Blog Archives - Lotus Medical International


March 29, 2018 Grainne FarrellBlog3

If you’re thinking about having cosmetic surgery in Thailand, your main thoughts are probably on making sure you get the best service and surgeon.

Undergoing any surgery is not an easy decision and, rightly, you want the best results and to be safe.

Choosing the right service provider and surgeon are one part of the puzzle. The other is preparing yourself for your operation.

What you’ll get from reading this post:

  • The top 3 areas you can control to make your surgery better
  • Why health and fitness helps recovery
  • An instantly actionable fitness and eating guide

Let’s get stuck in…

Strong Female Athlete
Strong is the new skinny!

#1 – Stronger in, stronger out

When undergoing any kind of cosmetic surgery it adds a little stress to the body.

This is totally normal. If your body is weaker at the start, it will take you longer to recover afterwards.

Being strong in a physical sense means improving your muscular and cardiovascular (heart and lungs) systems. When they’re strong, they’re able to cope with stresses more easily along with many other benefits.

When you’re fit, your body is able to deliver oxygen, vitamins and minerals around the body very easily, as well as remove toxins and waste products which occur naturally in our bodies.

If your fitness is low, the body has a harder time carrying out these necessary chores and it takes it longer. That leads to a longer recovery time.

Doing physical activity such as cardio, HIIT and weight training can all help prepare you so you’re in the best possible shape.

More will be discussed on this in the fitness guide below.

#2 – Psychological strength

Being strong in a psychological sense means being relaxed, less stressed and having had

Meditation on a Beach
Meditate on a beach…

plenty of good sleep in the lead up to your procedure.

Chronic, low level stress such as that which many westerners face today from working long hours and living busy lives can raise levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone.

High today.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201301/cortisol-why-the-stress-hormone-is-public-enemy-no-1″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>levels of cortisol for extended periods has been linked to lower immune function, low bone density and increased weight gain.

That’s one reason why having cosmetic surgery in Thailand is so beneficial. You can de-stress before the procedure, relax on one of the beautiful beaches and get great sleep each night.

We all know that when we’re overworked, stressed and haven’t slept well how easy it is to get ill. Our bodies are overworked and the immune system becomes weak.

The same holds true for our minds. The mind and body are inextricably linked, so if you have a weak body or mind, one will impact the other and vice versa.

You can take control of your psychological stress by making time for good sleep, taking time to relax, organising everything and booking your procedure with a company that you feel 100% safe with.

We’ll cover some actionable ways to do this in the guide below.

Tasty Thai Food
Tasty Thai Food

#3 – Food choices

After your successful procedure, your body will be in recovery mode. This is when rest, relaxation and good food choices will really help you recover faster.

During this time the body will need higher levels of natural vitamins and minerals to be used as resources for rebuilding and repairing. You definitely want to be eating fresh, whole and minimally processed foods.

Thailand has some amazingly fresh produce, so post operation you are in a great place to take advantage of that. Being so sunny in Thailand also means your Vitamin D levels will get topped up.

As if you needed an excuse to sit on the beach…

But, pre-operation is also very important. Stocking up on fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds before hand will give the body exactly what it needs to be in the best shape possible.

Stores of fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K) will be available for use as and when required if you have topped up before hand.

However, all the other topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/water-soluble-vitamins-b-complex-and-vitamin-c-9-312/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>water soluble vitamins need to be consumed regularly to keep levels topped up as they do not stay in the body. An easy way to do this is to try and eat a rainbow coloured selection of fresh fruit and veg each day.

In short, if you put in a solid 1-2 months preparation of no alcohol with lots of good fruits and veg, your body will have all the natural resources it needs to recovery faster and make you look better.

So, how do you maximise your health and fitness? Let’s take a look in these next sections.

A Fitness Guide for your Surgery

We could go into a lot of detail about the best kinds of exercise to do here, but we won’t because keeping things simple in the run up to your surgery is the best option.

The key to maintaining your fitness is regular exercise, which means you should aim to be active 4-5 times per week.

What kind of exercises should you do? It depends on your current level of fitness. Now is not the time to start a high intensity schedule if you’re not used to it.

Pick 4 of the below to do each week for the 12 weeks (or however long you have) leading up to your procedure.

  • 30 minute yoga session
  • 30 minute brisk walk
  • 15 minute HIIT workout
  • 45 minute weight training session
  • 60 minute spin class
  • 60 minute body pump/attack class
  • 30 minute swim session

A mix of 4 sessions per week from the list above will keep things varied and work your muscular and cardiovascular systems sufficiently to maximise your fitness gains.

