The British Assosciation of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the British Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Society have issued a joint declaration last year on surgical health tourism due to increasing complication rates.
In the report, it was pointed out that the increasing number of people going abroad for aesthetic and bariatric surgery has increased the rates of serious complications and even death. Aesthetic and Bariatric Surgery Associations stated that they published this joint declaration to draw attention to patient safety and health.
Both associations warned about the risks of health tourism. Against this, economic pressures and advertising bombardment are leading to an increasing number of British patients choosing to travel abroad for surgery. Health professionals point out that an increasing number of patients are presenting with complications following operations performed outside the UK. The management of these complications has the potential to place a heavy burden on the already strained NHS budget. Therefore, a measure could be introduced to ensure that these costs are paid by the patient.
Also the recent YouTube video "Türkiye'deki güzellik sektörünün karanlık tarafı" (The dark side of the beauty market in Turkey) by DW Türkçe explores the dark side of Turkey's booming aesthetic surgery industry, specifically highlighting the dangers faced by British citizens seeking cosmetic procedures there.
The video investigates the cases of Morgan Ribeiro, a young woman who tragically died after a botched gastric sleeve surgery in Istanbul, and Sara Platt, who endured numerous complications after a tummy tuck and breast augmentation. Both women had been lured to Turkey by advertisements for affordable procedures, but ultimately fell victim to unscrupulous clinics and unqualified surgeons. The video also examines the role of medical tourism agencies in facilitating these procedures, raising concerns about their lack of transparency and accountability. The report concludes by advocating for stricter regulations in the industry and increased awareness among potential patients of the risks involved.
Dangers of Unregulated Clinics
Unregulated clinics pose significant risks to patients seeking medical care. These clinics often operate without proper licensing, oversight, or adherence to medical standards, leading to harmful consequences. In this chapter, we delve into the potential dangers associated with these establishments and provide examples from various sources to illustrate our points.
Substandard Conditions
Unregulated clinics often have substandard conditions that can compromise patient safety and care. These conditions may include:
Lack of proper sanitation, leading to the spread of infections and diseases
Outdated or malfunctioning medical equipment, increasing the risk of complications during procedures
Inadequate staff training, resulting in poor patient care and potentially life-threatening mistakes
In the video, a journalist visits an unregulated cosmetic surgery clinic, where they find dirty instruments, rusty equipment, and unqualified staff, posing significant risks to patients undergoing procedures.
Unqualified Staff
Unregulated clinics may employ unqualified or inadequately trained staff, which can result in improper diagnoses, incorrect treatments, and patient harm:
Unlicensed practitioners may administer treatments or perform procedures outside their scope of expertise
Inadequately trained staff may not recognize or respond appropriately to patient complications or emergencies
A former patient of an unregulated clinic shares their story of receiving treatment from an unlicensed practitioner who misdiagnosed their condition, leading to unnecessary and harmful treatments.
Performed Procedures
Unregulated clinics may perform procedures without proper oversight or adherence to medical standards, increasing the risk of complications and poor outcomes, such as:
Performing unnecessary or inappropriate procedures, potentially causing harm and increasing healthcare costs
Failing to obtain informed consent or provide adequate pre- and post-procedure instructions
Lack of follow-up care or inadequate response to patient complications
The video shows undercover footage from an unregulated clinic, where practitioners are seen performing invasive procedures without proper equipment, safeguards, or patient consent.
Unregulated clinics put patients at risk by operating without proper oversight, licensing, or adherence to medical standards. By cutting corners in areas such as staff training, facility maintenance, and procedure performance, unregulated clinics expose patients to potential harm, substandard care, and poor outcomes. It is crucial for both patients and regulatory bodies to ensure that medical clinics are held to the highest standards, to protect public health and safety.
What We Offer to Our Patients?
1-When you decide to walk with us in your fight against obesity, you will be consulted by a UK citizen bariatric surgeon and informed in full detail.
2-Selection of the operation is completely tailored to you in the light of international criteria. Using the ACS NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator, the most appropriate and lowest risk method is selected for you. Complication and risk estimates for all possible methods, detailed scientific analyses on targeted success rates are presented to you as a report.
3-The method to be applied to you is decided together in medical consultation, and all your postoperative examination and surgery reports, including images such as endoscopy, ultrasound, leak test, etc. are delivered to you. We would also like to inform you that our practice of delivering the surgery video to the patient without editing is a standard.
4- Your surgery is performed by internationally accredited surgeons who are world-renowned in the field of bariatric surgery. Follow-up processes are also carried out by a team with SRC International Accreditation.
5-The medical history, medications and embolism risks of all bariatric surgery candidates are evaluated at the time of surgery decision. If necessary, changes in medications or the use of blood thinners are decided in communication with your GP.
6-After the surgery, your regular and mandatory controls are carried out by our bariatric dietitians even if you do not request it. In order to avoid any vitamin and mineral deficiency, your regular blood tests will be followed up in co-operation with your GP.
7- In case you need any support in the UK, the necessary support is provided by local bariatric surgery specialists and other consultants.
Your health is your most valuable asset, cost should never be your priority when deciding on surgery abroad. You can contact us to reach UK quality health service with much more reasonable package prices compared to UK figures.
Sources: Fly to Cure Healthcare 🇬🇧
Dark Side of the Medical Tourism