Lynda Lazaridis, a grandmother from Melbourne, has shared her distress after undergoing cosmetic surgery in Bangkok, Thailand, which she financed by accessing her superannuation. Lazaridis, who turned 60 in 2022, sought a "body makeover" to address back pain and excess skin following a 15kg weight loss.
Her surgeon in Bangkok recommended a series of procedures including buttock lifts, thigh lifts, liposuction, and breast surgery. Lazaridis stated that the company advised her to access her superannuation by falsely claiming the procedures were for a "life-threatening illness" as they were not urgent.
She opted for surgery in Thailand due to significantly lower costs compared to Australia, where the procedures would have exceeded $200,000. However, upon waking from the surgery, Lazaridis discovered her breasts were gone and her nipples had been moved to a position near her armpits. "Looking at yourself in the mirror every day, and seeing all those scars, it's overwhelming," she said.
Despite subsequent surgeries and treatments, Lazaridis continues to face challenges with clothing and bras. Dr. Mark Duncan-Smith, chairman of the Western Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association, described the outcome as "indefensible," calling the surgical result "botched" and stating Lazaridis has been "maimed" with lifelong scarring. He also characterized the nipple placement as a "rookie mistake" that would complicate further corrective surgery.
Lazaridis's experience follows a similarly distressing account from Sophie Tsivoglou, who in 2022 reported an inability to feel her legs and unexplained scarring unrelated to her procedure, despite having had a positive experience with the same company four years prior. Tsivoglou described her post-surgery condition as akin to being "chewed up" by dogs after a car accident.