So who is the best SRS surgeon in Thailand?

[Melody Moore]

This can be a difficult decision for some of us to make, because I have some across many arguments over this issue in the trans community about who is the best SRS surgeon in Thailand. But the truth is we only get one shot at this with one surgeon so it is impossible to compare the differences in surgery from personal experience. We can only go by what others report about their results.

At the Queensland Transgender, Sistergirl and Gender Diverse Conference recently in Cairns, I had the pleasure to listen to Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn talk about the history of SRS in Thailand and what he had to say was interesting, although I personally don't like his techniques which is better explained later in this post.

42.jpg

Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn speaking at the Queensland Transgender, Sistergirl
and Gender Diverse Conference in Cairns, North Queensland Australia.

Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon is the pioneer in sex reassignment surgery in Thailand, did his transsexualism case in 1975 together with Dr.Prakob Thongpeaw. Sex reassignment surgery has been taught in Chulalongkorn University Hospital since 1983. (At present, it is the only medical school in Thailand that has sex reassignment surgery systematically taught and with good results). There have been many versions of development of the surgical techniques to gain better and better results.

Source: http://www.transexualia.org/SANIDAD/sexreassignment.pdf

The last part of that statement is interesting because it also indicates that there
have been lots of advancements in the techniques that surgeons are now using
and these have been shared with other surgeons.

Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon started the Preecha Aesthetic Institute (PAI) where surgeons are also trained. http://pai.co.th/

You will often hear Dr Suporn is often touted as "The best surgeon in Thailand" and at $16,500 US for SRS, he no
doubt a very good surgeon, but he is also one the most expensive surgeon in Thailand, whereas Dr. Saran is one of
the cheapest. But is Dr. Suporn really the best surgeon? And what really is the difference between these two surgeons?

Looking at their CVs, Dr. Suporn was certified in Plastic / Re-constructive Surgery in 1992 through the Chulalonkgkorn
University. Dr. Saran however was trained & certified 3 years later in the same facility in 1995. So there is not a lot
separating them in experience. Dr Suporn has 20 years experience and Dr. Saran has 17 years experience.

Dr. Suporn is well known as a pioneer of some new techniques which which is what he built his reputation on, because his methods improve sensation and the overall appearance of the neo-vagina. Dr. Suporn published medical papers outlining his technique in learned medical journals which were also presented to the Royal College of Surgeons in Thailand. Dr. Suporn has performed about 1800 SRS procedures.
See: http://www.supornclinic.com/HTML/Home/Home.html

Now Dr. Saran also comes with a pretty impressive background because he has also been the team coordinator for Plastic and Re-constructive Surgery at Chulalongkorn University and is also the Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Unit Department of Surgery, Chareonkrung Hospital B.M.A. Dr. Saran has worked very closely and was an understudy of Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon with the PAI. He has personally performed over 3,000 surgeries, but what percentage were actually SRS procedures is not clear. See: http://www.doctorsaran.com/surgeons_profile.php

If you also take note of Dr. Saran's CV you will note that he also trains other surgeons in the same university where
all Thai surgeons have been trained. So would Dr. Saran not be teaching the surgical techniques developed by Dr Suporn?

What I also discovered about some surgeons is that some do every single procedure themselves which requires a such longer time under general anaesthetic and some surgeons use other surgeons to carry out some of the procedures which means a shorter time under general anaesthetic.

Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn also said at the Queensland Transgender, Sistergirl and Gender Diverse Conference that his SRS was a 2 surgical procedures where he did most of the construction of the neo-vagina in a 5-6 hour operation, but patients had to undergo a second procedure 5 days later to insert the newly created vaginal canal which has been stored in a tissue bank for that time.
For more info, see: http://phuket-plasticsurgery.com/P-P...procedure.html

Personally the thought of this type of surgery terrifies the crap out of me. So personally I want my
surgery to be as short as possible because it reduces the risk of DVT and a pulmonary embolism.

