Bangkok,
Thailand — Sitting cross-legged on his hospital
bed at Yanhee Hospital <http://www.yanhee.net/>
in Bangkok, South African Neil van der Merwe unwraps a
layer of bandages to reveal a six-inch tube inserted into
the inner part of his forearm.
The contraption is being
used to grow a penis, the final step in his
transformation from woman to man.
"I wanted to do this a
long time ago," says the 35-year-old, who sports a thin
goatee and has lived as a man for five years.
Van Der Merwe is one of a
growing number of foreigners heading to Thailand for sex
changes and other surgery, enticed by the kingdom's
reputation for low cost but high quality medical
treatment.
The plastic tube is used
to stretch the skin on his inner forearm, so new skin
will grow. After six months, the skin will be removed and
shaped into a penis.
"The service is
remarkable," says Van Der Merwe, a designer for a
newspaper who says he wants to get married and have
children. "You get spoiled here."
But in a few days, armed
with a kit of supplies, Van Der Merwe will have to go
back to South Africa and take care of himself, before
returning in six months for his final surgery.
While he insists he is
not worried, doctors warn that as more people travel
abroad for medical care, they must be aware of possible
dangers.
"One disadvantage of
having surgery abroad is follow-up," says Somsak Lolekha,
president of Thailand's medical council.
He says that while the
surgery may initially look good, complications can arise
when the patient returns home, and with the operating
hospital hundreds or sometimes thousands kilometres away,
patients could be at risk.
Somsak urges doctors to
tell patients about both the advantages and disadvantages
of heading abroad for treatment.
"A lot of times they say
the advantages, but don't mention the side effects and
adverse reactions that might occur after surgery," he
says.
But these concerns have
not stopped millions of foreigners flocking to Thailand
for medical procedures, making the kingdom a centre for
medical tourism.
Last year, 1,28-million
international patients visited Thailand and the number is
expected to increase by 10% in 2006, according to
Thailand tourism agency figures.
The kingdom boasts 33
internationally accredited hospitals, including plastic
surgery specialist Yanhee Hospital, the
most famous clinic for sex-change
operations.
And while Bangkok has
long been known as a centre for male-to-female
operations, Yanhee has seen a sharp rise in the number of
women wanting to become men.
So far this year, they
have done 75 female-to-male operations, compared with 47
male-to-female.
But patients like Van Der
Merwe make up just a small percentage of the people going
to Bangkok for plastic surgery, most of whom are
hankering after a new nose, larger breasts or less
cellulite.
Of Yanhee's cosmetic
surgery patients, 30% are international, with most coming
from other parts of Asia, followed by Western Europeans,
Americans and Middle Easterners.
The hospital has
translators for 10 different languages to help the more
than 2 000 international patients who have come to Yanhee
for plastic surgery so far this year.
"The result is good and
it is a very cheap price when compared to home," says
Greechart Pornsinsirirak, head of plastic surgery at
Yanhee, as he finishes up a nose implant on an Asian
woman and walks across the hall to remove the Adam's
apple of a man from New Zealand.
The hospital is partnered
with travel agencies in the United States and Europe that
help patients with flights, accommodation and transfers
in addition to the surgical procedure.
Breast enlargements at
Yanhee cost $2 200. Phalloplasty -- the procedure that
constructs a penis from a skin graft, takes about four to
eight hours and requires a two-week stay at the clinic --
costs $5 500.
Doctors say similar
procedures in the US cost five to 10 times as much.
"For our patients, nearly
100% say the service is very good when they compare it
with their country," boasts Greechart, as nurses decked
out in tight uniforms, short skirts and high heels totter
by.
As well as the hospital's
quirks -- which include staff on rollerblades zipping
through the hospital delivering records -- patients enjoy
all the luxuries of a five-star hotel, including top
quality cuisine.
"After all the food, I
need liposuction," Van Der Merwe says, only half-joking.
With an expected 20% rise
in revenues and patients per year, Yanhee is expanding
with a new 15-storey building. This expansion will mean
more room for patients like Norwegian Helge Jan (58), who
is recovering from a facelift.
Although his bandaged
face is swollen and bruised, Jan manages a smile when
talking about his reasons for coming to Thailand for
surgery.
"It is very expensive in
Norway and I don't think they are as good in Norway as
they are in Thailand," he says. "The treatment here is 10
times better than in Norway. This is like a seven-star
hotel." -- AFP
