Zara King stars in a documentary in October that explores Turkey’s plastic surgery scene and asks why so many Irish people travel there.
To Die For, a Virgin Media production, was filmed over three months both at home here and in Turkey, and saw Zara meet many people on both sides of the divide – those who have had success with treatment and those who have not.
We have all heard the horror stories about plastic surgery in Turkey and some of its unscrupulous clinics and doctors. This new documentary reveals the reality of medical tourism.
To find out more, Zara sat down with us to talk about plastic surgery and what to expect from the show.
I want to die – plastic surgery abroad
Photo by Zara King for Virgin Media: Supplied
Zara explained that she wanted to film on this subject as it is very topical at the moment. She says, “We hear stories of people who have come back with difficult circumstances.” We wanted to understand their motivations. Why do people choose to go abroad for fairly serious procedures? Could it be that things are too expensive in Ireland? What are the consequences if something goes wrong? First, it is important to say that for many people who travel, it will work. ”
“I think the motivations are very diverse. I was very surprised that most people were traveling on someone else’s recommendation. This is a big word-of-mouth business,” she says. “The reason I wanted to make this documentary is because as a news correspondent, I’ve seen a lot of coverage over the last few months and people dying in Turkey.”
“People say, ‘Oh, I know Mary went to this doctor, so I’m going to go to the same doctor.’ And the truth is, just because it worked for Mary, it doesn’t necessarily work. In order to work out for yourself, you have to be realistic about it.” Now, in To Die For, Zara is a person who has undergone plastic surgery in Turkey. What kind of people did they see?
Irish patient
Plastic surgery Photo: Getty
To Die For is currently in post-production and the show is scheduled to air on October 3rd, but it will be a must-watch for anyone considering this type of medical tourism.
So what kind of people are coming to travel? Is it very diverse? Zara says, “One of our case studies is a woman in her 40s and her daughter in her early 20s. My husband and daughter were planning to go together to Turkey for liposuction surgery.” There is no standard age, and even families travel together. ”
But it’s not all tummy tucks and wrinkle injections, there are some more serious cases too. Zara said: “We spoke to a woman who was a victim of domestic violence, she went to hospital after her partner broke her nose and here in hospital she was able to breathe again, she was still able to breathe. She still had difficulties with her nose and felt that every time she looked in the mirror it reminded her of what had happened to her, so she travelled for that.”
Ireland vs Türkiye
“Turkey teeth” are also huge at the moment pic: Getty
I asked Zara if there was the same level of care in orthopedics in Ireland and Turkey. Instead, “we see clear differences between the two systems,” she says. Many of the doctors we spoke to said infections were confirmed through emergency department visits and complications. It really depends on where in Turkey you’re going and who you’re dealing with. Because there’s no registry that you can look up and say, “I’m going to go with Dr. ____ in this city.” So you’re sort of relying on that word-of-mouth advice, but again, just because it worked for your friend doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work for you. ”
Will we hear scary stories in documentaries? Zara says, “One dentist we spoke to had a patient in his 20s who wanted a full set of veneers.” When he returned, he had a severe infection in his mouth and gums. As a result, he turned 30 years old wearing full dentures. ”
Zara said that apart from survivors of domestic violence, we will see people involved in the documentary. Not everyone who started the program stayed to complete it. Zara explains, “People pulled out of the production process for various reasons. Maybe they didn’t want their friends and neighbors to know what happened. People went to do the documentary and changed their mind for various reasons. We spoke to all the many families who lost loved ones in Turkey – the people you hear in the headlines – and many of them are trying to get answers.”
To Die For with Zara King airs on Virgin Media on October 3, 2023