Dr. Saran performs his SRS in 3 hours and I believe that Dr. Suporn is about the same time or just a bit longer. Now this is a comparison of just a few of the surgeons in Thailand, but remember there are others, and they have all came through the same schools. And I believe the differences in the quality of their SRS procedures will come down to their personal experience & the techniques used.

This is only a brief look at few of the Thai surgeons, but be sure to compare notes with other surgical options
available. if others want to contribute more information about other Thai surgeons to this post please feel free.

I don't know who the best surgeon is really, but it seems the best surgeon for me personally is Dr. Saran because
he is the most affordable and seems to have the right background and the experience I believe I can trust.

I hope you found this information helpful like I did.

[AllieSF]

In the end, after all the reading, researching and consulting, the final results of any good and qualified surgeon may just depend on what he or she did the day and night before and how he or she is mentally and in the manual dexterity department the day of the surgery. Mistakes happen, even to the best of the best, for whatever reason. That is why any surgery no matter how small is risky. When you get to SRS and FFS the risks multiply. Then throw in the differences that each individual human has with how their bodies are put together and respond to invasive procedures and you can then begin to understand why you sign those risk release legal documents before going under the knife.

I went to one of the best prostate surgeons who had over a thousand procedures before mine and used the procedure that was proudly called nerve sparing. In the end the nerves were spared but the connections lost and the two major side effects are now my real life experience each and every day. Was that his fault or just caused by my body? Who knows? But I did what I thought best research and then accepted the risks. So, in the end, do the research, consulting and whatever else is needed to select the surgeon of your choice and at the same time be ready to accept the associated risks. I do agree that one probably will have better success and results when choosing a well known and respected expert in the field.

[Dawn cd]

One imagines that you, Melody, are doing this research with joyful anticipation mixed with very real anxiety—since I believe you and Traci Elizabeth are going to Thailand next month. Whichever surgeon you choose, be assured that our warmest best wishes, and prayers, go with you. May you find peace and be complete.

[AllieSF]

Melody, I forgot to offer you my best wishes too. I didn't know that you had already scheduled your surgery. Great for you. Good luck and Godspeed.

[Suzette Muguet de Mai]

Wow, very good information Melody. Is there any follow up surgery later for constructing the clitoral hood and Labium? I find it weird that the operation is about three hours average for Drs Suran and Suporn yet Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn take 5-6hours to construct the Neo vagina and then there is more surgery later, duration of which is unknown. I sort of freaked at the size of the scar for Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn.

2. Split Thickness Skin Graft.
Skin is removed from the thighs or buttocks and is added to the penile and scrotum skin. The donor site for the graft will leave a scar of approximately 50-100 square centimeters (8-16 square inches), similar to a deep abrasion or burn injury. The bandage covering the donor site will dry out and detach approximately two weeks after surgery. In most cases its initial poor appearance improves over time. However in some cases, the donor site may end up with a hypertrophic or keloid scar with little or no visual improvement.

.
I personally would prefer the least amount of time in surgery and a few months for "tidying up" surgery later if needed. Sort of makes me wonder if one becomes a guinea pig for more research with Dr Kunaporn although I do like his outline of surgery and follow up care. I just don't know about a second surgery down there within a few days.
Wish you luck with your surgery
Thanks Melody, terrific information.

[Melody Moore]

One imagines that you, Melody, are doing this research with joyful anticipation mixed with very real anxiety.

Actually anxiety has nothing to do with why I wrote this piece. I wrote it to clear up a lot of misconceptions
about who is "the best" surgeon in Thailand to publish to the new Trans Health & Well being organisation I have
set up. Every single surgeon in Thailand has been trained in the same facility, and no doubt Dr. Suporn has one
of the biggest & best reputations, but what is a reputation anyway? Some people's reputations are built purely
on propaganda, or misinformation or the lack of information about a person, in this case other surgeons.