Here are some HIIT home workout videos to try for yourself at home. If you’d prefer a weights based program, check out these full body weights workouts. Or you can find numerous yoga sessions on YouTube.

Sometimes we all need a helping hand keeping fit, so if you’re in London we can highly recommend Rob Jackson from Minimal FiT. He’s a personal trainer in London, Canary Wharf. We’ve personally worked with him and he comes highly recommended. Check him out on Facebook.

If you’re planing on coming out to Thailand earlier than your surgery, there are some great places to train. Unit-27 is one such place we would recommend trying out. We personally train there and love their classes.

For more information on places to train, please get in touch and we will be able to assist you.

Healthy Eating Guide

The first point to make here is this. Eating healthy has two key parts to it:

  1. Removing the processed, high sugar, high saturated fat, fast foods and drinks
  2. Increasing fresh, whole fruit and vegetables

It sounds simple in theory, and it is, but in practice it’s very hard to do because most food products available today are heavily processed.

Most of the isles in the supermarket contain packaged, processed foods. Yes, that includes cereal, bread and juices like orange juice in a container.

For more information on which foods to avoid, check out this post to boost your healthy eating results.

What does a clean eating day look like?

Good question. The example below has been taken from this 7-day meal plan. The basic idea is to eat a good balance of carbs, protein and healthy fats all from minimally processed, fresh foods.

7 Day Meal Plan
1 Day Meal Plan Example

The best way to do that is to keep things simple. Think porridge oats or eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch and oven cooked meat and veg for dinner.

Healthier snack alternatives

The biggest hurdle most people have to overcome is snacking. Even when you’re eating 3 good, healthy meals a day snacks can sometimes double the amount of calories consumed per day.

Healthy Slimming Snacks
Healthy Slimming Snack Ideas

Snacks like chocolate bars, crisps and those touted as “healthy low calorie” options usually contains lots of chemicals and they’re the ones to avoid.

If you need to snack, try finding some healthier alternatives. Here is an infographic to help you pick some healthy, filling and slimming snack options instead.

To wrap it up…

The takeaway from all this is that you’re in control of a large part of how your surgery and recovery goes. You can control your exercise and eating habits to make sure you’re as fit, healthy and strong as possible to aid the recovery process.

This work starts weeks or months before your procedure. Making some small, but consistent changes such as those outlined above will pay off massively.

And they don’t have to just be for the weeks leading up to your cosmetic procedure. These habits can be kept indefinitely to make your life better.


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November 25, 2015 Grainne FarrellBlog0
Aussie mum Cindy Briese flew to Thailand for a nose job and a 'mummy makeover' package, which includes breast implants and a tummy tuck
Aussie mum Cindy Briese flew to Thailand for a nose job and a ‘mummy makeover’ package, which includes breast implants and a tummy tuck

Low cost boobs, nose surgery and a slim line tummy for a beautiful ‘Mummy Makeover‘ at a price of $12,500. Thousands of ladies from Australia are traveling every year to Thailand for cosmetic surgery – but is it safe?

  • 15,000 Australians a year fly to Thailand lower cost cosmetic surgery
  • Thailand is a center of a flourishing, multi-billion dollar, medical tourism industry
  • Over two million guests to Thailand in 2013 travelled solely for medical reasons
  • That figure is soaring upwards by an average of fifteen % a year
  • There continues to be dangers associated with having plastic surgery in Australia
  • One Lady had a cardiac arrest while having a surgery in Sydney on Friday

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'We all nip and tuck every day by wearing padded bras and Spanx, this is just a permanent solution to what we do every day,' the beauty therapist from Melbourne

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'We all nip and tuck every day by wearing padded bras and Spanx, this is just a permanent solution to what we do every day,' the beauty therapist from Melbourne. 2

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Every year there are 15,000 Australians who travel to Thailand to undergo affordable cosmetic surgery.

One of who was 3 Cindy, a 7-year-old from Melbourne, who realized her figure was never the same after child birth to her two children when she was but a teenager herself.

The beauty therapist chosen to have nose surgery and a ‘mummy makeover’ package, including a tummy tuck and breast implants, working out at an estimated $12,600

Ms Briese looks noticeably changed after her nose surgery, tummy tuck and breast implants and said it was her desire to commit her Spanx pants and padded bras to history and that impelled Ms Briese to go to Thailand for Surgery.

The 37-year-old had her son, now age 19, and a daughter, aged 14, when she was but a teenager herself and her figure never really recovered.

