Gavin Chan, MBBS

My initial consultation was over a year ago, i was hesitant to book in for the CO2 Laser resurfacing as i had seen photos of patients immediately after their procedure and it was scary, I finally booked in and had the procedure on the 29th of April , at its worst ( day 3 & 4 ) it felt like bad sunburn, and it took about 10 days to heal and just dry skin peeling in patches after, i went for a review with Gavin a couple of weeks ago and had an after procedure photo taken at the appointment, Gavin showed me pictures of my face side by side ( before and after )the procedure, all of the sun damage ( brown patches ) and fine lines are gone and my face looks smoother, I still have some deeper lines on my top lip but i am really happy with the result , Gavin is a lovely caring and honest human being and his staff are all friendly , helpful and caring , i would recommend going to Gavin Chan to anyone who is thinking about having CO2 Laser resurfacing VERY HAPPY

The most down to earthy doctor you’ll ever meet. His honest and an incredibly kind human being.

He makes all his patients feel comfortable.

His work is the best; he has an eye for detail. His a perfectionist; exactly what you need in a cosmetic surgeon.

As a result of childhood bullying, I struggle with a body image disorder. Sometimes I wear my insecurities on my sleeve, which makes me easy prey in the beauty industry. The vast majority of beauty industry professionals I have met have been happy to sell me unnecessary procedures. From 2016 to 2018, I had 13 syringes of juvederm injected into my cheeks. I was still in my twenties, so this amount of product was obscene. It aged my face and distorted my features. Researching how to get this fixed, I ran across one of Dr. Chan's Youtube videos on correcting bad filler. I requested a consultation with him and I am so relieved that I did.

Finding a surgeon with technical skill is relatively easy. Finding one with high ethical standards is an entirely different story. In my experience, Dr. Chan is a rare gem. He is one of the few surgeons I have seen treat filler with the caution it deserves. He is the only surgeon I have seen screen patients for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. His pre-consultation paperwork includes a form that measures body image preoccupation and satisfaction. Rather than trying to profit off my insecurities, he gave me the same advice my friends and family have given me for years, which is to leave my face alone! He told me that if I want to dissolve my fillers, fine, but I should get off the path of cosmetic surgery addiction before I cause irreparable damage.

I have spent $75,000 on my face and body in the last four years. I have met with well over a dozen beauty industry professionals, and Dr. Chan is the only one to have warned me about my excessive cosmetic procedures. Most plastic surgeons have treated me like a goldmine. Dr. Chan treated me like a person. For now, I am going to take Dr. Chan’s advice and leave my face alone. But if I ever need a procedure down the road, he will be my doctor! I really can't recommend him enough. The beauty industry needs more people like him.

I recently discovered Gavin Chan after searching “tear trough filler” on YouTube. I watched a video showing Gavin fixing a woman’s tear trough area but dissolving a previous injectors work and reinjecting and then results were outstanding!

I decided to contact Gavin Chan for advice after I had received some botched fillers which left me with a Tyndall effect (permamnant black eyes) from a DR who wasn’t taking my calls or providing any advice.

When I spoke to Gavin he was so lovely and informative - it was truely refreshing to see an injector who cared about the wellbeing of others (and not just a money grabber unlike some)

When your face is botched you have no idea how it can affect your self esteem and I honestly cannot thank Gavin enough for all the great advise he offered me.

I’m from Sydney, but next time in Melbourne (and the lockdown is over), I will definitely be seeing Gavin for future treatments.

Do yourself a favour and look up his work - natural results yet the changes are so amazing!

After having had a very bad experience in the hands of a Dr who is no longer allowed to practice..... he left me with many irregularities on my thighs which made me very self conscious..... I summoned up some courage to see if there was anyone who would be prepared to help make my thighs look more presentable As for my stomach, which I also had done by the previous Dr I felt it was beyond help unless I was prepared to have a tummy tuck. Somehow I managed to stumble across the most kind doctor one could hope to meet. Dr Chan did the most wonderful job on my thighs...I am thrilled with the results. He listened to my worries and I am so very grateful for what he did for me. Gavin even did a bit of meticulous work on the larger lumps of scar tissue on my stomach with a series of steroid injections just out of kindness. All the staff I have had contact with at the Victorian cosmetic institute from the girls on the desk to the lovely nurses have renewed my faith in people. I have even tried one of the skin rejuvenating treatments at the institute and am very happy with the results. I highly recommend Victorian cosmetic institute Gavin is a very skilled surgeon.

