A young British man died during a botched weight-loss surgery in Turkey that went horribly wrong.
Joe Thornley, from Derbyshire in the East Midlands, wanted help to slim down from 19 stone.
He decided to get a sleeve gastrectomy – when a large part of the stomach is removed so it becomes smaller, helping you to get full more quickly and eat less.
The 25-year-old builder opted to get the operation done in Istanbul, Turkey, for just £3,000.
His mum Julie told BirminghamLive the clinic ‘looked like a nice hospital with good reviews’.
The family did not see any reason to believe anything would go wrong.
But a few days after the operation, Julie got a call from the ‘so-called surgeon’ telling her that Joe had died after having a heart attack during the procedure.
Julie, 58, believed the doctor until a post-mortem examination revealed her son had actually died from internal bleeding at the site of the operation.
‘It was the aftercare or they didn’t realise he was bleeding,’ Julie said.
‘I would tell anyone to be very, very careful where you go. Or don’t go at all. It’s not worth it.’
The NHS does offer gastric sleeve surgery for people who are suffering with obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. But it is difficult to get approved for this procedure on the NHS and, even then, waiting lists are incredibly long.
Paying for the surgery privately in the UK can cost up to £12,000, which is why Joe looked for cheaper options abroad.
Joe is certainly not the only Brit to do this – he is part of a growing trend of people flying to Turkey for cosmetic surgery.
Doctors have reported often having to treat patients returning from abroad, needing corrective surgery.
Client cosmetic surgeon and skin cancer expert Dr Paul Banwell told Metro.co.uk: ‘Travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery is not a new phenomenon but people need to consider it very seriously.
‘There are, of course, a plethora of first-class surgeons abroad, who will do an excellent job.
‘But that isn’t the point. It is about the recovery period, which is far more comfortable at home, where follow-up appointments can be made.
‘Complications can occur with any surgery, it does not matter who you are and the issue is how to manage them if they do occur. If you are abroad, they cannot be managed properly.
‘While cheap cosmetic surgery deals may seem attractive, it can result in patients needing correctional surgery or complications.’
Cosmetic surgeon Dr Omar Tillo agreed when he told Metro.co.uk the dangers usually come from different medical standards around the world, especially when it comes to aftercare.
He said: ‘There are different criteria in other countries as well as different medical societies and organisations that monitor and maintain medical standards.
‘Following surgery, all patients require a direct point of contact to discuss their recovery.
‘Even without complications, the majority of patients experience a variety of expected and unexpected symptoms or concerns in the first weeks after surgery.
‘It is essential that these patients discuss these issues clearly with their care providers and have a physical examination to check for any problems and complications.’
Dr Omar also spoke about the darker side of the industry, where he believes the truth is ‘massaged to lure patients to medical tourism hotspots’.
He said: ‘Unscrupulous online marketing tactics are unregulated, meaning that the hundreds of positive reviews you see on consumer sites could be fake.
‘What looks like a premium facility may really only be an illusion created by elaborate and aggressive marketing.’
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