Helen BurchellBBC News, Norfolk20 November 2023
Updated November 21, 2023
Image courtesy of Natasha Kerr
Image caption: Following Melissa Carr’s death, her family said they wanted people to avoid “beauty tourism”.
The British government has announced it will meet with Turkish authorities to discuss regulations on medical and beauty tourism following several fatalities.
Melissa Carr, 31, died in 2019 during buttock augmentation surgery (Brazilian butt lift) at the private Medicana Kadikoy Hospital in Istanbul.
The coroner expressed concern that she and others may not have been given enough information before travelling overseas.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said the Government was taking the issue “seriously”.
Responding to a report into preventing future deaths written by Norfolk’s senior coroner Jacqueline Lake, Mr Caulfield said officials from the Department of Health and Social Care would “visit Turkey soon to meet relevant parties”.
Image courtesy of Natasha Kerr
Image caption: Melissa Carr died during cosmetic surgery in a Turkish hospital in 2019
The inquest was told that BBL surgery is the riskiest of all cosmetic surgery procedures.
Judge Lake ruled that Mr Carr had not been given enough information to make a safe decision, saying: “The risk to members of the public who continue to travel overseas to undergo these procedures continues… and I believe future deaths could be prevented with better information.”
Conservative Caulfield, minister for mental health and women’s health strategy, offered his “deepest condolences” to Ms Carr’s family and said it was “crucial that lessons are learned from what happened to her to prevent future deaths”.
He said the government recognised that “the testing used by some medical tourism countries may not meet UK regulatory standards”, but that “this transparency and standardisation is important to reduce any potential risks to patients”.
Image courtesy of Natasha Kerr
Image caption: A report on preventing future deaths has been sent to the Minister of Health, seeking to issue a warning against travelling to Turkey for plastic surgery.
“It is particularly important that anyone considering Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgery is fully aware of the risks before undergoing the procedure and takes time to think carefully about their decision,” Caulfield said.
“The risk of death from BBL surgery is at least 10 times higher than most other cosmetic procedures.”
She said the government was looking at how to “effectively communicate” information about the risks of international travel.
The minister said the British government was “looking at the impact of international medical tourism globally and has a strong interest in Turkey given the number of British nationals visiting the country for treatment.”
The Turkish Ministry of Health has been contacted for comment.
“Medicana is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ms Carr after complications during surgery in a Turkish hospital in 2019,” a Medicana spokesman said.
“We categorically deny any allegation that Mr Carr was not provided with sufficient information to make an informed decision about the surgery for which he travelled to Turkey.
“After a thorough pre-operative evaluation, Ms. Carr signed several consent forms confirming that she understood the risks, including the rare complications that led to her death.”
“Medicana is committed to providing the highest standards of clinical care and patient safety. Our processes are continually reviewed and we will continue to work with Turkish health authorities on any changes we deem necessary to protect the reputation and integrity of healthcare in Turkey.”
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