Dr. Saran only charges $8000US for his SRS, whereas Dr. Suporn charges $17,000AU. I find this very interesting
because Dr. Saran is also a trainer of other surgeons and has no doubt been using and teaching Dr. Suporn's
methods in his role as an instructor in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Chulalongkorn University. If you
note Dr. Suporn published medical papers outlining his technique in learned medical journals which were also
presented to the Royal College of Surgeons in Thailand which is where Dr. Saran is an instructor. So what are
you really paying for with Dr. Suporn? I think you are paying for his name and reputation as a pioneer, not because
he is any better as a surgeon than Dr Saran. As it turns Dr Saran is appears to more experienced in surgery than
a lot of other surgeons, including Dr. Chettawut who has been practising as long as Dr Suporn, but has just over
1000 SRS & FFS procedures to his credit.

Last night someone I know who works in the medical field as a nurse expressed some really valid concerns that might
indicate why Dr. Chettawut is not very popular as other Thai Surgeons. And here is what she had to say to me...

I have had numerous complaints from girls who have been to him, not an outlandish number but I view any issue with SRS as a major incident in our world and the fact he operates out of his clinic without the full support of hospitalisation should, god forbid, the situation arise that other medical interventions are required. Doesnt sit well with me

So I asked her who would she trust and she said that her top 2 choices for SRS in Thailand is Dr. Saran and Dr. Suporn
because they both are very highly qualified and have extensive experience, and they carry out their surgery in a proper
hospital that can also deal with any other complications should they arise. So there is some more food for thought.

[abby39]

This can be a difficult decision for some of us to make, because I have some across many arguments over this issue in the trans community about who is the best SRS surgeon in Thailand. But the truth is we only get one shot at this with one surgeon so it is impossible to compare the differences in surgery from personal experience. We can only go by what others report about their results.

At the Queensland Transgender, Sistergirl and Gender Diverse Conference recently in Cairns, I had the pleasure to listen to Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn talk about the history of SRS in Thailand and what he had to say was interesting, although I personally don't like his techniques which is better explained later in this post.

42.jpg

Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn speaking at the Queensland Transgender, Sistergirl
and Gender Diverse Conference in Cairns, North Queensland Australia.

Source: http://www.transexualia.org/SANIDAD/sexreassignment.pdf

The last part of that statement is interesting because it also indicates that there
have been lots of advancements in the techniques that surgeons are now using
and these have been shared with other surgeons.

Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon started the Preecha Aesthetic Institute (PAI) where surgeons are also trained. http://pai.co.th/

You will often hear Dr Suporn is often touted as "The best surgeon in Thailand" and at $16,500 US for SRS, he no
doubt a very good surgeon, but he is also one the most expensive surgeon in Thailand, whereas Dr. Saran is one of
the cheapest. But is Dr. Suporn really the best surgeon? And what really is the difference between these two surgeons?

Looking at their CVs, Dr. Suporn was certified in Plastic / Re-constructive Surgery in 1992 through the Chulalonkgkorn
University. Dr. Saran however was trained & certified 3 years later in the same facility in 1995. So there is not a lot
separating them in experience. Dr Suporn has 20 years experience and Dr. Saran has 17 years experience.

Dr. Suporn is well known as a pioneer of some new techniques which which is what he built his reputation on, because his methods improve sensation and the overall appearance of the neo-vagina. Dr. Suporn published medical papers outlining his technique in learned medical journals which were also presented to the Royal College of Surgeons in Thailand. Dr. Suporn has performed about 1800 SRS procedures.
See: http://www.supornclinic.com/HTML/Home/Home.html

Now Dr. Saran also comes with a pretty impressive background because he has also been the team coordinator for Plastic and Re-constructive Surgery at Chulalongkorn University and is also the Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Unit Department of Surgery, Chareonkrung Hospital B.M.A. Dr. Saran has worked very closely and was an understudy of Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon with the PAI. He has personally performed over 3,000 surgeries, but what percentage were actually SRS procedures is not clear. See: http://www.doctorsaran.com/surgeons_profile.php

If you also take note of Dr. Saran's CV you will note that he also trains other surgeons in the same university where
all Thai surgeons have been trained. So would Dr. Saran not be teaching the surgical techniques developed by Dr Suporn?