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The mum of two says it was the desire to consign to history her padded bras and Spanx pants that prompted her to go under the knife. 1

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The mum of two says it was the desire to consign to history her padded bras and Spanx pants that prompted her to go under the knife. 2

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‘Most of us nip and tuck daily by wearing Spanx and padded bras, this is just a permanent way to do what we go through every day,’ she said.

The Australian mum went on a medical tour with a Medical Tourism company established for many years.

Ms Briese paid around $9000 AUD for her ‘mummy makeover’ bundle which included breast implants and a tummy tuck in addition to fourteen nights in Thailand.

Her nose surgery cost just over $3600, bringing the total cost for her surgeries to around $12,600.

She is just one of the 15,000 Australians who fly to Thailand each year in search of inexpensive plastic surgery at the hands of expert and extremely well qualified surgeons, frequently a third of the cost of the same procedures in Australia.

Thailand, which once tolerated companies with risky back-street surgeons and precarious practices, is today the center of a thriving multi billion dollar medical tourism industry, which drew in a astounding $4.31 billion in revenue in 2013.



A mini face lift is much different to a lower face and neck lift or full facelift.  A mini face lift will only target the jaw area or lower third of the face; giving you a more defined jaw line by eliminating sagging and wrinkles in this area.

Aside from the obvious benefit of reversing the signs of aging with a mini face lift, a mini face lift has many other benefits when comparing it to a lower face and neck lift or full face lift. A mini face lift is much less invasive. Therefore the recovery is much shorter and the scaring is minimal. Incisions are made around the curves of your ears or in your hairline and after time are barely visible.

A mini facelift will give you instant results with a much simpler recovery, it does not require you to stay overnight in the hospital as is can be done under local anaesthetic. The results are noticeable straight away and there is less bruising, swelling and scaring as the surgery is less invasive. You will also not be required to wear the bandages and compression garments for as long as you would for a lower face or full face lift. Many clients think that a mini face lift is more appealing for these reasons. However, our surgeons very rarely recommend this procedure because although the results from a mini face lift are good they are not long lasting. You could expect the results to last for up to 5 to 10 years. Whereas the results from a lower or full face lift are likely to last a lifetime this is due to the fact that when having a lower face or full face lift muscular layer beneath the skin is manipulated as well as the removal and tightening of excess skin.

This is the main difference between a mini face lift and a lower face or full face lift; a mini face lift is a tightening of the skin only. It is a tailor made surgery and should only be performed by surgeons who are experience in this surgery and continually deliver good results. Lotus medical has spent vast amounts of time researching our surgeons and we have worked with them for 8 years now. If you are a suitable client for a mini face lift we will refer you to the most appropriate and experienced surgeon in this field.

A lower face or full face lift not only involves the tightening of the skin like a mini face lift but it also involves the manipulation of the muscular layer beneath the skin. As a mini facelift does not involve any adjustment to the muscular layer it means that the results of a mini face lift do not last as long as the muscular layer is what is mostly responsible for the sagging of the face.

If you would like more information on the many different facial surgeries Lotus medical provide, please email us directly at [email protected].


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February 10, 2014 Grainne FarrellBlog0

plastic surgery thailand
A recent survey conducted by Lotus Medical on all our previous patients found that 75% of patients would choose to have a second cosmetic surgery!

Clearly patients have been so pleased with their results and experience that they would decide to do it again!

If you are interested in reading some of our patients experiences you can find their testimonials here –

plastic surgery Thailand



February 27, 2014 Grainne FarrellBlog0

plastic surgery thailand

You work out because you care are about how you look.  Similarly, you have chosen to have breast enhancement surgery because you care about how you look, and now you’re set to get back to the crucial task of shaping your even closer to perfect womanly figure.

Feeling impatient and questioning how and when to start your programme?

We asked one of our own Thailand Cosmetic Surgeons for his guidance on keeping our post-augmentation patients strong, healthy and SAFE when working out.

Here is some important advice for active females who have undertaken breast augmentation surgery in Thailand!

Weeks 1-2

According to Dr. V, you will have to go to ground for two weeks, with the exclusion of stationary stretching. Try a gentle version of the stretches demonstrated here:

Weeks 2-6

You can introduce light cardio exercises & lower-body workouts after 2 weeks, but be careful about impact! You don’t want to be trying out your new boobs on the treadmill for at least the 4 weeks.

Stick to low or non-impact machines like the elliptical or the stationary bike. It’s ok to work hard. Just don’t forget, you’re 2 weeks post op, and the implants need time to settle and heal properly. (More on that later.)