Amazing experience, amazing doctor!! No other compares.. took his time to respond to all my emails up until lead up and made me feel like I wasn't just a patient. More like he genuinely cared for me. The whole process with the team was so amazing. Can't thank them enough. Wouldn't recommend any other doctor as he would not compare. Truely a talent..

I had my first procedure with Gavin Chan on Thursday. It was lipo of my entire back side (ankles, calves, saddle bags, waist, back and arms) with fat transfer to butt and lips. He said he removed around 4L and put 400ml in each cheek. I'm very sore right now. Taking regular pain medication. I read 4L is quite a lot.

The plan is to do it in 2 stages since calves shouldn't be done at the same time as the circumferential thigh, due to blood clots. In 3 months time we will do my front side (inner thigh, front of thigh, stomach, jawline) and then fat transfers depending on how things look. And I plan to do some laser resurfacing and jawline botox.

I was very excited about this procedure. In the beginning I was only interested in doing my cankles but after consultations with different doctors I decided to do my whole body. I measured in at 162cm and 68kgs. I have a curvy pear shape and am trying to get an hourglass shape. :)

I had some consultations with some other doctors including Dr Tavakoli in Sydney. I felt Dr Chan was the best fit for me. He has more experience doing calves and had a comprehensive plan for my body type. Very impressed with the care I received at the clinic. They had everything organised including pickups, garments, massages (next week) and they organised a carer to stay with me overnight.

The procedure was pretty full on. They had to position me prior to being put to sleep and I felt very exposed in front of a room full of people. It was professional but kinda like woah... I stayed at the clinic til late when the carer came to collect me. Lots of blood and leaking fluids everywhere.

Feeling confident. Just trying to distract myself til I feel better.

Updated on 1 Jul 2017:
Not sure how to change it...

Updated on 3 Jul 2017:


Updated on 3 Jul 2017:
Had my first massage at VCI and a shower. Feel so much better. Very swollen around my feet. Everything looks good so far! Difficult to get excited when I need a second round though.

Updated on 4 Jul 2017:
I had my stitches out today which wasn't fun. I recommend taking a painkiller beforehand. Also had my second massage :) Everything seems to be healing well, just walking around like an old lady and trying not to apply pressure to the lipod areas.

My lips feel quite tight at this stage.

Updated on 6 Jul 2017:
I caught another glimpse of myself in the mirror today and everything is looking so good. I know it's early days but I already have complete confidence in my results. Gavin Chan is very talented with liposuction! It's so funny looking at myself from side view, because my back half is all sculpted and then I have a pot belly and protruding thighs. I'm like a chubby and skinny person combined.

I've paid the deposit for my second procedure which will be in early November.

Updated on 7 Jul 2017:
Today I washed my compression garment in the shower and put it in the dryer on low heat. It dried super fast. A spare garment is unnecessary (depending on the type of garment you have - I assume they are all the same).

Updated on 8 Jul 2017:
My stomach is as big as my butt. Lol

Updated on 24 Jul 2017:
The healing continues. It's a long process. I feel like my skin is becoming a bit less sensitive but I still want to put on my compression garment for protection. It's funny because at first I hated it and asked Dr Chan if I could get away with not wearing it at all. I also feel quite tired at times.

I'm looking forward to my next procedure and having this over and done with.

Updated on 24 Jul 2017:
I've never had any kind of lip filler but I thought I'd give fat transfer a try. I looked really weird for a week or so because my lips were super swollen and my speech was affected, and I actually felt like I was being looked at a bit weird. Now it's all fine. The result is quite subtle but I can definitely see a difference, particularly the projection from the side? There is slight asymmetry which I'm not worried about at this stage.

I was told it takes 2 or 3 goes to get a good increase in size so I don't mind that I'm having a 2 stage procedure. It will be interesting to see the final result.

Updated on 3 Aug 2017:
I'm starting to feel more comfortable without the compression garment now. I might stop wearing it altogether. It's been 5 weeks and was recommend 6 weeks.

