Clin. Prof. Apirag Chuangsuwanich

Clin. Prof. Apirag Chuangsuwanich (Thai: อภิรักษ์ ช่วงสุวนิช) is a male plastic surgeon based in the Thai capital. His entry on the Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital website (SiPH for short) records plastic surgery as his specialty and lists two areas of focus: facial cosmetic surgery and breast surgery and body contouring. The title ‘Clin. Prof.’ is reproduced as the hospital prints it, and the Thai-language version of his profile shows the matching Thai title, ศ.คลินิก นพ.

The profile attaches him to the Surgery Center (Plastic Surgery) of the hospital, which stands on Wanglang Road (number 2) in the Bangkok Noi district, postcode 10700. It also states an outpatient session on Mondays from 09:00 to 11:00. Read that as the hospital’s published schedule rather than a booked slot: clinic times change, and our patient team asks the hospital what is actually open before it replies to you.

This page is meant for people deciding whether to ask for a consultation with him, and it keeps three kinds of information apart. The first is what the hospital documents about him: training, unit, stated focus and a clinic session. The second is what we could not find in any source we were able to open, which we say openly instead of guessing. The third is general guidance about the kinds of operation his focus areas usually cover. That guidance would apply to any qualified plastic surgeon; it says nothing about his own technique or results.

The setting matters as much as the individual. Our research classes SiPH as a public hospital, located in Bangkok Noi. Our summary of the building and its services is on the Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital page, and the way we gather and check facts is explained in our provider research methodology. To ask for a consultation, send a request through the consultation form. Nothing is booked automatically: a member of our team reviews every request and confirms the outcome with you.

The hospital profile lists four education entries for Clin. Prof. Chuangsuwanich. The licence can be looked up on the Medical Council of Thailand's public register at checkmd.tmc.or.th, and our patient team can help you confirm it before you travel.

• 1975: Clinical Medical Science, Siriraj, Mahidol University (a training entry in Thailand).
• 1977: Doctor of Medicine, awarded by the same Siriraj faculty of medicine.
• 1987: Diplomate of Plastic Surgery, recorded under the Department of Surgery at Siriraj.
• 1992: Certificate of Fellow in Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, United States.

Taken in order, the entries describe a doctor whose basic medical degree and plastic surgery qualification were both obtained at Siriraj, the Mahidol University teaching hospital in Bangkok, with a fellowship in the United States in 1992. The profile does not say how long the fellowship lasted or what it concentrated on, and we do not infer either.

Several things a careful patient might look for are simply absent. The profile’s membership field is empty, so no society membership is stated for him. His Medical Council licence number is not recorded either. If any of this is important to you, raise it when you submit your consultation request. Licensed Thai physicians appear on the Medical Council register, and the checks we run on such registers are outlined in our provider research methodology.

One note on titles. ‘Clinical Professor’ (ศ.คลินิก) is an academic designation used by university-linked hospitals in Thailand. We pass it on exactly as published and attach no ranking or quality meaning to it.

Current post. According to the hospital profile he practises plastic surgery at SiPH within the Surgery Center (Plastic Surgery). It names no leadership role, earlier appointment or start year, so we describe none.

Published research. A PubMed search of his name with a Mahidol University or Siriraj affiliation returned the papers below, and we confirmed the affiliation on each one. Together they point to an interest in wounds, scars and skin rejuvenation alongside wider plastic surgery topics:

• *Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Hypertrophic Scars*, Archives of Plastic Surgery, 2022.
• *Efficacy of Low-temperature Plasma for Treatment of Facial Rejuvenation in Asian Population*, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 2021.
• *The Healing Effect of Low-Temperature Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma in Pressure Ulcer: A Randomized Controlled Trial*, International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, 2016.
• *The efficacy of silver mesh dressing compared with silver sulfadiazine cream for the treatment of pressure ulcers*, Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, 2011.
• A 1998 epidemiological study of cleft lip and palate among Thai patients, published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery.

Treat the list as a sample we were able to verify, not a full bibliography. A paper’s existence also says nothing about what a particular patient can expect from surgery. The 2021 plasma study on facial rejuvenation and the 2022 shock wave study on hypertrophic scars sit closest to cosmetic and scar care. If you are interested in non-surgical or supporting approaches for facial skin or scars, you can ask whether he uses them in clinic; the sources do not tell us.

