of us living here, there is only one surgeons name that has been recommended.

Others are kind enough to recommend hospitals but the most important variable for a successful outcome I owuld think would be the actual surgeon.

It would be a help if others that have had work done over here to provide their experiences so that these Thai visa threads can be a benefit for the OP and others in the future.

i had some orthopedic surgery done by a decent surgeon in CNX that works with two hospitals. I arranged the surgery to be done outside Chiang Mai Ram by that recommended othopedic and the savings were monumental. That option may be available for for plastic surgeery as well.

Best of luck.

My policy when having elective surgery, is always find a well recommended doctor first, with whom you feel comfortable and then worry about where he/she operates. if you look at say, Bamrungrad's website, it lists about 6-10 doctors for any given procedure and I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the choice up to them.......unless of course they wheeled me in unconscious.

[kcore]

Do not go to this recommended clinic unless u wish to pay USA prices http://www.surgery-thailand.com/ .

It's good for the OP that someone here has personal experience of Dr Witoon - sounds expensive to me.

Thanks for your good advice. I am alone here and don't have any friends to talk with about this.

Dr. Witoon sounds expensive, but I sent him an inquiry. I am pretty scared of the whole process,

but I NEED a tummy tuck. And I am still losing weight

Thanks for your good advice. I am alone here and don't have any friends to talk with about this.

I am concerned that regardless of where you have this surgery, BKK orCNX, you are going to need some help after you have been discharged from the hospital. Do you have help for your post -op care?

Kcore

[LJW]

Do not go to this recommended clinic unless u wish to pay USA prices http://www.surgery-thailand.com/ .

It's good for the OP that someone here has personal experience of Dr Witoon - sounds expensive to me.

Thanks for your good advice. I am alone here and don't have any friends to talk with about this.

Dr. Witoon sounds expensive, but I sent him an inquiry. I am pretty scared of the whole process,

but I NEED a tummy tuck. And I am still losing weight

Thanks for your good advice. I am alone here and don't have any friends to talk with about this.

I am concerned that regardless of where you have this surgery, BKK orCNX, you are going to need some help after you have been discharged from the hospital. Do you have help for your post -op care?

Kcore

I have a good housekeeper who takes good care of me

[Beetlejuice]

My girlfriend wants me to have plastic surgery on my face. Not because there is anything wrong with it, just that she is sick of seeing the same old face, day in and day out.

But on a more serious note, please be wary when choosing a plastic surgeon. A work acquaintance had one of those tummy tucks, as some people describe it, in the States 16 months ago. The surgeon made a botch job of it with horrific consequences for my work college, she almost died and required numerous operations to correct the procedure and remove infection.

Try and find a PS who comes highly recommended, has long term experience and has a good reputation, even if it costs more. Better safe then sorry.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Beetlejuice

[Igor]

I NEED a tummy tuck. And I am still losing weight

Sorry Chief. If you are still losing weight, no tummy tuck for you! A good surgeon will wait until your weight has stabilized before doing the surgery.