At least 28 people have died since 2019.
Turkey has become a go-to place for many British nationals to receive elective cosmetic surgery. But MP John McNally urged the government to suspend advertisements that lure people to book operations. This follows the death of Shannon Bowe, who traveled to Turkey in March 2023 from Scotland for gastric band surgery.
McNally said in the House of Commons, “Many gruesome deaths have occurred following cosmetic surgery in Turkey, including my own constituent, 28-year-old Shannon, whose family witnessed the most agonizing, horrific death as Shannon lay on a table for some nine hours convulsing.”
The gastric band surgery involves placing a band around the stomach to reduce its size and constrict its capacity for food. It’s a weight loss surgery that’s approved by the FDA and is performed in the U.S.
This isn’t the only procedure that British nationals are seeking in Turkey. Also common are breast enhancements, post-pregnancy makeovers, and Brazilian butt lifts (also called BBL) which reshapes the buttocks. These elective cosmetic procedures are done for a fraction of the cost in Turkey compared to the private clinics in the U.K. According to The Mirror, a gastric band surgery in the U.K. may cost up to £10,000 ($12,750), but Turkish clinics may charge as little as £2,500 ($3,185).
Patients also skip the long waiting times of Britain’s National Health Service, though the NHS only occasionally offers cosmetic procedures and only when it’s causing psychological distress or other health problems.
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Related: I Decided to Get Plastic Surgery in Turkey. Was It a Good Decision?
True Cost of Surgery
No surgical procedure comes without risks, but some are deadlier than others. BBLs have the highest risk of all cosmetic surgeries—one death per 4,000 procedures.
In 2019, 31-year-old Melissa Kerr died at a private hospital in Istanbul after a botched butt lift. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only casualty.
“We are aware of over 25 British nationals who have died in Turkey since January 2019 following medical procedures,” the U.K. foreign office highlights on its Turkey travel advice. One of them was a 38-year-old mother of three, Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose. She traveled to Turkey in 2019 for liposuction and died due to complications from the surgery.
There are others who come back with complications, including pain, scarring, infections, and deformities. According to one report, it has cost the NHS £5 million to fix botched cosmetic surgeries abroad in the past three years. Many have to undergo more surgeries and some even fly back to their clinic abroad for corrective procedures.
Turkish clinics have been advertising on social media with before and after photos and glowing recommendations (sometimes these are posted by influencers). They offer surgeries as holiday packages–some come with flights, hotels, and transfers included. In the U.K., the doctors allow patients a cool off period where they can think about the procedure. Doctors often refer patients to psychologists to help them make an informed decision about their body. Consultants in Turkey, however, are reportedly giving discounts for quick bookings and a Daily Mail reporter found it terrifyingly easy to get the go-ahead from a doctor in Istanbul to get a butt lift.
Last year, the U.K. banned ads by Turkish clinics promoting cosmetic surgery for making irresponsible claims and omitting information. “Advertisers targeting people in the U.K. need to ensure that they’re following the Code, even if the service isn’t based here. They mustn’t trivialize the decision to get cosmetic surgery or put people under pressure to take up time limited offers. They should also make clear the need for a pre-consultation, including where it will take place,” the Advertising Standards Authority said.
There are certainly good doctors and clinics in Turkey that can help patients, but it requires research and patience to find the right one.
Advice for Medical Tourists
For Americans, a popular destination for cosmetic procedures is the Dominican Republic—it is close, it is cheap, and it has fewer wait times. As per the CDC, 93 U.S. citizens have died from 2009-2022 after undergoing cosmetic surgery in the DR. You shouldn’t underestimate the risks attached to flying abroad for elective surgery. The CDC makes it clear that medical tourism can be risky, with complications such as infections, blood clots during air travel, and antimicrobial resistance as some of the problems.
Related: 10 Things to Expect When You Get Plastic Surgery in the Dominican Republic
If you decide to get surgery it in another country, the CDC recommends that you check the qualification of the clinician and determine how you will communicate with them if you don’t speak the language. Consult with your healthcare provider before the procedure and get travel insurance. Make sure you bring all medical records and prescriptions. Give yourself time to recover immediately after the procedure and ensure that you can get post-operative care in the U.S. If complications arise, you should be able to cover them financially.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons advises patients to look into who is going to take care of patients if they travel for surgery. A red flag is when you don’t see your surgeon until the day of surgery. Darren Smith, MD, a New York City board-certified plastic surgeon, recommends, “You need to look at what kind of preoperative and postoperative care is in place. And you need to make sure that there’s a very safe system for you to be present locally after your procedure. And then there has to be a system in place for follow-up when you get back home because surgery is not just the two or three hours on the table, it’s the month before and two months after the procedure.”
Very well written article!