Not documented. We found no published figure for his years in practice, operation counts, awards, patient ratings or complication rates, so we do not estimate any. We publish only what an identifiable official page states.

The hospital profile gives two broad areas and no list of named operations. That is a real limit: from public sources we cannot say that he performs, for instance, a facelift or a tummy tuck. What follows is general information on what these areas typically include, so that you can arrive with better questions. Whether he offers a given operation is something to confirm with the patient team or at the consultation.

### Facial cosmetic surgery In general this area covers operations that change the look of the face, eyelids, brows, nose, jaw and neck. Common examples are facelift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), brow lift and neck lift. Our facelift guide describes the operation as tightening and repositioning the deeper tissues of the lower face and neck and removing surplus skin. It is usually done under general anaesthesia or sedation, typically takes two to five hours, usually involves one to two nights in hospital, and international patients commonly stay 10 to 14 days in Thailand. The guide also points out that a facelift does not address the forehead or eyelids; other operations do that.

Separately, the Skin and Plastic Surgery Center run by the hospital (3rd floor, Zone A) lists eyelid surgery and nasal surgery among its plastic surgery services, and the hospital’s procedure list for that centre includes droopy-lid correction, double-eyelid creation, lower-lid surgery and chin surgery (genioplasty). Those are the centre’s services in general. His profile does not place him in that centre, so we do not credit any of those operations to him.

When you ask about facial surgery, bring clear recent photos from the front and the side, say which feature bothers you rather than naming a technique, and ask how the surgeon responds when a patient’s hopes differ from what the anatomy allows. For eyelid surgery our guide gives an operating time of about one to two hours, often under local anaesthesia with sedation (or sometimes general anaesthesia) as a day case. Stitches are generally removed at 5 to 7 days, and bruising is mostly gone after one to two weeks.

### Breast surgery Cosmetic breast operations commonly include breast reduction, breast lift and breast augmentation. Taking augmentation first, our guide describes general anaesthesia as the usual choice, an operating time of typically one to two hours and a stay in hospital lasting a day or a single night. Most international patients spend 7 to 10 days in Thailand, with desk work often resumed at roughly one week and heavy exercise generally held back until about six weeks. The guide adds that an implant alone does not raise sagging breasts, and a surgeon may propose adding a lift where the nipple has dropped.

The hospital’s plastic surgery centre also lists reconstructive and breast reconstruction surgery. Reconstruction after cancer follows a different clinical pathway from cosmetic breast surgery. If that is your situation, mention it in your request so the right background reaches the team.

### Body contouring This term generally covers operations that reshape the trunk and limbs, such as tummy tuck, liposuction, body lift and surgery after major weight loss. Our tummy tuck guide says the operation is performed under general anaesthesia, takes typically two to five hours, often uses drains for the first days, commonly involves one to three nights in hospital, and calls for avoiding heavy lifting for about six weeks. Guidance on liposuction stresses that safe limits depend on your weight and health, and that removing large volumes or treating many areas in one session raises the risk.

If you are weighing a combination, such as breast and abdomen surgery on the same trip, ask the surgeon whether he would operate on both together and what he would advise for you. The answer depends on your health, not on a general rule. Every operation carries some risk, and a surgeon can judge your suitability only after examining you.

### Gender-affirming surgery Nothing in the sources we used indicates that he provides gender-affirming surgery, so we say nothing about it.

At a first consultation the surgeon decides whether surgery is advisable and, if so, which operation fits you. The questions below are ones patients often find useful when a surgeon’s listed focus is facial cosmetic surgery or breast surgery and body contouring. They are general suggestions and do not describe how Clin. Prof. Chuangsuwanich runs his consultations.

The plan, not only the procedure - What precisely are you recommending for me, and what makes it better than the other options? - How long will it take, and which type of anaesthesia is planned? - Which parts happen in the hospital and which in an outpatient clinic? - Where will the scars lie, and how do they usually look once mature?