Updated on 7 Aug 2017:
My second surgery will now be early next month. Less waiting - yay :)

Updated on 29 Sep 2017:
Ok so I had my second surgery a couple of days ago (there was another date change). As usual everyone at the clinic was so nice and professional. My recovery this time seems a lot smoother and I have less leaking and drainage, perhaps due to different areas being done? I had my jawline, stomach, inner thigh, front of thigh, knees and front of calves done. Another 4L was taken out, making it a total of 8L. Lip fat transfer again. And laser resurfacing to old scars. Dr Chan has covered so many different problem areas and has made it seem like nothing is too much trouble, I'm so grateful to have a caring perfectionist looking after me and making this a straight forward experience.

I'm excited to heal and see the results.

Updated on 2 Oct 2017:
I was a bit naughty today and took off my garment early. I feel so much better after a shower! It's a lot easier this time round because I can sit and lie down normally since it was my front half that was done.

Updated on 3 Oct 2017:


Updated on 10 Oct 2017:
It's been almost 2 weeks and I walk quite slowly and hunched over. My inner thighs are sore when they rub together and my stomach feels tight (hence the hunch).

Updated on 22 Oct 2017:
My stomach is still quite firm and uneven from the swelling but it's beginning to soften. It's just a matter of healing now.

Updated on 17 Nov 2017:
A family member I hadn't seen in a while commented on my lips. I didn't think there was much difference but I guess there is a noticeable increase in size afterall. I plan to get a third fat transfer.

Updated on 26 Dec 2017:
I started out at 70kgs. I had 8 litres removed in total. I am now around 63kgs.

Updated on 31 Jan 2018:


Updated on 31 Jan 2018:
I should mention I've lost a lot of weight. When these photos were taken I was 59kgs.

Updated on 6 Feb 2018:
Needless to say I'm super happy with my results and my overall experience at The Victorian Cosmetic Institute. The staff and Dr Chan are so professional, knowledgeable and at the same time easy-going. I actually just had a small touch up liposuction procedure, fat transfer to the lips (third time) and some laser resurfacing. I had fraxel duel to my entire face and Deep FX to surgical scars on my face and under my breast. It sounds odd but I was really looking forward to my procedure and seeing everyone at the clinic. I was disappointed the anesthesiologist Dr Cox was not there, he's quite funny, but the new guy was good too.

Updated on 6 Feb 2018:


Updated on 7 Feb 2018:


Updated on 6 Mar 2018:
I continue to be impressed with my results. The contour of my legs is sooo much better. And an unexpected change is that my bra is about 1 cup size larger than before at an equivalent weight. The one in the after pic is a 10E/32E and I think it looks good but it's getting a little dicey finding bras in my size.

I took these pictures the night before my Liposuction and fat transfer.

I'm 23 years old and weighed 77.5kgs.

I decided to get liposuction for two reasons.

1. I have never actually owned bikini.

2. Unlike many people, I couldn't stay motivated to go to the gym. Main reason was because of my self confidence.

Updated on 15 Feb 2016:
I was feeling very excited. I had woken up at 5am and had gone for an extra long shower as I knew it would be a few days before I was able to again.At 6:30am a Mercedes Benz had arrived at my doorstep and my private driver had taken my bag for me and had ensured I was comfortable.I arrived at the Berwick Victorian Cosmetic Institute around 7:30am where I was greeted by one of the staff members. She had offered me a warm robe straight out of the dryer which was a nice touch.I didn't have to wait long before they took me into my room, where I was then asked to lay in bed so that my body could warm up. Being 7:30am I was extremely happy getting back into bed.Around 8:00am I met with Dr Gavin Chan. He had a couple of concerns regarding the extent of my procedure. I was going to undergoing liposuction to my arms, back, waist, abdomen, hips, tummy, inner thighs and inner knees. He was brutally honest in telling me that I should really consider spreading the procedure over 2 sessions.We had agreed to examine my body again first before starting my procedure and luckily for me, my legs were defined enough to be taken out of the equation as I had toned them since my last consult.At 8:30am, Dr Chan had began to draw on me. This was done standing up so that he could achieve the best possible result for me when laying down.By 9:00am I had gone into theatre, had met Dr Bob Cox and the crew and was soon enough drinking cocktails in Tahiti as promised.My procedure was a long one. 8hours under anaesthetic.I remember waking up, and having to move from the bed to the chair. Unfortunately due to my acid reflux, this had made me a little sick.My private driver was there to pick me up, this time in a BMW (from what I can remember) the next I knew I was home, safe in bed.

The night before surgery,

Well technically it's the day of the surgery, up late and waiting for my Stiltox to kick in.

