It may not be unusual for men to buy a questionable Christmas gift for their wife or girlfriend at the last minute.
But they should avoid the lure of a Brazilian bum lift abroad, no matter how ‘alluring’ the festive discounts seem, the country’s top NHS doctor has warned.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said hospitals are under enormous pressure and dealing with complications from surgery is the ‘last thing they need’.
Social media feeds are “full of tempting offers in the run-up to Christmas,” he added, but “the reality is that these basement cosmetic procedures are potentially deadly.”
The NHS has seen clinics offering 25 per cent discounts, all-inclusive packages including hotels and flights for under £3,000, as well as finance deals in a bid to lure people in.
Professor Powis’ warning follows a spate of deaths and medical complications resulting from botched operations, with the NHS regularly having to treat patients as they return home.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said hospitals are under enormous pressure and dealing with complications from surgery is the ‘last thing they need’
Fat is first harvested from the hips, lower back, abdomen, thighs and other areas via liposuction. Special equipment is used to prepare it for transfer before injecting it directly into the glutes at specific points, giving the buttocks a larger, rounder appearance
Brazilian butt lift surgery (BBL) has the highest mortality rate of any cosmetic procedure because the fat injected into the buttocks can lead to a pulmonary embolism, a blockage of a blood vessel in the lungs that can be fatal.
Other serious side effects include skin infection, cellulitis, and bumpy scars around the surgical area.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has advised its members not to perform BBL surgery, which increases the risk of people undergoing unsafe procedures abroad.
Clinics in Turkey have been at the forefront of the boom in failed cosmetic procedures in recent years, with BBL operations costing as much as 70 percent less than in Britain.
Professor Powis said: ‘At a time when NHS staff have never been busier, the last thing they need is patients turning up at their door with medical complications following a BBL from an unregulated surgeon in Turkey.
‘While many people’s social media feeds will be full of tempting offers in the run-up to Christmas, the reality is that these basement cosmetic procedures are potentially deadly.
‘BBLs have the highest mortality rate of any of these treatments, and it is too often left to the NHS to repair the damage and taxpayers to foot the bill.
‘At a time when NHS staff have never been busier, the last thing they need is patients turning up at their door with medical complications following a BBL from an unregulated surgeon in Turkey.
Liposuction, Brazilian butt lifts, eye color changing laser treatments and hymenoplasties are all offered in clinics across Turkey
‘The NHS will always be there for those who need it, but it must not be left to suffer the consequences of failed BBLs.’
An inquest heard last month (November) how Hayley Dowel, 38, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, died following a Brazilian butt lift in Turkey after the surgeon allegedly walked out midway through her procedure.
She paid £7,000 for a series of operations including BBL, a tummy tuck and liposuction, but died hours later in October last year after suffering an embolism.
Foreign Office data shows that 28 British nationals have died following planned surgery in Turkey since 2019.
And new research suggests that two in three patients who experience complications after traveling abroad for cosmetic surgery end up regretting their decision.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has previously warned that people risk life-changing injuries if they travel abroad for substandard cosmetic surgery, and has pledged to work with international partners to improve safety.
Professor Vivien Lees, plastic surgeon and vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: ‘Unfortunately, all too often we hear about patients seeking cheap surgery abroad only to pay the real price with their health later. .
‘These patients deserve better protection.
Melissa Kerr (pictured), from Gorleston, Norfolk, died in 2019 aged just 31 in a private hospital in Istanbul while undergoing a BBL
Leah Cambridge (pictured), 29, from Leeds, died in a private hospital in Turkey in 2018 after suffering a massive pulmonary embolism during the procedure
‘The NHS will provide care in emergency situations but will not be responsible for dealing with poor outcomes from operations that would not otherwise be available through the NHS.
‘It is welcome news that the Government has said it will work with international partners to improve safety for British citizens going abroad for cosmetic surgery.
‘To achieve this, a multi-faceted approach is required.
‘This could include curbing aggressive marketing, promoting best practices and introducing good insurance and aftercare for patients needing revision surgery.
‘This week, RCS England brought together representatives from the NHS, regulators and government to discuss how we can deliver the changes needed to protect people who choose to go abroad for treatment.’
The Foreign Office website says that anyone considering traveling to Turkey for treatment should discuss plans with their own doctor or dentist, adding that ‘private companies have a financial interest in booking your treatment and that their literature should not be your only source of information’.
The website states that embassies ‘usually cannot help if you have traveled abroad for medical treatment, for example if you have problems with the care received or the costs involved.