According to the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, at least 24 British people have died as a result of medical tourism to Turkey since January 2019.
Here, MailOnline introduces some of the victims.
Leah Cambridge
Leah Cambridge, 29, developed a blood clot during a £6,500 Brazilian butt lift procedure in Turkey.
Leah Cambridge, 29, died after undergoing a “Brazilian butt lift” procedure in Turkey.
The mother-of-three, from Leeds, died in August 2018, the day after visiting an elite aftercare clinic in Turkey.
The trainee hairdresser, who was said to be “body-obsessed”, was inspired by the Instagram photo and paid cash for the treatment.
The procedure involves extracting fat from the lower back and injecting it into the buttocks.
However, he suffered fatal complications after fat was accidentally injected into his veins, causing him to suffer three heart attacks on the operating table.
Mr Cambridge’s partner Scott Franks told Wakefield Coroner’s Court that the surgeon who performed the operation told him “he had injected the fat too deep into the muscle and it got into the veins”.
Mr Franks said when he flew to Turkey after his partner’s death, Dr Ali Uccan, the surgeon who treated Leah, told him: “It’s a guessing game. You don’t know where you’ll fit in.”
Ms Cambridge’s father Craig committed suicide in 2021 and an inquest held last July heard how he had struggled to cope with the grief of losing his daughter.
Diarra Aqua Eunice Brown
Diarra Brown, 28, died after undergoing liposuction surgery in Turkey.
Diara Akua Younis Brown died at the age of 28 in October 2021, two days after undergoing liposuction surgery at a clinic in the Bahçelievler suburb of Istanbul.
She reportedly underwent surgery to remove fat from her waist.
The operation initially appeared to be a success, but Brown “suddenly” fell ill while having his bandages changed.
She died a few hours later.
In social media posts by family and friends, she was described as a “beautiful soul” and a “dear friend.”
“This must be a dream,” one post read. “I still can’t accept it.”
“I miss you so much my angel. I am devastated that you were taken from me so soon,” said another.
Shannon Bowe
Shannon Bowe, 28, died after undergoing gastric band surgery in Turkey.
Shannon Bowe, from Denny, near Falkirk, died in April 2023 while undergoing gastric band surgery in Turkey.
The 28-year-old woman died during surgery to place a band around her stomach.
It has not been revealed where in Turkey Bou underwent the surgery or the complications that led to her death.
Following Bowe’s death, her boyfriend Ross Sterling posted on social media: “Rest In Peace my angel. Love you forever.”
In gastric band surgery, your doctor will place a gastric band around the top of your stomach to create a small pouch.
When patients eat, these little pouches fill up more quickly than a normal stomach, allowing them to feel full with less food.
This treatment encourages patients to eat less and therefore lose weight.
Melissa Carr
Melissa Carr, 31, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died after undergoing a BBL in Turkey.
Melissa Carr, 31, died in 2019 while undergoing a Brazilian butt lift procedure in Turkey, just before her wedding.
Ms Kerr went to Medicana Haznedar Hospital in Istanbul in November that year for buttock augmentation surgery, which can cost up to £3,150.
The psychotherapist, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died after undergoing surgery that resulted in a blocked artery in his lungs.
Her twin sister Natasha, who set up a justgiving.com page after her death, described her as a “pure and beautiful soul, inside and out”.
She said: “Words cannot describe the pain and heartache we are experiencing. Life will never be the same without her.”
“We miss her deeply and nothing can fill the void she leaves behind for us.”
“I will love you with all my heart until my last breath,” Melissa’s partner Skye Birch said.
Carr also worked as a volunteer helping victims of domestic violence and supporting people after bereavement.
Abimbola Ajoke Bambose
Abimbola Ajoke Bambose, 38, died after undergoing liposuction surgery in Turkey.
Abimbola Ajoke Bambouze, a 38-year-old social worker from Dartford, Kent, died in August 2020 after undergoing liposuction surgery in Turkey.
According to her husband, the mother of three was tired of being asked if she was pregnant so she bought an overseas package plan from Mono Cosmetic Surgery Clinic.
An autopsy revealed that Mr Bambous suffered an intestinal perforation during surgery and that the cause of death was peritonitis with multiple organ failure.
Peritonitis is an infection of the peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdomen that covers important internal organs such as the kidneys, liver, and intestines.
Her husband, Moyosore Olowo, told the inquest he was unaware his wife had travelled abroad for cosmetic surgery and thought she had simply gone on holiday with friends.
It was only when Ms. Bambous called her husband to say she was suffering from abdominal pain after the operation that he found out what had happened.
Olowo said his wife had visited a private clinic in the UK for the surgery but the cost of treatment there was too high.
Carol Keenan
Carol Keenan, 54, died after undergoing BBL and tummy tuck surgery in Turkey.
Carol Keenan, 54, died six days after undergoing a combined Brazilian butt lift and abdominoplasty in Turkey.
The grandmother, from Glenrothes, Fife, paid £7,000 for the operation at a private hospital in Istanbul in 2022 after feeling insecure about the way her body looked.
Keenan also accepted pro bono surgery to repair his abdominal muscles just before being rushed into the operating theatre.
However, she passed away before she was scheduled to undergo final examination and return home.
Her family told MailOnline in April that they were still waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination, 11 months after her death.
Daughter Leonie Keenan, 32, said: “My mum was a healthy, fit person – very petite, a size 10, and she kept in shape by walking or swimming everywhere she went.”
“She was a very active grandmother who loved jumping on the trampoline with her kids, but she wasn’t happy with her body, even though everyone told her it looked great.
“She saw stories of other people and celebrities having the surgery and decided to have it. I don’t know if it was like a midlife crisis or anything.”
