British plastic surgeons have warned about unsafe “shortcuts” taken by Turkish cosmetic surgery clinics, which they say probably explains the surprisingly cheap prices of the procedures they offer.
Experts have raised suspicions about high-risk procedures, such as nose jobs and weight loss surgeries, which cost £6,000 less than they would in the UK.
The use of older, riskier equipment, a lack of aftercare and skimping on insurance that protects patients when something goes wrong may explain the price drop, surgeons told MailOnline.
This website has identified at least five Turkish clinics offering Brazilian butt lifts, gastric bands, nose jobs and breast augmentations that attract customers with prices five times cheaper than in the UK.
The findings come after the death of Janet Savage, 54, who suffered fatal injuries on the operating table at a Turkish clinic while undergoing a gastric sleeve weight loss procedure.
He paid £2,750 for the treatment, which included flights to Türkiye. This is a fraction of the £5,000 to £15,000 for a similar procedure in the UK.
MailOnline has found rhinoplasties and Brazilian butt lifts advertised on the websites of several Turkish clinics for around £1,500 and £2,000 respectively.
Janet Savage, 54 (pictured), who traveled to Antalya, Turkey, for a gastric sleeve operation, died on the operating table, according to a recent inquest.
Hayley Dowell, 38, (pictured) died after paying £7,000 for a ‘premium’ cosmetic surgery package including a Brazilian butt lift and tummy tuck in Turkey in October 2023.
Kaydell Brown, 38, (pictured) died after paying just £5,400 for a ‘mummy MOT’ (a package which included a BBL, tummy tuck and boob job) in Turkey in March.
In comparison, these types of operations can cost upwards of £7,000 to £8,000 in Britain.
Breast operations, including lifts and augmentations, were priced at just £2,000 compared to more than £8,000 in the UK.
Some Turks estimated that the tummy tuck cost just under £2,500, five times less than the more than £10,000 such an operation can cost in Britain.
Meanwhile, MailOnline found bariatric surgery – the same type of weight loss procedure that killed Mrs Savage – priced at £2,500.
Many clinics, such as the major Turkish hospital chain Medicine Park, offer a package that includes accommodation and flights, meaning the operation itself is even cheaper.
An ad on another clinic’s website said: “Don’t regret paying too much for exactly the same treatment.”
But British surgeons warned that ultra-cheap prices are a “red flag”.
Charles Durrant, consultant plastic surgeon at Ad Nova in Portsmouth, said British surgeons are more expensive because they are covered by expensive insurance, which can provide financial protection if something goes wrong.
Kaydell, a mother of two, who died after cosmetic surgery in Türkiye, is pictured with her two children.
Liposuction, Brazilian butt lift, laser treatments that change eye color and hymenoplasties are offered in clinics in Türkiye.
Glamorous Ms Savage suffered fatal injuries on operating table in Turkish clinic
Hayley Butler, 40 (pictured), died from complications after traveling to Türkiye for gastric sleeve surgery.
This is just one of many ‘traps’, with cheap procedures, he stated.
“Chances are they are not using the most modern equipment, which potentially means a higher risk of complications and a less desirable outcome.”
It is for these reasons that extraordinary price differences are a “red flag,” he said.
‘If you are competing to get the lowest price possible, shortcuts will be taken. You’re going to be less skilled, have less effective equipment and take shortcuts with aftercare.’
“There’s a lot of truth in that ‘you get what you pay for.’
And he stressed that such a false economy could “end up costing you your life.”
“There have been several deaths in Türkiye and not in the UK, that’s a pretty obvious statistic.”
He added that a lesser-known aspect of the equation was what he called “collusion” by the Turkish government to lure Britons to undergo surgery in the country.
“Cosmetic tourism is such a huge financial revenue for the government that all these pop-ups will receive government funding,” he said.
“The government will subsidize the construction of the clinic, subsidize hotel stays, subsidize patients’ flights and the list goes on.”
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons has previously estimated that the cost of treating these failed patients in Britain is around £15,000 and, with more than 300 known patients, this puts the bill at around £4.8 million. .
Some Turkish agencies, like this example from Medicine Park, tried to tempt the British with “limited offers” for major surgery.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons analyzed 324 cases of Britons who required medical treatment or corrective surgery after having undergone surgery abroad since 2018.
Michelle Heath (pictured) appeared on This Morning in April to talk about her horror plastic surgery which left her scarred for life.
Turkish clinics offer packages including VIP airport transfers in ‘luxury vehicles’ and 5-star hotel stays with breakfast
This comes as research suggests four in five patients who failed cosmetic operations abroad admitted to being lured by cheap prices.
The survey of more than 100 patients, carried out by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), found that almost 60 per cent paid less than £5,000 for their procedure.
Of the total, two-thirds said they would not make the same decision to give the procedure a second chance, and almost half expressed “complete regret” about the ordeal.
Nora Nugent, president of BAAPS, said: “Potential patients should understand the risks involved in traveling abroad for cosmetic surgery, beyond simple financial savings.”
Concerns have been raised for years about the rise and risks of overseas budget surgery.
At least 25 Britons are known to have died during or shortly after surgery in Türkiye in recent years.
Many more have been injured and some have required vital care upon their return to the UK for complications such as infections.
While all surgery carries risks, campaigners and surgeons have urged Britons to do their research thoroughly before opting to go under the knife abroad.