Last November I decided I wanted to do this but I was so skinny naturally, no matter how bad I ate. I weighed 50.1kg when I first saw Gavin and he said I am one of the skinniest girls that he would have to lipo to get fat, he said he would need to lipo my whole body. I said I will put on a few kilos of fat to gain some do our fat cells. Let me tell you I struggled hard with that, my metabolism was working fast and weight was not coming on, was eating healthy fats and having high calorie protein shakes, then decided to hurry it along and let's just say that burgers, chips, pasta and pizza know me very well! Not good I know but have put weight on finally and today weigh in at 56.5!
Feeling excited and nervous at the same time. Had my IV treatment a couple of days ago and saw Dr Gavin Chan yesterday for another follow up, to go through any last min questions etc. tried on my next two items of clothing that I will be living in for the next few weeks, compression garments! He was amazing as usual. Dr Gavin Chan from the Victorian cosmetic institute is known as the " cheek" expert in Australia and has been featured on Tv shows on so many occasions. Which is why I traveled from Sydney to Melbourne to have this done. He really truely is amazing, so professional, caring and honest and his staff, they are all just as fabulous.
The anaesthetist called me last night and spoke to me for almost an hour, thoroughly going through medical history and any concerns, he made sure to put me at ease. We were laughing after all the serious questions and made me look forward to it more. The girls at the clinic raved about him, his technique and his track record of ppl not having nausea or vomiting after surgery.
My heart at times is beating so fast and anxious. Had a shower, took off my rings and tried to get some clothes prepared for surgery. I left this too late but I realised that anything I wear I have to consider being ok with potentially getting fluid on my clothes from the incursion sites. So I think I'll be walking into the clinic looking like a homeless hobbo! With things on, have to be comfortable!

Wish me luck!

Updated on 3 Feb 2016:
Ok I made it and feeling good, no real pain. Just feels more like sore muscles. They managed to take out over 2 litres of fat. But only had 500cc transferred into each buttocks, plus filling out my indent of my outer thighs. They also transferred some fat into my lips.

I got them to take some pictures while on operating table.

When I got in the morning the staff were there usual self, amazing, friendly and accommodating. Was nervous, they checked my blood pressure and my sitting heart rate was at 110 but I was all good. Had a great laugh and talk with me, my girlfriend that came to support from Melb and with dr Gavin chan. Also had a great laugh with Robert the anesthesiest.
Went into theatre room and was feeling good, don't even remember passing out!

Lipo took 4 hours on the dot. Woke up feeling groggy and tired and a little sore. Also have some fluid mixed with blood leaking but seriously all good, must be the anaesthetic in my system still! ????

So he took over 2 litres of fat and transferred the 500cc into each buttock, I know I'll def want more so thanks to it being frozen and kept at clinic I can go back another three times if I want! Loving my instant shape of my hips! The results already show, see the pictures. So I have been awake for only two hours and feeling great. Obviously as I'm able to update. At my rented serviced apartment now and laying on my side, with towels and with Foxtel, the best!!

Going in tomorrow for my first post op app with my amazing sweet nurse. Will update further.

Decided to do this review as real self and all the dolls on here have been so helpful with their reviews.

Updated on 4 Feb 2016:
Feeling a lot more soreness today and walking real funny but still managing a lot better than I thought. I started walking within 2 hours of surgery, I try get up and move as much as possible but trying to get up or position my self is a mission. My incision sites are hurting today but on my pain killers. Have not got much of an appetite so I'm slowly eating a little here and there.

I am very swollen today and leaking out fluids from incision points, apart from that all good. Went to see the nurses today for a check up and all is good, minimum bruising so far. Will upload some pics next week. But for now thought I would post some pics of my lips as I got fat injected there as well.

Updated on 8 Feb 2016:
So day 4 post op, had my second catch up today at the Victorian cosmetic institute, had my second mineral and vitamin IV infusion and my first lymphatic drainage massage. Had a little nausea but have realised its been all from the pain killer endone I have taken so I have stopped and just having Panadine forte when needed. The massage was great and not painful at all, if anything it felt weird in certain places as the skin is kind of numb.
Have a little brushing too but mainly one one side, been taking the arnica tablets and spray under the tongue as well as my vitamin C, B12 and iron and magnesium. My butt is def a lot fuller, I'll upload pics but more next week. They said my butt could only take 500cc per buttock, my frame was small though so I'm not surprised. Still swollen and now I got how some days are better than others, it's def a journey in healing after surgery but worth it. Had the foam taken off today and a obviously the compression garment taken off for an hour and it felt so so good! Can't wait to have a shower in the next few days!! Actually can't wait to get back home in Sydney, missing my bed but love Melbourne!

