Help me Turkish Surgeons!

[Former]

I have been researching Turkish surgeons and looking at their patients blogs.

How do I properly research the hospital and surgeon I am contemplating?

The reviews on various platforms are 5 stars for the hospital but I am aware this can be manipulated. It's hard to find reviews for the actual surgeons unless a vlogger shows their results.

Anyone who has been and knows how to thoroughly research?

It's not even the money aspect - if I went to my GP and said My menopausal belly is doing my head in, I want to be referred for lipo and a tummy tuck he would quite rightly say ^Go to the gym and I'll give you diet advice (and stop being so lazy)

If I went abroad I could have a choice of any number of elective cosmetic surgeries .

And the NHS will treat people with a range of emergency situations - sport injures , RTA , drink and drug related .
Self inflicted - like elective cosmetic surgery
OK , doing extreme sports is a choice but sport is healthy . There is a risk of injury that is accepted .

Just those who think they have the right to sign away their safety on the operating table abroad and then expect the NHS (the tax payer) to cover their costs and mop up their poor decision making. If you can’t see how selfish, wrong and disgusting that is - you’ve got bigger issues than being overweight. Those acting like major surgeries can’t be taken so lightly are both childish and irresponsible.

Sorry but it is the money aspect. The NHS doesn’t have enough resources to perform routine operations in a timely manner, so in what world should someone’s tummy fat trump an actual operation? Having rolls of fat that you’ve accumulated through overeating is a problem that should be dealt with before it gets to expensive surgery. I too have a perimeno tummy, I’m hitting the gym in the new year, at no cost to the NHS. Do you see the difference in approach?

I'd be wary of these testimonials too.
Unqualified people parroting what they've been told to say and influencing other vulnerable people to part with their cash. It's abhorrent.

There is a person in my local area who's a bit of a local celeb. Always been a bit of a loud mouth but never seemed to be doing any real harm.

Promotes one of these clinics. Claims to NOT be paid for this, doing this because they believe in it, have had work done there and seen first hand the staff and facilities etc.
Except this person is an acquaintance of my brother (friend of a friend) and on a recent stag/hen do, this person was spouting off about how much money they were being paid and showing off their online banking transfers as proof.

There's no accountability. No regulations.
They only care about your money.

What I mean about the money aspect is my GP would rightly refuse to refer me for invasive surgery before I had exhausted every other option.
Whereas I could get surgery done elsewhere without /

If I wanted a quicker fix then I could see how tempting it would be .

And menopausal belly isn't all over eating , it is very much influenced by hormonal changes . Unfortunately .
I've read and posted about this before , diet and excercise unless it is targeted isn't going to resolve it .
I'm not going down the HRT route personally .

They pulled it up over a foot and through her diaphragm? Then stitched up her diaphragm via her boob? All with her lungs in the way? I'm not Dr or surgeon but if I could preform that kind of surgery I wouldn't be doing boob jobs on the cheap.

People die haveing their esophagus operated on to remove cancer and shorthen it to remove a tumour as that operation has been likened to a controlled car crash. When things get pulled up through your diaphragm.

I really do hope your winding people up. If not please have a Google of where your kidneys are, where your diaphragm is, why it cant have a hole in it.

Also how many kidneys do you need to survive. Spoiler. It's one. If the person you knew had both removed how long they would live with any kidneys? Spoiler it's not weeks.

@lastchristmas80 nails it.

100% do it here. I’ve had 3 procedures done in the U.K. first two went without a hitch. The second has complications, due to no fault of the surgeon, myself or hospital. However I required regular follow up care for the next 12 weeks. This was all covered within my all inclusive cost and if I’d had surgery abroad I wouldn’t have been able to have such care and who knows what would have happened.

I know turkey is significantly cheaper but cheaper isn’t always best.

I prefer the results that the Turkish surgeons achieve

what do you mean by this? is it because they go more drastic than uk surgeons?

Your GP (who is guarding the scant budgets the NHS possesses) would rightfully tell you to peruse non-invasive options as this would be the least likely to result in loss of life. Surgery is a calculated risk, deciding to plunder your life savings to afford a competent UK surgeon (and the aftercare you will need for a year following) is entirely different to playing roulette with your life and expecting the NHS and tax payer to pick up the pieces and associated costs. What do you suppose the allocated funds are for cosmetic wounds with sepsis? I’m guessing they would generally be for people who’ve needed skin grafts because of fire, car crashes or other impact wounds?
I am totally aware that meno belly isn’t solely about overeating. I’ll definitely be plumping for HRT and the gym, because there are no short term options that get you out of the hard work that is body maintenance.
Instagram influencers who are glamourising these procedures should be ashamed of themselves, they are wreaking havoc for an overstretched NHS.

