At least 25 Britons have died as a result of medical tourism trips to Turkey since January 2019, according to the government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Here, MailOnline highlights some of the victims.
Leah Cambridge
Leah Cambridge, 29, suffered a blood clot during a £6,500 Brazilian butt lift surgery in Turkey.
Leah Cambridge, 29, died after undergoing the ‘Brazilian butt lift’ procedure in Turkey
The mother-of-three, from Leeds, died just a day after travelling to an Elite Aftercare clinic in Turkey in August 2018.
The apprentice beautician, described as “paranoid about her body”, paid cash for the procedure after being inspired by photos on Instagram.
The procedure involves extracting fat from the waist and injecting it into the buttocks.
But he suffered a fatal complication when fat was accidentally injected into a vein, causing him to have three heart attacks on the operating table.
Ms Cambridge’s partner, Scott Franks, told Wakefield Coroner’s Court that the surgeon who carried out the procedure told him he had “injected the fat too deeply into the muscle and it went into her veins”.
Mr Franks said that when he flew to Turkey after his partner died, Dr Ali Uckan, the surgeon who treated Leah, had told him: “It’s a guessing game, you can’t see where you’re going.”
Ms Cambridge’s father Craig took his own life in 2021 and an inquest in July last year heard how he was never able to get over the loss of his daughter.
Diarra Akua Eunice Brown
Diarra Brown, 28, died after undergoing liposuction in Türkiye
Diarra Akua Eunice Brown, died aged 28, two days after undergoing liposuction at a clinic in the Istanbul suburb of Bahcelievler in October 2021.
She reportedly underwent the operation to remove fat from her hips.
Although the procedure initially appeared to be a success, Ms Brown “suddenly” became ill while her bandages were being changed.
She died a few hours later.
Social media posts from family and friends described her as a “beautiful soul” and a “close friend.”
“This must be a dream,” read one comment. “I still can’t accept it.”
“I miss you angel. I’m devastated you were taken way before your time,” another said.
Shannon Bowe
Shannon Bowe, 28, died after undergoing gastric band surgery in Türkiye
Shannon Bowe, from Denny, near Falkirk, died while undergoing gastric band surgery in Turkey in April 2023.
The 28-year-old died during the procedure which involves placing a band around the stomach.
It has not been revealed exactly where Ms Bowe underwent surgery in Turkey or what complication led to her death.
Following her death, Bowe’s boyfriend Ross Stirling wrote on social media: “Sleep well my angel, I will love you forever and ever.”
Gastric band surgery involves a doctor placing a gastric band around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch.
When the patient eats, this small pouch fills up faster than their stomach normally would, making them feel fuller with less food.
By encouraging them to eat less, the procedure can help patients lose weight.
Melissa Kerr
Melissa Kerr, 31, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died after undergoing a BBL in Turkey
Melissa Kerr, 31, died while undergoing a Brazilian butt lift in Turkey in 2019, just before her wedding.
Ms Kerr travelled to Istanbul’s Medicana Haznedar Hospital in November that year to undergo a buttock augmentation, which can cost up to £3,150.
The psychological wellbeing professional, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died from a blocked artery in her lung as a result of undergoing the surgery.
Her twin sister Natasha, who set up a justgiving.com page after her death, described her as “a pure and beautiful soul inside and out”.
She said: ‘Words cannot describe the pain and heartbreak we are going through, life without her will never be the same.
“We miss her deeply and nothing can fill the void that remains.”
Melissa’s partner Skye Birch said: ‘I will continue to love you with all my heart until my last breath.’
Ms Kerr also volunteered to assist victims of domestic violence and support people in the grieving process.
Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose
Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, 38, died after liposuction in Türkiye
Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, a 38-year-old social worker from Dartford, Kent, died in August 2020 after undergoing liposuction surgery in Turkey.
The mother of three bought an overseas surgery package with Mono Cosmetic Surgery after growing tired of people asking her if she was pregnant, according to her husband.
An autopsy determined that Ms Bamgbose suffered perforations to her bowel during surgery and that the cause of her death was peritonitis with multiple organ failure.
Peritonitis is an infection of the peritoneum, the inner lining of the abdomen that covers vital internal organs such as the kidneys, liver, and intestine.
Her husband, Moyosore Olowo, told an inquest that he was unaware his wife had travelled abroad for cosmetic surgery and believed she had simply gone on holiday with friends.
It was not until Ms Bamgbose called her husband to tell him she was suffering from stomach pains after the procedure that he found out what had happened.
Mr Olowo said his wife had visited a private doctor’s office in the UK to undergo surgery, but added that the cost had been too high to receive the treatment in Britain.
Carol Keenan
Carol Keenan, 54, died after undergoing Brazilian weightlifting surgery and a tummy tuck in Turkey
Carol Keenan, 54, died six days after undergoing a combination Brazilian butt lift and tummy tuck in Turkey.
The grandmother, from Glenrothes, Fife, paid £7,000 for the procedures at a private hospital in Istanbul in 2022 after feeling anxious about the way her body looked.
Ms Keenan also accepted the offer of free abdominal muscle repair surgery shortly before being taken into theatre.
But he died before they could get a final check-up and fly home.
Speaking to MailOnline in April, his family said they are still awaiting the results of his autopsy 11 months after his death.
Her daughter Leonie Keenan, 32, said: “My mother was a very fit and healthy person. She was very small, a size 10, and kept fit by walking everywhere and swimming.
‘She was a very active grandmother who loved jumping on the trampoline with the kids, but she was not happy with her body even though everyone told her she looked great.
“She decided to get the surgery after seeing stories about other people and celebrities who had had the procedure done. I don’t know if it was like a midlife crisis.”