What I also discovered about some surgeons is that some do every single procedure themselves which requires a such longer time under general anaesthetic and some surgeons use other surgeons to carry out some of the procedures which means a shorter time under general anaesthetic.

Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn also said at the Queensland Transgender, Sistergirl and Gender Diverse Conference that his SRS was a 2 surgical procedures where he did most of the construction of the neo-vagina in a 5-6 hour operation, but patients had to undergo a second procedure 5 days later to insert the newly created vaginal canal which has been stored in a tissue bank for that time.
For more info, see: http://phuket-plasticsurgery.com/P-P...procedure.html

Personally the thought of this type of surgery terrifies the crap out of me. So personally I want my
surgery to be as short as possible because it reduces the risk of DVT and a pulmonary embolism.

Dr. Saran performs his SRS in 3 hours and I believe that Dr. Suporn is about the same time or just a bit longer. Now this is a comparison of just a few of the surgeons in Thailand, but remember there are others, and they have all came through the same schools. And I believe the differences in the quality of their SRS procedures will come down to their personal experience & the techniques used.

This is only a brief look at few of the Thai surgeons, but be sure to compare notes with other surgical options
available. if others want to contribute more information about other Thai surgeons to this post please feel free.

I don't know who the best surgeon is really, but it seems the best surgeon for me personally is Dr. Saran because
he is the most affordable and seems to have the right background and the experience I believe I can trust.

I hope you found this information helpful like I did.

Thank you so much for putting this here! I have been wanting to go to Suporn for a LOOOONG time. And comparing these three was eye opening. I think aesthetically Suporn has the best results. In my opinion. I did not like Saran's work. But I did like Kunaporn's work, and he is rite in the middle price-wise. I found a round trip for under $1000.00 (wishful thinking) This maybe what I start saving for! Maybe I'll start knocking over liquor stores???

[pamela_a]

One thing that hasn't been addressed is post operative discomfort and requirements. I've read about surgeons that have you remain in bed for at least a few days post op while they they feed you pain pills. While I cannot speak to them I personally can speak to Dr. Saran's work. I was ambulatory 24 hours post op. The only discomfort I experienced was from the packing. At 5 days post op, when the packing was finally removed, I went out to dinner for Thai BBQ with my carer and a couple of friends I met there. Piyavate Hospital is a great facility and the staff was excellent.
To those with serious concerns about aesthetics I only ask 1 thing...who are you planning on showing it to?

Dr. Saran is a wonderful, warm, and, a very skilled surgeon. As for my experience I can say this about Dr. Saran. You can pay more but you can't get better

[CharleneT]

I went to Dr. Chettawut and had a fine time. His technique is essentially indentical to Dr. Supporn's. I am curious to hear that Dr. Saran teaches Dr. Supporn's technique ? Anyway, yes Dr. Chettawut does work out of his clinic, unless he feels there is a good reason to do the surgery at a hospital - in which case he does. The reason he moved to this was to gain more control of the after care of his patients. Yes, in his regime, you stay on your back for 3-5 days after the surgery. This is to ensure that things heal up pretty well before you start to move around. Often a day or so after surgery you will move from one room to another, and you walk ( heck I even went down stairs...). He is very careful about the initial stages of healing. I had no, yup, no popped stitches. My friends who've had SRS and many I have read about mention many popped stitches... I found my time on my back went very quickly. Nope, I did not like it a bit. But I also healed without any scars.

As for some mention of a lot of pain pills, actually with Dr. C you won't be getting anything strong - unless it was really needed. All I took post operatively was tyenol and tramadol ( a non-opiod pain med that is considered fairly weak, in the US it isn't even a controlled substance). I did not need any more than I took. No morphine or vicodin etc... at all.


p.s. Dr. C's surgical staff are all from the best hospitals in Bangkok and are all trained in emergency medicine - as well as other specialties. There is also an anesthesiologist there.

[Raquel June]

Dr Suporn has 20 years experience
...
Dr. Suporn has performed about 1800 SRS procedures.
See: http://www.supornclinic.com/HTML/Home/Home.html
...
Dr. Saran performs his SRS in 3 hours and I believe that Dr. Suporn is about the same time or just a bit longer.

