According to TTG news, UK health officials are to visit Turkey to discuss regulations around medical and cosmetic tourism after a spate of deaths following procedures.
A health minister said the risk of death for Brazilian butt-lift surgery was 10 times higher
The decision comes after a coroner raised concerns that Melissa Kerr, who died at a private hospital in Istanbul in 2019 during Brazilian butt-lift (BBL) surgery, and other victims were not given enough information before surgery.
Jacqueline Lake, senior coroner for Norfolk, sent a prevention of future deaths report to the Department of Health and Social Care following its publication on 13 September.
Lake told the government she was concerned patients were not being made aware of the risks and the high mortality rate associated with Brazilian butt-lift surgery.
Lake wrote: “In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action.”
Health minister Maria Caulfield said the government was taking the issue seriously, the BBC reported. She said officials from the Department of Health would be “visiting Turkey shortly to meet with their counterparts”.
“It is particularly important that those considering having the Brazilian butt-lift procedure are made fully aware of the risks and have time to reflect fully on their decision ahead of surgery,” she added.
“The risk of death for BBL surgery is at least 10 times higher than many other cosmetic procedures. We have a strong interest in Turkey given the number of UK nationals travelling to the country for medical treatments.”
Nearly a year ago, the FCDO warned medical tourists to check the legitimacy of providers in Turkey after 22 deaths in four years. At the time, the FCDO said: “We are aware of 22 British nationals who have died in Turkey since January 2019 following medical tourism visits.”
A 2019 report from the World Travel and Tourism Council revealed a 358% increase in medical tourism around the globe. The research found international spending on medical tourism products and services increased from $2.4 billion to $11 billion between 2000 and 2017.