Peterborough surgeon gives warning over Turkish cosmetic surgery dangers

A Peterborough surgeon has warned residents of the dangers of travelling to Turkey for cosmetic surgery – after seeing a rise in people needing hospital treatment when they return to the UK.

Anthony Barabas, a Consultant Plastic Surgeon for the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, said he was seeing more and more people needing further care after treatments carried out in Turkey had gone wrong.

Now he has said if things go wrong, lives could be put at risk as a result.

Anthony, who also works at the Fitzwilliam Hospital in Peterborough, said: “It is coming more and more common.

"Some of the procedures are half the price in Turkey, so we can see why people do it.

"But other than surgery exams, there are no extra qualifications needed to trade as a ‘cosmetic surgeon’ in Turkey. In the UK qualifications are much stricter.

"We are seeing men and women having serious issues there.

"There was one lady who went out to have a tummy tuck and breast surgery, but something went wrong in theatre there.

"She had sepsis, the wounds had puss coming out.

“There was one man who had a butt lift, and he became very ill as a result.

"We have seen more and more people coming in over the past five years, and the numbers are picking up.

"This could result in deaths. It is a global issue – I have spoken to colleagues in Germany who are seeing the same issue.

"The biggest issues have been with abdominoplasty (tummy tucks). People who have them should not be travelling for a number of weeks, as you won’t see any complications for a week – but we see people back sooner than that with issues. It is very dangerous.”

Anthony has been working with national bodies, who have issued advice to anyone thinking of getting cosmetic surgery in Turkey.

BAAPS (the British Association of Aesthetic Plastc Surgeons) and TSPRAS (the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons) have released a joint statement about the issue.

They said: “BAAPS and TSPRAS understand and recognise that there will always be patients from different countries who will seek medical and surgical treatments abroad. There are a variety of reasons this may be so, but multiple reports have highlighted concerns that our two national societies share regarding standards of patient care. Undergoing any form of surgery risks experiencing a complication, no matter who the surgeon is or where it is performed, however, what these reports have highlighted is poor practice, unnecessary risk taking and potentially avoidable harm to patients. Therefore, BAAPS and TSPRAS, are making this unprecedented joint statement due to our concerns for patient welfare and safety.

“Whilst in the United Kingdom recognised surgeons can be checked on the GMC Specialist Register and hospitals and clinics are regulated by the CQC, this is not the case in other countries.”

The advice from the bodies is:

Any Turkish surgeon seen should be a member of TSPRAS (the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons) - of which there is a member listing available online (https://www.plastikcerrahi.org.tr/doktor-arama/). If there is uncertainty regarding your surgeon’s qualifications or Society membership, you should email [email protected]

• Your surgeon in Türkiye should have Turkish board certification - you should be able to see their certificate on request.

• EBOPRAS membership (the European Board of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery) is desirable in your surgeon.

• Your surgeon should have been in practice in Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery for at least 5-years (as training is different in Türkiye)

• Your surgeon should offer you an aftercare plan.

• You should know the name of your surgeon and how to contact them if there is a problem.

• It is advisable to ask how long your surgeon has been working with their clinic or company – at least 3-years is recommended.

• Informed consent - it is compulsory in Türkiye to have a comprehensive consent form completed ahead of travel - if this does not happen it should raise concerns.

• Please double-check your surgeon about his/her specialty. In Türkiye – there are practitioners who claim to be plastic surgeons who are not, and other surgeons working outside their areas of training and specialty.

• We recommend that your surgeon performs your surgery in a fully recognised hospital, which might be, in Türkiye, identified by having at least 30-beds.