1800 is so many. That's two/week for 20 years. I doubt anybody outside Thailand is close to those numbers.

But still, traveling to a place with a language barrier and probably the worst air pollution of any developed country to get discount surgery is horrifying. And it's not even much of a discount these days. And you have to make a 20-hour flight on a sore hoo-haa.

Although I guess it doesn't exactly need to be at much of a discount when most of those guys obviously do a good job.

I know a couple people locally who went to Supporn and were pretty happy. And one of them will never shut up about how good the exchange rate was and she went to all kinds of awesome restaurants and it cost her nothing. But she also said a few people tried to grab her purse on the street.

Don't go to Thailand in February/March/April. That's when they're doing their slash/burn farming and air pollution is typically over 10X the amount it takes to violate the US Clean Air Act in any given day. That's when you get all the pictures you see of streets full of people wearing smog masks and the air so dark you can look directly at the sun.

[Traci Elizabeth]

Actually anxiety has nothing to do with why I wrote this piece. I wrote it to clear up a lot of misconceptions
about who is "the best" surgeon in Thailand to publish to the new Trans Health & Well being organisation I have
set up. Every single surgeon in Thailand has been trained in the same facility, and no doubt Dr. Suporn has one
of the biggest & best reputations, but what is a reputation anyway? Some people's reputations are built purely
on propaganda, or misinformation or the lack of information about a person, in this case other surgeons.

Dr. Saran only charges $8000US for his SRS, whereas Dr. Suporn charges $17,000AU. I find this very interesting
because Dr. Saran is also a trainer of other surgeons and has no doubt been using and teaching Dr. Suporn's
methods in his role as an instructor in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Chulalongkorn University. If you
note Dr. Suporn published medical papers outlining his technique in learned medical journals which were also
presented to the Royal College of Surgeons in Thailand which is where Dr. Saran is an instructor. So what are
you really paying for with Dr. Suporn? I think you are paying for his name and reputation as a pioneer, not because
he is any better as a surgeon than Dr Saran. As it turns Dr Saran is appears to more experienced in surgery than
a lot of other surgeons, including Dr. Chettawut who has been practising as long as Dr Suporn, but has just over
1000 SRS & FFS procedures to his credit.

Last night someone I know who works in the medical field as a nurse expressed some really valid concerns that might
indicate why Dr. Chettawut is not very popular as other Thai Surgeons. And here is what she had to say to me...

So I asked her who would she trust and she said that her top 2 choices for SRS in Thailand is Dr. Saran and Dr. Suporn
because they both are very highly qualified and have extensive experience, and they carry out their surgery in a proper
hospital that can also deal with any other complications should they arise. So there is some more food for thought.

Now are you trying to scare the crap out of me knowing full well I will be in Dr. Chettawut's surgical center in less than 30 days. Your timing sucks. I take comfort in what Charlene wrote about Dr. C.!

You could have waited until after you and I return from Bangkok to express these negative statements about my surgeon! Just wait until I get a hold of you on the 8th and 9th of Oct in Bangkok!

[Kathryn Martin]

I realize this is about Thai surgeons. Just from recent experience, I was ambulatory six hours after coming around in the recovery room, walked 6 times around the nurses station about 11 hours post op needed pain medication for 12 days post op, have had zero complications whatsoever post op. Brassard does between 4 and 9 SRS surgeries per week, 11 months out of the year (that would be 3456 surgeries) and is a brilliant technician. Cost is $18,040.00 Canadian which is currently U$18,442.00. The surgery is done in his clinic and aftercare for the first week is at his recovery center L'Asclepiade which has two nurses on staff 24/7 who are exceptionally competent and well trained in SRS aftercare.

[Melody Moore]

Now are you trying to scare the crap out of me knowing full well I will be in Dr. Chettawut's surgical center in less than 30 days. Your timing sucks. I take comfort in what Charlene wrote about Dr. C.!