Week 6+

At 6 weeks after surgery, Dr. V. recommends starting slowly back into resistance training with low-weight, high-rep exercises designed to recondition the pec major and shoulder girdles since they will be weak and tight. Put into practice, this means starting with kneeling pushups and light dumbbell bench presses. These upper body exercises are not to be attempted until after 6 weeks in submuscular patients and breast reconstruction patients.

Gals who’ve had subglandular implants may begin upper body weightlifting after 4 weeks. If you’ve only gone in for an implant exchange or revision, you’re out of the game for just one week.


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January 3, 2014 Grainne FarrellBlog0

Good Friday all, the end of another week, I hope you all had a good one. Just a nice light post today to end the week. With a Friday Fun Fact. So we all read and see posts on women getting Cosmetic Surgery. But be assured there are many surgeries that men undertake each year also. Here is a Diagram of the many different Cosmetic Surgeries Men get. Nose Augmentation is one of the most popular surgeries among men. So men don’t be afraid book your cosmetic surgery today.. Through us of course! Lotus Team…

Thailand Plastic Surgery


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January 2, 2014 Grainne FarrellBlog0

PIACHello everyone, Happy Thursday and again Happy New Year! I’m going to start the year off with another written Testimonial we found from another very satisfied client Christine from Australia. She writes a very detailed description of her time here, her surgery and her experience with us here at Lotus. If you haven’t made up your mind yet on taking that step to come over to Thailand and get cosmetic surgery done. Maybe this will help you more towards your decision. Thank you Christine for your kind words and detailed testimonial, we hope you are well.. Happy 2014!

“I have great pleasure in writing a glowing testimonial as to the professional excellence of Lotus Medical International based on my experience as a client with them a few months ago. I contacted Lotus International, along with many other medi-tourism companies I found through google search. After lodging an inquiry, I received a personal phone call from the managing director herself the same afternoon. She was warm and professional and after a good conversation along with all necessary information I needed, I felt confident to take the next step with Lotus.

I sent through photos of myself, so I could receive quotes on getting a face-lift and Dental work, and knowledge of the different Dr’s available. Before making the final decision, and deposit, I had sent many emails back and forth with Lotus, with questions and queries. In which they were responded too quickly and efficiently.

Everything from Hotels, both surgeries, Hospitals, drivers etc were handled with sensitivity and professionalism. A driver was waiting for me at the airport when I arrived at midnight, and again in the morning when I was being taken to my appointment at the hospital. I was met again and taken into my consultation with support, and was looked after from my first day to the very end. I even received a Box of chocolates and a Birthday Card from Lotus as it was my Birthday the time I chose to travel to Phuket.

I felt well looked after and went through no complications during both surgeries. In the cosmetic surgery department and the dental department. The time that I spent things were highly professional and I felt I was in the best possible care.

I am highly amazed at the comments I have received from friends and others on how natural my face-lift looks and how great I look.

I continue to keep in touch with Lotus Medical and though they work with many other clients world wide they always remember me well and are happy to assist..

I would recommend Lotus for their professional attention and extensive experience to anyone willing to take the step to getting cosmetic surgery or dental work overseas..

Sincerely, Christine.

 


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January 7, 2014 Grainne FarrellBlog0

Happy Tuesday everyone, we hope you are having a good day… Today instead of a testimonial I thought I would post real proof and evidence of the work that is done here in Thailand, with a before and after photo. Here is a before and after photo of Anna, and the beautiful surgery that was done to reshape her nose to her perfection… I think it looks absolutely wonderful…. What about you? Tempting you to come and get Rhinoplasty and cosmetic surgery in Thailand? Here’s hoping.. Lotus Team Cosmetic Surgery Thailand


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September 2, 2014 Grainne FarrellBlog0

 

Confidence; one word which explains that I am not gifted enough. You can’t blame me, since during my childhood’s early years; I didn’t receive a solid foundation for good feelings about myself.  Yes, I have that weird looking Asian nose, that buying a sunglasses is like looking up for a needle in a haystack.  I know, you’re trying to visualize it, watching a 3D movie in a theatre is not that appealing because I have to constantly hold the 3D glasses because my nose doesn’t have what you call, “The Bridge.” Maybe this is one of the reasons why fate has brought me here.  Cosmetic surgery in Phuket would, hopefully someday, give me “The Bridge” I have been dreaming of. Oh wait… is it, “The Bridge” or the confidence?

