Why Having BBL Abroad Might Be a Bad Idea

Medical tourism has increased in popularity over the last few years. It refers to people travelling abroad for various medical treatments but has become especially associated with surgical cosmetic procedures. People travel abroad to seek medical services for a number of reasons including:

• Price – Many countries offer medical procedures for a much lower price than the UK. This can be a huge draw for patients who are looking for a procedure that they may not be able to afford normally, but there is a strong argument that there are often reasons for why the price is so low. 
• Combining treatment and travel – Some patients want to combine their procedure with a holiday, being able to recover in a location they may otherwise never have travelled to. 
• Access to specific treatments – There are some treatments, procedures and technologies that are only available in certain countries such as the USA. Patients who wish to undergo these procedures or treatments before they become available internationally, may consider travelling. 

Turkey has become a popular destination for many medical procedures, but especially cosmetic surgery. In 2022, around 150,000 people travelled from Britain to have medical procedures in Turkey. Over 12,000 BBLs are performed across Turkey each year. There are several reasons why people are drawn to going there for BBL surgery:

• Price – As we have already spoken about, surgery outside of the UK is usually cheaper. However, these prices are often even lower in Turkey – usually 50-70% less than in the UK. 
• Government support – The Turkish government has actively promoted medical tourism to Turkey and has encouraged foreigners to travel there to have surgery. 
• High quality medical facilities – Many of Turkey’s hospitals and medical facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to perform cosmetic surgery to a very high standard.

Although all of these reasons may sound very appealing, there are huge risks when choosing to have cosmetic surgery outside of the UK. 

Many of the reasons people choose to have cosmetic surgery in Turkey may sound very encouraging and reassuring, but it is important to remember that BBL carries the highest level of risk of any cosmetic surgical procedure, with over 1 death for every 4000 procedures. If it is undertaken without the correct qualifications or in a dangerous environment, the complications can sadly, be fatal.

The main complication associated with BBL surgery is fat embolism. This occurs when the fat is injected too deep into the buttock tissue. This then travels to the lungs or other organs, causing a blockage leading to death.

In the UK, The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has issued guidelines recommending that surgeons only carry out Superficial Gluteal Filling, where the fat is injected under the skin, but above the muscle – preventing fat embolism from occurring. Surgeons from Cadogan Clinic were involved in writing these guidelines. However, outside of Britain, some surgeons inject the fat deeper, either purposefully as they (wrongly) feel it gives better results, or accidentally as they lack training and experience greatly increasing the risk to the patient.

Some of the common problems that occur when having BBL surgery in Turkey have sadly led to the deaths of patients:  

The risks of surgery not being explained

In 2019, Melissa Kerr died from a fat embolism travelling to her lungs following BBL surgery in Istanbul. The inquest into her death concluded in 2023 that she had not been fully informed of the risks of BBL surgery. Although the government are not responsible for the individual decisions made by British citizens while they are in another country, there is a drive to ensure people understand the risks of undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad. In 2023, UK officials travelled to Turkey to discuss the regulatory frameworks and the protection that British people travelling to Turkey can expect to receive.

Lack of aftercare

In January 2024, 26-year-old Demi Agoglia died a few days after having a BBL in Turkey. Her family had tried to persuade her not to go abroad for the surgery. Her surgeons had signed her surgery off, during a follow up appointment despite her saying she felt unwell, and she died of a heart attack in a taxi, on her way to the airport. Patients who have BBL surgery abroad may not receive comprehensive aftercare following their surgery, and may return to the UK within a few days of their procedure, meaning they are not in direct contact with the clinic that are responsible for their care.

Lack of process

In 2018 Leah Cambridge flew to Turkey with her mother to undergo Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery. She suffered a fat embolism, resulting in three heart attacks during her procedure, sadly leading to her death. During the inquest into her death, her mother spoke about how they had been taken straight from the airport to the hospital. Leah had been handed a set of consent forms (which should explain all the risks of your surgery) to sign. She was given very little time to look at these and pressured into signing the forms. Ms Cambridge has opted to have surgery in Turkey as she was reportedly unhappy with her body after she had children and was worried about fat around her midriff. She had organised her surgery through a third-party company who had acted as a middleman between her and the surgeon, meaning she didn’t necessarily have a full picture of her surgeon or the hospital where her procedure was taking place.

Unfortunately, due to her loss in confidence about her appearance she may have been more vulnerable and susceptible to the pressure placed on her to sign the consent forms without having the time to fully read them. This bad practice is highly concerning and indicates that often these surgeons are more concerned about the money they are making from their patients, rather than safety standards. 

Although low costs and impressive (occasionally misleading) marketing may encourage people to consider surgery abroad, we do not recommend travelling outside of the UK for surgical procedures. The risks heavily outweigh the benefits, and you may suffer complications which affect your health (or, tragically, your life). Undergoing surgery abroad means you are likely to not have comprehensive aftercare, you may not fully know your surgeon or the hospital where your surgery is taking place or have a full consultation.

If you are interested in BBL surgery and wish to speak to a specialist consultant surgeon, contact our dedicated surgical patient advisors who will be able to answer your questions and organise a thorough bespoke face to face consultation at our Chelsea based hospital. Our specialist surgeons achieve long-lasting,  high quality results and have been actively involved in writing the safety guidelines for Brazilian Butt Lift.