You could have waited until after you and I return from Bangkok to express these negative statements about my surgeon! Just wait until I get a hold of you on the 8th and 9th of Oct in Bangkok!

Well spank me then :P

I am sorry Traci if this feedback I got and reposted here upset you, however I believe that you will be fine.
Others like Charlene have reported to me they had no issues with Dr. Chettawut, but if you were in a higher
risk group like I am being an ex-smoker, then these are considerations you might like to take into account.

[Eryn]

...traveling to a place with a language barrier and probably the worst air pollution of any developed country to get discount surgery is horrifying.

Do people go for the prices, or because the surgeons and techniques are the best available? If you want fine dining you go to France, for fine opera you go to Italy, and for fine SRS, it seems like Thailand is the place people talk about.

Melody, thank you for your insights!

[Bree-asaurus]

I always heard Dr. Suporn is the best and looking at his technique, it seems pretty darn good. But I never checked out Dr. Saran. I'm definitely referring back to this thread... because I'll admit, I quickly skimmed it. But cheap and good would be friggin awesome and would also happen sooner!

[EnglishRose]

I'm also bearing Dr. Saran in mind for when-the-time-comes.

And that's a wrap.

(I HAD to get that joke in)

[Bree-asaurus]

I'm also bearing Dr. Saran in mind for when-the-time-comes.

And that's a wrap.

(I HAD to get that joke in)

Ba dun tssssssssssss

[CharleneT]

Well spank me then :P

I am sorry Traci if this feedback I got and reposted here upset you, however I believe that you will be fine.
Others like Charlene have reported to me they had no issues with Dr. Chettawut, but if you were in a higher
risk group like I am being an ex-smoker, then these are considerations you might like to take into account.

Is there a reason that you believe that Dr. Chettawut, or the others, are not as good if you are in a high risk group ? So far all I've heard is generalized comments about the reputation for good looking results. I sure never heard of such a thing as Dr. S being good at high risk patients. Most say Dr. Supporn is the best, but you will also note that almost all the really strong statements come from former patients of his. The yahoo group is very active and also very carefully moderated. I belonged for quite a while and any comment against Dr. S was eliminated very quickly. I also had a surgery date reserved with him and changed my mind and went with Dr. Chettawut.

Dr. Supporn's site is great, but very little ( if anything ) has changed since I first started looking for a surgeon 4 years ago... those are very old images - of his best efforts. I am not saying that Dr. Supporn isn't the best - honestly I do not know how we would know who (if anyone) is the "best". There is very little info on the real, every day, outcomes from any of these surgeons ( and I do mean both Thai and N. American docs).

I went to Thailand because I wanted their techniques, not because of money. I could not afford the top doc here, but I could have afforded Dr. Brassard - who is great. Maybe the best in N. America ? Again, no way to tell that. I've heard some bad things about the supposed top docs here, like Dr. Bowers ( from patients I know, not just web gossip). Many times in discussions on here about this issue I have said the same thing and I repeat it here with emphasis:

If you go to any one of the top SRS docs in the world, you will be fine. Your outcome will very likely be just what you wanted and will make you very happy. There will not be big probs with your surgery and you will go home safely. Choose who you want, by whatever factors you find most important, but truly there is very little difference between the top 5-7 SRS surgeons.

[Melody Moore]

Charlene, first of all I am posting a very valid point about Dr. Chettawut that has come from a nurse
who believes private clinics are not as well equipped with equipment and staff like the Thai hospitals.
On considering her opinion, I realised she does have a very valid point. I have my personal reasons
for trusting Dr. Saran and that is because he holds such senior positions and is well qualified and he
operates at the Piyavate Private Hospital which is one of the best facilities in Thailand. As I said I
am in a high risk group and for my own peace of mind, I feel more comfortable now in my decision
to have my surgery with him, knowing that ÏF on the off-chance something was to go wrong, I would
have the best chance of survival. There would be no need to stabilise me before they transported me
to a proper hospital if I was to go to a private clinic, and the best help would be immediately on-hand.

