A new study from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has found that nearly half of patients treated for complications following cosmetic procedures abroad required further surgery after returning to the UK.
In what BAAPS describes as the largest UK study of cosmetic tourism, researchers analysed 198 cases involving patients who received NHS treatment after undergoing procedures overseas.
Three in four patients required medical treatment
Nearly three-quarters of patients required a medical procedure or further surgery after returning to the UK, while almost half needed an operation under general anaesthetic to treat their complications.
Reported complications included severe infections, wound breakdown, tissue death and fluid collections requiring repeated treatment.
One patient included in the study died following a pulmonary embolism.
Social media marketing and ‘surgery holidays’
The report raises concerns that social media advertising, influencer endorsements and all-inclusive “surgery holiday” packages are encouraging people to travel overseas for cosmetic procedures without fully understanding the risks.
Patients may not receive thorough, in-person consultations, appropriate recovery periods or adequate follow-up care.
Surgeons treating patients after they returned to the UK repeatedly raised concerns about:
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A lack of aftercare arrangements
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Patients being accepted for surgery despite significant health risks
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Multiple major procedures being performed at the same time
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Patients flying home too soon after surgery
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Poor communication when complications developed
BAAPS said these factors were placing increasing pressure on the NHS. The organisation estimates that treating the cases included in the study cost the NHS between £1.2 million and £1.8 million, although it said the true national figure was likely to be substantially higher.
“People are often sold a dream online, but what is rarely shown are the patients who return home with serious infections, open wounds, dead tissue or life-threatening complications,” said BAAPS president Nora Nugent.
“Cosmetic surgery is real surgery. It carries real risks wherever it is performed. When complications occur overseas, patients often find themselves back in the UK without access to their original surgeon, leaving the NHS to provide emergency treatment and ongoing care.”
BAAPS advises patients considering treatment abroad to thoroughly research their surgeon, check their credentials and accreditation, understand what aftercare will be available and ensure they are medically fit for surgery before travelling. Patients are also encouraged to consult official guidance on travelling to Turkey for cosmetic procedures.
The organisation hopes the study will increase public awareness of the risks associated with cosmetic tourism. It is also calling for stronger regulation and patient protections overseas, improved NHS monitoring of complications and consideration of compulsory insurance covering complications from cosmetic procedures performed abroad.
