At least 24 Britons have died as a result of medical tourism trips to Turkey since January 2019, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Government Development Office.
Here MailOnline highlights some of the victims.
read 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 one day after traveling to an Elite Aftercare clinic in Turkey in August 2018.
The beautician-in-training, described as “paranoid about her body”, paid cash for the procedure after being inspired by Instagram images.
The procedure consisted of 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 the Wakefield Coroner’s Court that the surgeon who carried out the procedure told him he had “injected the fat too far into the muscle and it got into his veins”.
Franks said that when she flew to Turkey after her partner’s death, Dr. Ali Uckan, the surgeon who treated Leah, had told her: “It’s a guessing game, you can’t see what you’re getting yourself into.”
Ms Cambridge’s father, Craig, took his own life in 2021 with an inquest in July last year hearing 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 Turkey
Diarra Akua Eunice Brown, died at age 28, two days after undergoing liposuction at a clinic in the Istanbul suburb of Bahcelievler, in October 2021.
She reportedly underwent the operation to have the fat removed from her hips.
While the procedure initially appeared to be a success, Ms. Brown “suddenly” became ill while having her bandages 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 post. ‘I still can’t come to terms with this yet.’
‘I miss you Angel. I am devastated that they took it to you way before its time,” said another.
Shannon Bowe
Shannon Bowe, 28, died after undergoing gastric band surgery in Turkey
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 his stomach.
It has not been revealed where exactly Ms Bowe underwent the procedure in Turkey and the complication that led to her death.
In the aftermath of her death, Ms Bowe’s boyfriend Ross Stirling wrote on social media: “Sleep well my angel, I 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 little pouch fills up faster than normal, making them feel fuller on less food.
By encouraging them to eat less, the procedure can help patients lose weight.
melissa kerr
Melissa Kerr, 31, of Gorleston, Norfolk, died after having a BBL in Turkey
Melissa Kerr, 31, died while undergoing a Brazilian butt lift in Turkey in 2019, just before her wedding.
Ms Kerr traveled to Istanbul’s Medicana Haznedar Hospital in November of that year for a buttock augmentation, which can cost up to £3,150.
The psychological wellbeing practitioner, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died from a blocked artery in her lung as a result of the surgery.
Her twin sister Natasha, who created 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 anguish we are going through, life without her will never be the same again.
“We miss her dearly and nothing will fill the void we have left.”
Melissa’s partner, Skye Birch, said: “I will continue to love you with all my heart until my last breath.”
Ms. Kerr has also volunteered helping victims of domestic violence and supporting the bereaved.
Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose
Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, 38, died after liposuction in Turkey
Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, a 38-year-old social worker from Dartford, Kent, died in August 2020 after undergoing liposuction in Turkey.
The mother-of-three bought an overseas package with Mono Cosmetic Surgery after she got fed up with people asking if she was pregnant, according to her husband.
A post mortem examination found that Ms Bamgbose suffered intestinal perforation during surgery, and the cause of death was peritonitis with multiple organ failure.
Peritonitis is an infection of the peritoneum, the inner lining of the stomach that covers vital internal organs such as the kidneys, liver, and intestine.
Her husband, Moyosore Olowo, said in an inquiry that he did not know his wife had traveled abroad for cosmetic surgery, but instead believed she had simply gone on holiday with her friends.
It wasn’t until Ms Bamgbose called her husband to tell him that she was suffering from stomach pains after the procedure that she found out what had happened.
Olowo said his wife had visited a private doctor’s practice in the UK to undergo surgery, but added that the cost had been too high for her to undergo the treatment in Britain.
carol keenan
Carol Keenan, 54, died after undergoing a BBL and a tummy tuck in Turkey
Carol Keenan, 54, has died six days after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift combined with a tummy tuck in Turkey.
The grandmother, from Glenrothes, Fife, paid £7,000 for procedures at a private Istanbul hospital in 2022 after becoming anxious about how her body looked.
Ms. Keenan also accepted the offer of free abdominal muscle repair surgery shortly before she was scheduled to head into the operating room.
But he died before they could do a final checkup and fly home.
Speaking to MailOnline in April, her family said they are still awaiting the results of her autopsy 11 months after her death.
Her daughter Leonie Keenan, 32, said: “My mother was a healthy and fit person. She was a very small size 10 and she kept herself in shape by walking everywhere and going swimming.
“She was a very active grandmother who loved to jump on the trampoline with the kids, but she was not happy with her body despite everyone telling her she looked great.
“He set his heart on having surgery after seeing stories about other people and celebrities having procedures. I don’t know if it was like a midlife crisis.