Safety - Given my history, medicines and earlier operations, what are the main risks for me? - I smoke or vape: what nicotine-free period do you require around the operation? (Surgeons commonly ask for one because nicotine impairs wound healing.) - Which medicines (blood thinners, supplements, some herbal products) should I pause, and for how long? - How will you lower the chance of blood clots, particularly with a long flight home?

Recovery and follow-up - How long should I remain in Bangkok, and when will you check my progress? - Which symptoms should make me contact you immediately? - Who deals with problems after I am back home, and how do I reach the team? - If a correction becomes necessary, how is it handled and who bears the cost? Ask for the answer in writing.

The surgeon’s own experience. Should you wish to learn how many times he has performed a specific operation, put that question to him directly. We print no figure because no verifiable public source gives one. A thoughtful surgeon will explain, and will also say frankly when another surgeon or a different operation would serve you better.

Our own pages set out typical recovery timelines, risks and cost factors, which gives you a neutral baseline to compare against what you are told: facelift, blepharoplasty, breast augmentation and tummy tuck.

The hospital’s address, as given on its contact page, is 2 Wanglang Road, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700. The Skin and Plastic Surgery Center occupies the 3rd floor of Zone A. For that centre the hospital lists appointments through its call centre on 1474 (press 1), open from 08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday and Sunday, and from 08:00 to 19:00 on Saturday. Those details describe the centre in general, not his own clinic. For a consultation with him specifically, our patient team can coordinate with the hospital for you.

Accreditation. On its official accreditation page the hospital says it holds Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, listing a fourth cycle that runs to 17 November 2026. The claim is the hospital's own statement; accreditation status can be checked in the JCI public directory. Because that end date is close, ask our team to check the current status when you write.

What we could not document. Our research on the hospital did not turn up an international patient desk, a list of interpreter languages, airport transfers or accommodation help, so we cannot tell you what overseas patients should expect from the hospital itself. His own profile gives no languages either. If you do not speak Thai, ask which language the consultation will be in and whether an interpreter can attend, so that consent forms and aftercare instructions make sense to you before you sign anything.

How long to stay. The surgeon decides how long you stay, based on the operation and how well you heal. Our procedure pages give these typical figures for time in Thailand: eyelid surgery commonly about 5 to 7 days, breast augmentation 7 to 10 days, a facelift 10 to 14 days and a tummy tuck 12 to 14 days. Choose flights with some slack, and hold off on a non-refundable return ticket until the surgeon has said when he wants to review you. Our Bangkok city page covers general matters for visitors staying in the capital.

Good preparation lets the first conversation be specific. Send whatever applies to your area of interest.

For everyone - Age, height and weight, and your goal in your own words, including anything you do not want changed. - Your health background: existing conditions, previous operations, allergies, regular medication and supplements, plus any smoking or vaping. - Anything you have had done before in the same area (operative notes or implant details help). - Your planned dates in Thailand and how flexible they are.

For facial cosmetic surgery (facelift, eyelids, brow, neck) - Clear daylight photos with a neutral expression and no make-up: front, both sides and a three-quarter view. For the eyelids, add one gazing straight ahead with eyes wide and another with your gaze lifted a little. - A recent photo of yourself that you like, if it helps show what ‘natural’ means to you. - Any history of dry eyes, eyelid or vision problems, earlier fillers or botulinum toxin, and facial nerve problems.

For breast surgery (augmentation, lift, reduction) - Photos from the front, both sides and with arms raised, against a plain background, in underwear or an unpadded bra. - Your present bra size, and the shape or proportion you are aiming for, in everyday language rather than only a cup letter. - Pregnancy and breastfeeding history, plans for future pregnancies, family history of breast disease and your most recent breast imaging, if any. - Already have implants? Include the type, volume, operation date and the manufacturer’s implant card.

For body contouring (abdomen, liposuction, lift) - Photos of the areas you are concerned about from the front, side and back, standing relaxed. - Your weight history, including any large change over the past year and whether your weight is now stable. Our tummy tuck guide advises a stable weight before the operation. - Pregnancy history, and any hernia or earlier abdominal surgery. - A note of past clots, long-haul flights and any blood thinners.

Photos should go through the consultation form or whichever private channel our team suggests, and never onto a public page. Our privacy policy explains how we handle health information you share with us.