Let us go back to confidence; I was assigned the role of Medical Host for Lotus Medical International. When they informed me about my job description, I thought to myself, “Wait, can I do this?” I will be working in Cosmetic Surgery in Phuket, but my confidence is missing; how ironic. However at the end of the day, I told  myself that what matters most is how knowledgeable I am in my field, how concerned and responsible I am with all the clients I am supporting, and that would prevent me from having this spotlight effect: paranoia that people will just stare at my nose.  So, to compensate for what is missing from me (the confidence),  I have read a lot about cosmetic surgeries and learned things as fast as I could, attended to the client’s needs, which has made me somehow forget about my insecurity.  Lucky for me, my nursing background was a big help.

I have seen women walking into the surgery, some were shy, some excited, and others were anxious.  I was more focused on observing the shy women, because I know that excitement and anxiety are normal during the pre-operative surgery phase.  I most closely relate to the shy people, but because of my job, being shy is not an option. “The show must go on” as the famous cliché goes.

I know how it feels like to not be confident about yourself.  It makes you feel shy, having the thoughts that there’s something wrong about you and sometimes you can’t stop having the insecurity; almost like jealousy.  I felt it and still, I have it.  I remember I was invited for a photo shoot, and it was hard for me to project in front of the camera. The whole time I was thinking the photographer is bothered looking at my nose.  The pictures were great, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t do it ever again. My confidence is distorted, but, could it be cured?

One day we had a client for breast augmentation who was very shy and timid. Her mother kept telling me how her daughter dreamt of having bigger breasts.  I felt how supportive the mother was and I saw how lack of confidence could make a person so shy; extremely shy.  I empathized with her and it moved me.  In my mind, I wanted to see how the surgery will change her life’s perspective. After 7 days, during her stitches removal, I arrived first in the hospital and was excitedly waiting for her.  I saw a woman walking like a Victoria’s Secret model, so confident: smiley face, chin up, amazing posture and, god, I will never forget that glow on her face.  If I hadn’t see her mum, I might have been doubtful she was the same client.

In 7 days I saw how her confidence has been boosted so fast like one stroke from the fairy god mother’s wand. She kept telling how happy she was.  I was inspired; I wanted to have that confidence.  I wanted to know how it feels like to walk in a crowd without the fear of being the laughing stock.  Having the confidence will make someone feel and look beautiful.  That day, I made up my mind that no matter how long it takes, if time permits me, I will have my bridge, I will have my rhinoplasty!  Since cosmetic surgery in Phuket is undoubtedly the best option, with the help of Lotus Medical International, I know, without a doubt, that I will be in the best hands and get the confidence everyone deserves to feel in themselves.

 



March 2, 2017 Grainne FarrellBlog0

Clothes – Cosmetic surgery holiday, what to pack

After having surgery you may have limited movement and find it difficult or not be able to raise your arms above your head. Think about this when choosing which clothes to pack for your cosmetic surgery holiday. Items that can be buttoned up instead of going over your head would be best. Loose fitting clothes may be more comfortable too. Check the season that you will be travelling to Thailand for your cosmetic surgery holiday. High season is from November – April, this is when many holiday makers choose to travel to Thailand as the weather is much better. If you are travelling in these months then pack cool clothes. If you are travelling outside of these months then you may be within rainy season so pack some water proofs, the rain can be very bad at times in these months.

Compression garments – Cosmetic surgery holiday, what to pack

The hospital may already provide you with a post-surgery compression garment. Check with your coordinator whether you will be given one or not. We often recommend our clients to purchase a compression garment in preparation of their cosmetic surgery holiday. The ones the hospital provides are not often the best quality or fit. We work with an Australian based company who can advise you on which garment to buy and send it out to your home address prior to your trip.

Over-night hospital bag – Cosmetic surgery holiday, what to pack

If you are having your surgery under general anesthetic then you will be required to stay in the hospital for at least 1 night. Some procedures require a longer hospital stay. Your surgeon will have already told you how many nights you will be required to stay in your online consultation feedback. Pack some comfortable night clothes and an outfit to put on when you leave the hospital, consider the things above; lose fitting clothes that are easy to put on. You may want to pack a thin jumper in case the air conditioning is chilly in the hospital or you feel the cold easily.  Pack your regular over-night things and it might be a good idea to bring a book or organize some films to watch if you are expecting to be in the hospital for some time. The hospital has wifi so you can access skype and facebook etc to contact people back home.

Medication – Cosmetic surgery holiday, what to pack

If you are currently taking any medication for any pre-existing conditions then you must check with your coordinator and surgeon if you need to stop taking this medication before you surgery. Remember to pack any medication that you have been prescribed if you need to continue taking this while you’re away. You won’t need to bring any pain relief medication or any medication associated with your surgery. Everything will be prescribed and monitored by your surgeon in Thailand. They will even prescribe sleeping pills to help you sleep after your procedure.