UK surgeons would and have refused the OP’s proposed reduction, probably because it’s dangerous and life threatening.

@welshweasel I’ve been waiting 4 years already and work within the health board as an AP.
My health/weight declined for medical reasons (endocrine tumours) which has delayed things too unfortunately.
My impatience and the MH impact of my weight gain and automatically being looked at as greedy takes it’s toll.

I had a breast reduction this year in my local spire hospital, the surgeon and nurses were all great but I couldn't help chuckling at the thought of 'researching' surgeons.

Nobody presenting at the NHS asks for the surgeon's credentials then chooses someone better. My basic assumption is that anyone practicing surgery in the UK is heavily regulated and knows what tf they're doing.

No-one 'needs' liposuction. If you can't afford to get it done safely in the UK, don't do it at all. I see loads of botched surgeries from Turkey; the NHS will provide emergency care only, it won't pick up the pieces. That's if the patient makes it back alive, plenty don't.

I have been in one of those hospitals in the Middle East - one that is a specialist bariatric one due to the high obesity rate in certain sectors of the Arab population. I was actually in to have some blood taken for pre op tests ( for gynaecology) and they walked me right into an area where there were recuperating patients - I could have had dog shit on my feet. The standards are low. I didn't proceed and came back to the UK.

@Tescos2 Thank you for posting this.

I have listened to you all and taken in what has been said.

If anyone could recommend a UK surgeon that does the liposuction I need to put me back in proportion, but isn't extortionate, that would be much appreciated.

Unfortunately a number of people have commented on me being out of proportion. Now I have peri meno belly on top of that. It's not in my head. I have had fantastic surgery in the UK and getting a couple of procedures done really changed my life. Once again people and their comments really affected my self-image and I felt like a freak. My MH improved dramatically.

After listening to everything, I think I will do my best to find a UK surgeon who can help me.

No @lastchristmas80 the UK surgeon wanted to do more, but I didn't have the funds and could only do a couple of areas.

@Former i suffer from lipodystrophy myself, my legs are out of proportion to the rest of my body.

however the first port of call is always down and exercise. If you’re a size 6 everywhere but got size 16 calves, I get it. But the fact you’re suggesting 360 lipo plus your arms means that ultimately you need to lose weight first.

one of my friends was like you. Skinny little legs, a big tummy and boobs. She lost 3 stone and looked amazing.

no reputable surgeon is going to do more lipo than is safe.

my surgeon told me I may need repeat surgery on my legs to get the result i wanted. I decided not to, because despite the fact they’re still bigger than the rest of me, they’re so much better than before and I won’t put my body through more surgery (unless medically required, which I sincerely hope never happens).

OP, do you think that a referral by your GP to the local NHS Dietitians would help you?

I can't begin to tell you how much I have been helped by one. My GP has a Dietitian in house who sees me every few weeks and his help has been invaluable. He's guided and supported me through a weight loss of 32 kilos.

How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

@TheWeatherOutsideIs

That's why I was tempted by Turkey, as they can remove more fat, which is what I need to put me back in proportion.

I will have to enquire with a few surgeons to see what's possible in the UK.

You seem to be determined to go through surgery rather than change your lifestyle, so I’ll bow out now. Good luck.

Did you watch the linked video with the surgeon discussing how dangerous it is to remove a lot of fat in one go?

Plenty of slim people getting Brazilian bums and all kinds of cosmetic surgery. This isn’t an issue of whether or not someone is overweight.

@TheSquareMile I looked at dieticians online yesterday and the ones I looked at were 300
Plus an hour! I'd rather have surgery for that price.

I went to my GP for help and they offered Orlistat. I don't think they had an in-house dietician because I was emailed some online thing that was no help whatsoever.

I'm probably 3-4 stone over weight and 5 foot 1.

You’ve just said the complete opposite here. Which is it? It seems likely to me a Turkish surgeon would offer to do more, and wouldn’t face the consequences of your aftercare. Maybe Turkey seems cheap because after care is deferred to NHS? A drive though surgical package if you will. With the NHS poised to mop-up after your elective surgery.