Cosmetic surgeons offer discounted boob jobs to compete with Thailand’s flourishing cosmetic tourism industry

COSMETIC surgeons are looking to give the Gold Coast a lift by discounting boob jobs in a bid to lure more medical tourists.

HALF-PRICE boob jobs are being offered on the Gold Coast as surgeons look to put the squeeze on overseas cosmetic tourism.

In an Australian first, a local cosmetic tourism agency has teamed up with renowned plastic surgeons to offer cheap but quality boob job holidays in an attempt to claw back business that the city has lost to Thailand and other Asian countries.

Thousands of Australian women, many of them from the Coast, travel to Thailand each year for cut-price cosmetic surgery.

The new Gold Coast Breast Academy will be directed by expert plastic surgeons Dr Craig Layt and Dr Luke Stradwick who will oversee the further training of plastic surgeons for standard breast implants, which can then be offered cheaper.

A boob job holiday in a Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach resort with surgery at the academy, will cost about $7900.

Gold Coaster Anna Thomsen had a boob job in Thailand. Photo: Kit Wise

Breast implants average $10,000 in Australia compared to $4000 in Thailand.

The holiday package includes day surgery at Pacific Private Hospital at Southport, a follow-up appointment six days after surgery and nine nights in a resort, with an option to upgrade with a registered nurse monitoring the first night.

CosMediTour marketing director Greg Lemon said bookings had already been received from New Zealand and Perth just days after the official launch.

“If people can get their surgery done in Australia for a price that’s not out of touch with Thailand, then it presents an option to them,” Mr Lemon said.

CosMediTour sends about 100 patients a month to Bangkok or Phuket, of which about 80 per cent are for breast implants.

Surfers Paradise woman Anna Thomsen went to Bangkok for the procedure but also wanted a holiday.

“People will travel to the Coast because it’s a holiday destination but because I live here, I wanted to go away anyway,” Ms Thomsen said.

While bargain boob jobs are being offered elsewhere in Australia for about $6000, plastic surgeons warn they are by cosmetic doctors who do not have the same qualifications and experience.

“This is for the good of the patient and the good of the community,” Dr Layt said. “It’s ensuring good quality outcomes.”

Mr Lemon said the cheap price was for implants up to 400cc and patients had to fit requirements.

“Ideally we’re talking about girls who don’t have sagging of the breasts and asymmetry because otherwise that requires different surgery, almost reconstructive,” Mr Lemon said.

Peter Davison, of Phuket International Hospital, said of their 2000 plastic surgery cases each year, 1600 were Australians and 30 per cent of those were Queenslanders.

“We’re continuing to experience growth of 30 per cent year on year,” Mr Davison said. “The Australia market is getting more confident to go overseas for surgery.”