Updated on 14 Feb 2016:
Ok so on day 6 post op I went in to the Victorian cosmetic institute, had my catch up with Dr Gavin Chan and all went so well, he showed a few potential clients the pictures he took while on the operating table and girls loved the instant shape and curves and said it was such a great surgery success! Then had my stitches taken out, was expecting it to hurt but nurses are so gentle and amazing. Then followed by my lymphatic massage. I just have to take a moment to really say how incredibly happy I am with the clinic, amazing staff and the very talented Dr Gavin Chan, I'm so happy. I thought I would of had to travel to the states but happy I stayed here is Australia, he really is amazing.
Considering I was so tiny and his skinniest patient, he gave me curves, small waist and a fuller butt!
Felt great and had so much more energy by day 6 and was off pain killers.

Then only thing was that the same day I went into my second compression garment but it was so tight I could not get it over my hips and butt! Was a work out but I got it down packed now on putting it on. Bruising gone down heaps. I'm still swollen. My pictures from the day of surgery on operating table to now is different as I'm swollen but I know that will take some time and I'm fine with that. Here's the bad thing....

The next day I got gastro!! My girlfriend had it and I was so sick having to go to the toilet over 25 times first day and 18 times the next day, was horrible, then I got my period! Ahhhh, talk about bad luck! But all good now and feeling great and energy is coming back stronger and stronger each day! It's a weird sensation as certain parts of my body are still sore, swollen and numb at the same time.
Feeling great!
Trying to post pictures but I'm having trouble so might try add them later.

Updated on 14 Feb 2016:
10 days post op pictures update

Updated on 24 Feb 2016:
By this point at 10 days post op was feeling great and energy levels really good, ordered my self this amazing butt pillow for sitting and driving etc. butt is still very firm and sweeling was sever, so I went to have a lymphatic drainage and wow, the therapist did one side of my waist compared to the other and was a big difference. I have photo shopped my back tattoo.

Updated on 24 Feb 2016:
Wow what a difference it is, pretty much almost back to normal, putting on scar cream often and the swelling has gone down dramatically. Brusing was gone after a week in a half. Today was the fist day I went out and decided not to wear my garment, wow it felt great as my butt looked amazing, but in the garment it almost Hides your hump and holds it in if that makes sense. My butt is still firm but it's starting to soften up now. My waist still feels a little sore but numb at the same time, but more than bearable. When I do sit now I either sit with my special butt pillow or found that if I put all my weight on my lower thighs lifting up my butt is fine too.

Loving loving my butt, was so scared that maybe 500cc per cheek would not be enough but so far it's more than enough. Will see if I lose any more volume. If anything my butt is smaller now as no swelling, but a better Perkier shape as opposed to just big and swollen.

Dr Gavin Chan has stayed in contact via email checking up on me and they have even sent me scar treatments for free and they really are amazing, he said to trust him to give me a natural sqouting butt and he has, no wonder he does so many of these procedures! Wish I had this done earlier, so so happy! My girlfriend that I have been staying with in Melbourne has been my rock and now she wants to get it done too! Anyway, all is great and so so happy with my shape, butt projection and fullness and the Victorian cosmetic institute. My god I LOVE shopping now, my waist is amazingly tiny and my butt looks great in everything!!!!! Have gone crazy mad on shopping!!

Updated on 24 Feb 2016:
Sorry forgot Afew other pictures from before and 3 weeks after surgery

I saw Dr Gavin back in 2017, I did lipo and fat transfer to my butt. I would not encourage anyone to do it! At first your body is swollen but once it subsides the changes are minor. I am left with lipo scars on my body and living with regret for altering my body shape. My thighs are different from one another. It just looks like a big chunk was removed from one thigh then the other. I’ve been hoping that my fat grows back after lipo but that has not happened. You can see on my body where lipo was done bc I have visible line of where fat used to be. It doesn’t look normal and I didn’t think that this would be the side affect from lipo and that’s on my for not doing more research. Please be careful and think about the risks before undertaking surgery. The only positive from my experience was the professionalism and warm nature of Dr Gavin.