Other people have also been reporting positive outcomes with Dr Chettawut since this was posted elsewhere.
So no one can say that Dr Chettawut's surgery is untrustworthy or bad and that he has no ways of dealing
with emergencies. Obviously he has a contingency plan but as an outsider looking in we have no idea what that is.

And might I also remind people this topic is about THAI surgery, not US, Canadian or any other surgery.

Thank you.

[Traci Elizabeth]

Well spank me then :P

I am sorry Traci if this feedback I got and reposted here upset you, however I believe that you will be fine.
Others like Charlene have reported to me they had no issues with Dr. Chettawut, but if you were in a higher
risk group like I am being an ex-smoker, then these are considerations you might like to take into account.

OH! I will spank you alright. I will make sure to bring one of my wide 100% leather belts and by the time I am done with you, Sr. S will think you are a sadist. On second thought there is tons of bamboo in Thailand and I bet using that would take skin. What's that saying "a pound of flesh for ....."

[CharleneT]

My apologies for mentioning a non-thai doctor in this discussion.

[Kate T]

I don't really know if any input from me is helpful, take it or leave it. I guess the reason I feel that I can perhaps provide some input is that I do perform surgery on animals (you know, veterinarian) on a daily basis, not just your usual spays and castrates but complicated orthopaedic, soft tissue and yes at times reconstructive surgery, I know and have operated with or seen operate many of the top veterinary surgeons in Australia and my mother was head of radiology at Prince of Wales hospital Sydney for over 5 years as well as working at St Vincents Public Hospital Sydney on a post surgical ward for another 5 years. So I've seen and done a hell of a lot of cutting.
Here are my tips for picking the very best surgeon (in just about anything):
1. Surgery time for the same or similar procedure is almost a direct indicator of a good surgeon. The better the surgeon, the faster they are. This is because they know the anatomy, they are decisive and precise in their actions.
2. A good surgeon despises scars and so, particularly for an "elective" procedure, will use the smallest incisions possible to achieve the desired outcome. Have a look at what the surgery site looks like 3-5 days post op and you will get an idea what you will expect once it all heals.
3. A good surgeon ALWAYS discusses expected outcomes AND adverse outcomes. Whether they have had them happen or not.
4. Related to 3, a good surgeon always has a plan B, and plan C, and plan D if something doesn't go the way they wan't it to.
Unfortunately a good surgeon is not always the nicest person. Some of them (OK, a lot of them) are as arrogant as all hell, with the possible notable exception of south east asian surgeons (yes, I know that is stereotyping) who almost universally seem to be really nice, humble sort of people, at least the ones I've met.

As an aside Melody, what happens if you have a delayed complication with your surgery once you return to Australia? Does Medicare and your private health insurance cover it? E.g. the recent issue with the french silicone breast implant material?

[Melody Moore]

As an aside Melody, what happens if you have a delayed complication with your surgery once you return to Australia? Does Medicare and your private health insurance cover it? E.g. the recent issue with the french silicone breast implant material?

Not that I am aware of, but all these surgeons guarantee their work for life, so flying back to
Thailand for revisions shouldn't be too hard given the cheap cost of airfares & accommodation.
Medicare might cover some things, like they did with the removal of the french breast implants,
where they over their removal, but not the cost of replacing them. A friend is going through this
issue right now and they were done originally here in Australia.

And given the service and treatment that others report that you get over in Thailand, I think I rather that
anyway knowing I have the best people to do any revisions because they also know their own work better.

[Nicki S]

OH! I will spank you alright. I will make sure to bring one of my wide 100% leather belts and by the time I am done with you, Sr. S will think you are a sadist.

Ummm, wouldn't that be a masochist? I believe that you would be the sadist.

[Melody Moore]

OH! I will spank you alright. I will make sure to bring one of my wide 100% leather belts and by the time I am done with you, Sr. S will think you are a sadist. On second thought there is tons of bamboo in Thailand and I bet using that would take skin. What's that saying "a pound of flesh for ....."

Now, now Traci, better watch it because I might have to punish you with my Aussie Tickler