A transgender man who lost £2,000 raised by the public when his top surgery in Turkey failed has said an anaesthetist was “fatphobic” when he stopped his “life-changing” treatment from going ahead.
Elliot Webster-Mockett, 34, a British sign language interpreter in training who lives in Glasgow with his wife Bea, 34, came out as trans in 2021 and wanted top surgery (a procedure that alters the chest to remove breast tissue) to “boost (his) self-confidence”.
Faced with waiting times of between five and eight years on the NHS and high private costs in the UK, Elliot discovered through an Instagram post that he could have the procedure done, travel and stay in Turkey for around £6,000.
After raising the funds through GoFundMe, Elliot traveled to Turkey to have the surgery in December 2022, but canceled it because she says she suffered from fatphobia from both the anesthesiologist and the Instagram agent who organized the trip.
Elliot Webster-Mockett, 34, travelled to Türkiye for a £6,000 procedure to have breast tissue removed from his chest but was turned away by doctors.
Some NHS hospitals are refusing surgery to those with a BMI above 40 and insisting patients lose 15 per cent of their weight before going under the knife because of the dramatically increased risk of complications.
Elliot was 1.60m tall and weighed 115kg and 18 stone and had a BMI of 40.9, classifying him as severely obese at the time.
Completing a health questionnaire before leaving the UK, she says there were no concerns about her weight.
However, the anaesthetist decided that further scans were needed before Elliot could be sedated, which would have cost an extra £1,000 and extended beyond Elliot’s surgery date, ultimately meaning he was forced to fly home.
Elliot said her surgeon told her the anaesthetist was “fatphobic” and that her weight had been healthy enough to carry on.
According to NHS guidelines, a high BMI increases the risk of surgical complications for many reasons.
First, obesity can trigger a condition called sleep apnea, in which patients temporarily stop breathing during sleep. This can be especially risky during operations, as periods often stop when the patient wakes up.
In addition, a high BMI makes it difficult for surgeons to identify important structures due to excess fatty tissue.
Fat in the body also tends to bleed more, making it difficult to see and increasing the risk of life-threatening blood loss.
Laparoscopic surgery can be especially difficult with a high BMI, as excessive pressure is placed on the abdomen. Having a “thicker” abdomen The abdominal wall may restrict the movement of laparoscopic instruments, NHS Guidance States.
Elliot came out as transgender in 2021, the same year his partner Bea came out as non-binary.
Other major risks include potentially fatal blood clots, breathing problems and infections.
A high BMI increases the risk of heart problems after surgery, including a heart attack, by up to three times. The risk of death after surgery in people with a high BMI is twice that of a person with a healthy weight.
While there are no general rules, Some NHS hospitals I urge patients with a BMI over 40 to reduce their weight by 15 percent before undergoing elective, non-urgent surgery.
Elliot has now booked his surgery in Madrid, Spain, for February 2025, reassured that the staff are “used to seeing and being around older people”.
Elliot told PA Real Life: ‘I had to grieve a bit because I thought my life was going to change.
‘I had the added pressure of all these people giving me all this money for something that didn’t happen, that ultimately wasn’t my fault, but I felt a lot of guilt.
“I offered to give people their money back, but no one wanted it, which surprised me and everyone was very supportive.”
Elliot came out as transgender in 2021, after always “feeling different” and “reflecting on (his) own identity” when his wife Bea came out as non-binary that same year.
He thinks that while their relationship has evolved naturally over time, coming out hasn’t “drastically changed anything” between them.
“I think we’re happier than before and in some ways more confident,” he said.
“So I wouldn’t say it’s improved our relationship, but maybe it has because we are both who we are and who we want to be.”
Elliot was shocked to learn that NHS waiting lists for high-level surgery are eight years long, and opted to seek private care.
Elliot says a doctor insisted she have more scans before undergoing the operation, meaning she would miss her surgery date.
Shortly after coming out, Elliot began exploring the possibility of having top surgery, believing it would “make his life a little bit easier.”
She joined the NHS waiting list in 2021, only to learn the wait could be five to eight years.
He was shocked to discover that private surgery in the UK would cost at least £10,000 and that only a few surgeons were willing to operate on someone with his BMI, which he saw as “another barrier”.
But Elliot found an agent on Instagram who could book the surgery in Türkiye, including flights and accommodation, and translator, for around £6,000.
In June 2022, she created a GoFundMe account and, with the help of loved ones and strangers, reached her goal.
After having several conversations via WhatsApp with the agent, the surgery was booked for December 2022.
However, when Elliot arrived in Türkiye, things took an unexpected turn.
During his pre-operative appointment, the anesthesiologist discovered that Elliot’s throat was red, swollen and infected.
So, Elliot was advised to take antibiotics and come back, but after taking them for two days, the anesthesiologist still didn’t want to continue.
Confused, Elliot consulted the surgeon, who assured him that surgery was still possible and dismissed concerns about his weight.
Elliot has since booked another procedure in Madrid, Spain, for 2025, where he says doctors are “used to being around bigger people.”
On how he felt after having traveled all that way, he said: “I was devastated… I was really upset and I felt ashamed.”
Elliot claims the surgeon said the anesthesiologist was fatphobic and that was the reason he didn’t want to go ahead with the surgery.
The anaesthetist also insisted Elliot have further scans, which would cost an extra £1,000, to rule out any underlying health problems related to his weight.
“By then, I had already missed my scheduled appointment for surgery,” Elliot said.
‘The surgeon said he might be able to see me at a later date, but it wouldn’t be for another week and even if he did the scans there was no guarantee the surgery would be able to go ahead.
‘For me, if it were according to protocol, they would have asked me to do those tests before because they already knew (my weight).
“I can see from both sides that those tests could have been just to check things, but when I talked to the surgeon about it, that’s not how it seemed to me.”
Faced with the prospect of paying more, extending his stay, changing flights and still being denied surgery, Elliot made the difficult decision to fly home the next day, having only been in Turkey for two days.
On how he felt after having traveled all that way, he said: “I was devastated… I was really upset and I felt ashamed.”
Fortunately, the surgeon insisted that I did not need to pay the surgery fees, but I had already spent around £2000 on the operation. GoFundMe donations for travel and accommodation.
Elliot said he did not want to identify the agent who arranged the trip to Türkiye or the medical practice, after reading about the verbal abuse faced by others who did so.
Elliot hopes to raise £3,500 to cover the additional costs of the surgery through a GoFundMe
He said: “I know people who have reported the officer and he has created a hate campaign against them.”
Elliot offered to return the money to those who donated, but those who responded told him that was not necessary.
After getting over the disappointment, Elliot decided to give surgery another chance.
In the summer of 2024, she set up another GoFundMe with the aim of raising £3,500 to cover the costs of surgery, flights and accommodation, to be combined with any leftover funds from the previous campaign.
This time, she said she thoroughly researched the best surgeon possible and joined Reddit and Facebook groups to read about others’ experiences.
Speaking about his upcoming surgery in Madrid, he said: “I’m excited, but I think just because of what happened before, I have some doubts in the back of my head that it’s not going to happen,” Elliot explained.
“I’m not allowing myself to fully enjoy it and obviously there’s not much time between now and February to raise that money, so I set myself a little task.”
To others considering major surgery abroad, she said: ‘Question everything and understand that it’s normal to have questions about major surgery.
‘Do your research and don’t be tempted by the easiest option.’
