Has anyone gone to Turkey for plastic surgery?

[Yipitsme]

I'm looking at Medaway clinic in Istanbul for a tummy tuck.has anyone any experience with them or reccomend another European country .
Cant afford it here unfortunately.

Many thanks

@Hayeahnobut

I'd be very wary taking recommendations from a first time poster who is overly defensive about a clinic she's not even been to!

I was just thinking that this thread reads like a thinly veiled ad campaign.

After knowing of someone who over 20 years had complications from plastic surgery abroad, I would always advise against it.

Why do people think that the whole country is a dodgy backwater because a procedure went wrong ,as if nothing terrible would ever happen here ? Medical negligence happens everywhere .

What about if something goes wrong when you are home? Your wound breaks down or gets infected and you need it re-dressed every other day and antibiotics? Who would be responsible for doing that? Or you get a seroma that needs draining? Where would you go? Or you get a DVT?

If something goes wrong when you get home you just go to regular hospital, in the same way. My friend had liposuction and a tuck and when he got back his wound split into a hole and also he picked up MRSA at the Polish hospital he went to. He went to A&E here with it and was admitted.

So the NHS use their time and resources just because people choose to go abroad for surgery to save money? Is that fair?

@CrazyToast

If something goes wrong when you get home you just go to regular hospital, in the same way. My friend had liposuction and a tuck and when he got back his wound split into a hole and also he picked up MRSA at the Polish hospital he went to. He went to A&E here with it and was admitted.

Well exactly. My concern is that when a poster says they are getting a procedure done , they are bombarded with "work on your self-esteem, you don't need surgery " blah blah blah - mention you are going abroad and then suddenly "omg !!! Everything will go horribly wrong, obviously ".

Any surgery can go wrong anywhere. That's a given. It's a risk you take.
But if you decide to have a procedure at a private provider in this country then they can and will deal with any issues that arise after that surgery. A day after, a week after, 2 weeks after , a month after etc.

Who does that when you come back from Turkey or wherever?

First of all I want to say I am a big advocate for plastic surgery, we all deserve to feel confident. However, you're an idiot if you go to Turkey for surgery.

We live in the UK and have some of the best surgeons in the world. Why would you even bother going somewhere else? And if you can't afford it quite simply don't have it done. Do you expect the NHS to fix you if it goes wrong?

@fellowsufferer

So the NHS use their time and resources just because people choose to go abroad for surgery to save money? Is that fair?

Whilst I agree that we shouldn't be wasting valuable resources of an already stretched NHS, most hospitals are filled with people who have made some wrong life choices - no judgement , just a fact of life.

My grandmother had a secret face lift in Turkey about 15 years ago. Didn’t tell anyone, just came back off her holiday and knocked on my door wearing enormous sunglasses which she took off to reveal an EXTREMELY different face.

I was 18 and very subtle so of course I said “Granny- What the hell have you done to your face?!”

Poor woman.

Do you expect the NHS to fix you if it goes wrong?

Apparently people do indeed expect that.

A few years ago colleague lost her niece when she went over to Turkey for a pre-wedding tummy tuck, she was only in her early twenties. I would never even consider it after that.

Don't do it. Not if you have to travel within a fortnight . I have had one in uk and no way could I have gone on a plane after it.

Fair enough. Obviously op , you need to do your research - best of luck if you decide to go ahead with it .

If something goes wrong when you get home you just go to regular hospital

provided you are fit to travel (what if not?????), you would get NHS care even though I think in these cases, people should not get free treatment on the NHS.

I know someone that lost both her nipples when she got back from turkey but to be fair she just went with the cheapest one.

I'm desperate for a tummy tuck though and if I found a reputable surgeon I'd book it in a heartbeat as I hate my mum tum.

Just Google 'Woman died in Turkey after tummy tuck/bum lift'. It tells you all you need to know really.

There was a newspaper article the other day where a UK woman died after a tummy tuck in Turkey.

The aftercare appointments following a tummy tuck include a nurse appointment at 1, 2 and 3 weeks. A surgeons review at 6-8 weeks then 3 months. And this is standard aftercare if there are no complications. More appointments are needed if there are. A surgeon / clinic in Turkey cannot provide any of that.
A tummy tuck is a major surgery.
I believe the department of health do not recommend a long haul flight until 6 weeks after major surgery.

General advice from two UK bodies. Both confirming that if you get something like an infection or sepsis that needs life-saving treatment then yes the NHS will step in. But if private cosmetic surgery leaves you in severe pain that's not life-threatening? Causes a disability that prevents you returning to work? Or is just an aesthetically botched job? No NHS funded treatment to fix that.

www.rcseng.ac.uk/patient-care/cosmetic-surgery/having-surgery-abroad/

www.bapras.org.uk/public/patient-information/cosmetic-surgery/cosmetic-surgery-abroad#The%20NHS

So you need to make sure that suitable provision and insurance is made for that, or risk having to pay out of your own pocket. Reputable UK cosmetic surgeons will have that provision. Will a company in Turkey doing things on the cheap have the same?

Firstly - plastic surgeons in the UK are NOT more highly trainer or qualified than Drs overseas. In fact the UK has one of the lowest standard training rates for cosmetic surgeons.

Most Drs who are members of ISAAPS are good because they’ve taken additional training to be part of the ISAAPS.

I would strongly recommend taking out specialist travel insurance as your usual one will be void. I have used this one and recommended it to other people: www.medicaltravelshield.com/

As others have said, do allow adequate healing time before your return flight, think about luggage, how will you lift the suits case off the conveyor belt when you land? That sort of thing. If you can get a companion to go with you ever better.

Oh another good website: www.treatmentabroad.net

Best of luck 👍🏼

I believe the department of health do not recommend a long haul flight until 6 weeks after major surgery.

It's not usually that long, ultimately it depends on the airline..I posted the NHS link up thread, FWIW the UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance is that "Major chest or abdominal surgery requires a period of approximately ten days." - I've certainly been aware of people travelling Long Haul a month or so after major abdominal surgery.
www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Before-you-fly/Am-I-fit-to-fly/Health-information-for-passengers/Passenger-health-FAQs--Am-I-fit-to-fly-/

BTW I a comment about the supposed risk of flying and recycled air have been casually thrown into the conversation...without reopening that whole debate/going off at a tangent I'll point out that on airliners it's HEPA filtered recycled air.

I work in A&E in a large city and we see about 2 people a month seriously I’ll after surgery abroad.

I would never do it and would be completely against anyone I loved doing it. Yummy tucks seem to be pretty hard to recover from. From my limited experience wound infections that take a long time to heal seem pretty common

RoxyTheRexy and how many people do you see seriously ill following surgery in thus country? Or alternatively, out of those 2 seriously ill people, did they have factors that would have rendered them seriously ill if they had the same surgery in the UK?

It's a bit like a medical negligence solicitor saying they have seen 10 cases of medical negligence in the NHS thus month. I know someone who had to have their leg amputated months after breaking it, because the nhs failed to admit him for intravenous antibiotics following a surgically acquired infection - because the main consultant was on holiday!

I wouldn't risk it I don't think. I accept some of the care may be really great but it just doesn't seem worth the risk.

Also, why can't you postpone it until late spring? Covid is another risk factor.

I've heard many horror stories, many within the uk as well as places like Turkey etc.