Doctors warn of rise of ‘diagnostic tourism’ as influencer advertises full MOT exams from Turkish clinics, which detect 30 types of cancer, heart, eye and even gynaecological conditions for as little as £600

At least 25 Britons have died as a result of medical tourism trips to Turkey since January 2019, according to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

MailOnline highlights some of the victims here.

Lea Cambridge

Leah Cambridge, 29, suffered a blood clot during a £6,500 Brazilian butt augmentation in Turkey.

The mother of three from Leeds died just one day after travelling to an Elite Aftercare clinic in Turkey in August 2018.

The trainee beautician, who was described as ‘paranoid about her body’, paid cash for the treatment after being inspired by photos on Instagram.

This procedure involves removing fat from the waist and injecting it into the buttocks.

However, she suffered a fatal complication when fat was accidentally injected into a vein, causing her to suffer three heart attacks on the operating table.

Scott Franks, Cambridge’s partner, told the Wakefield coroner that the surgeon who performed the procedure told him he had “injected the fat too far into the muscle, causing it to go into her veins”.

Mr Franks said that when he flew to Turkey after his partner died, Dr Ali Uckan, the surgeon who treated Leah, told him: ‘It’s a guessing game, you can’t see where you’re going.’

Mrs Cambridge’s father Craig committed suicide in 2021. An inquest held in July last year heard he had never come to terms with the loss of his daughter.

Diarra Akua Eunice Brown

Diarra Akua Eunice Brown died at the age of 28, two days after undergoing liposuction at a clinic in the Istanbul suburb of Bahcelievler in October 2021.

She reportedly underwent the surgery to have fat removed from her hips.

Although the procedure initially appeared successful, Mrs Brown ‘suddenly’ became ill while her dressings were being changed.

A few hours later she died.

In posts on social media, family and friends described her as a “beautiful soul” and a “good friend.”

“This must be a dream,” one message read. “I still can’t come to terms with it.”

“I miss you angel. I’m devastated that you were taken long before your time,” said another.

Shannon Bowe

Shannon Bowe, from Denny, near Falkirk, died during gastric banding surgery in Turkey in April 2023.

The 28-year-old died during the operation, during which a band was placed around the stomach.

It has not been disclosed exactly where Ms Bowe underwent the operation in Turkey or what complication led to her death.

After her death, Bowe’s friend Ross Stirling wrote on social media: “Sleep tight my angel, I love you forever and ever.”

During gastric band surgery, the doctor places a gastric band around the top of the stomach, creating a small pouch.

When the patient eats, this small pouch in the stomach fills up faster than normal, making the patient feel fuller with less food.

By encouraging patients to eat less, the procedure can help them lose weight.

Melissa Kerr

Melissa Kerr, 31, died in 2019 during a Brazilian buttock augmentation in Turkey, just before her wedding.

Mrs Kerr travelled to Medicana Haznedar Hospital in Istanbul in November that year for a buttock augmentation, which can cost up to £3,150.

The mental health expert from Gorleston, Norfolk, died from a blocked artery in her lung as a result of the operation.

Her twin sister Natasha, who set up a page on justgiving.com after her death, described her as ‘a pure and beautiful soul, inside and out’.

She said: ‘Words cannot describe the pain and sorrow we are going through. Life without her will never be the same.’

“We miss her terribly and nothing can fill the void we leave behind.”

Melissa’s partner Skye Birch said: ‘I will continue to love you with all my heart, until my last breath.’

Ms Kerr also worked as a volunteer, helping victims of domestic abuse and supporting people coping with their loss.

Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose

Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, a 38-year-old social worker from Dartford, Kent, died in August 2020 following liposuction surgery in Turkey.

The mother of three bought a package holiday abroad with Mono Cosmetic Surgery after she got tired of people asking her if she was pregnant, according to her husband.

An autopsy revealed that Ms Bamgbose had suffered perforations in her intestines during surgery. The cause of death was given as peritonitis with multi-organ failure.

Peritonitis is an infection of the peritoneum, the membrane that covers important organs such as the kidneys, liver and intestines.

Her husband Moyosore Olowo stated during the investigation that he did not know that his wife had travelled abroad for cosmetic surgery. He assumed that his wife had simply been on holiday with her friends.

It was only when Mrs Bamgbose called her husband and told him she was experiencing stomach pain after the procedure that he discovered what had happened.

Mr Olowo said his wife had visited a private medical practice in the UK for surgery but the cost was too high for her to have the treatment done in Britain.

Carol Keenan

Carol Keenan, 54, died six days after undergoing a combined Brazilian buttock augmentation and tummy tuck in Turkey.

The grandmother, from Glenrothes, Fife, paid £7,000 for the procedures at a private clinic in Istanbul in 2022 after becoming concerned about the appearance of her body.

Mrs Keenan also accepted the offer of a free abdominal operation shortly before she was taken into the operating theatre.

But she died before she could undergo a final check-up and fly home.

Her family told MailOnline in April that they were still awaiting the results of the autopsy, 11 months after her death.

Her daughter Leonie Keenan, 32, said: ‘My mother was a fit and healthy person. She was a tiny size 10 and she kept in shape by walking everywhere and going swimming.

‘She was a very active grandmother who loved jumping on the trampoline with the kids, but she wasn’t happy with her body, even though everyone said she looked great.

“She decided to have surgery after reading stories about other people and celebrities who had it done. I don’t know if it was a midlife crisis.”