NHS boss: Don't give a Brazilian butt lift as a Christmas gift... hospitals are under enough pressure as it is!
It may not be unusual for men to buy their wife or girlfriend a dubious last-minute Christmas gift.
But they should avoid the lure of a Brazilian butt lift abroad no matter how 'enticing' the festive discounts appear, the country's top NHS doctor has warned.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said hospitals are under immense pressure and dealing with complications from surgery is the 'last thing they need'.
Social media feeds are 'full of enticing looking offers in the run up to Christmas', he added, but 'the reality is these bargain basement cosmetic procedures are potentially deadly'.
The NHS has seen clinics offering 25 per cent discounts, all-inclusive packages including hotels and flights for under £3,000, as well as finance deals in a bid to pull people in.
Professor Powis' warning follows a spate of deaths and medical complications arising from botched surgeries, with the NHS frequently having to treat patients when they return home.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said hospitals are under immense pressure and dealing with complications from surgery is the 'last thing they need'
Fat is first harvested from the hips, lower back, abdomen, thighs and other areas via liposuction. Special equipment is used to prepare it for transfer before it is injected directly into the glutes at specific points, giving the buttocks a bigger, curvier appearance
Brazilian butt lift (BBL) surgery has the highest death rate of all cosmetic procedures as the fat injected into the buttocks can lead to a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage in a blood vessel in the lungs that can be fatal.
Other serious side effects include the skin infection, cellulitis, as well as lumpy scars around the area of surgery.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has advised its members not to carry out BBL surgery, which has increased the risk of people undergoing unsafe procedures abroad.
Clinics in Turkey have been at the forefront of the boom in botched cosmetic procedures in recent years with BBL surgery costing as much as 70 per cent less than in the UK.
Professor Powis said: 'At a time when NHS staff have never been busier, the last thing they need is patients turning up at their door with medical complications following a BBL from an unregulated surgeon in Turkey.
'While many people's social media feeds will be full of enticing looking offers in the run up to Christmas, the reality is these bargain basement cosmetic procedures are potentially deadly.
'BBLs have the highest death rate of all such treatments, and all to often it is left to the NHS to repair the damage and taxpayers to foot the bill.
'At a time when NHS staff have never been busier, the last thing they need is patients turning up at their door with medical complications following a BBL from an unregulated surgeon in Turkey.
Liposuction, Brazilian butt lifts, eye colour-changing laser treatments and hymenoplasties are all offered in clinics across Turkey
'The NHS will always be there for those who need it, but it should not be left to deal with the consequences of botched BBLs.'
An inquest heard last month [November] how Hayley Dowel, 38, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, died following a Brazilian bum lift in Turkey after the surgeon allegedly walked out halfway through her procedure.
She paid £7,000 for a series of operations, including the BBL, a tummy tuck and liposuction but died hours later, in October last year, after suffering an embolism.
Foreign Office data shows that 28 British nationals have died in Turkey following planned surgery since 2019.
And new research suggests two in three patients who suffer complications after traveling abroad for cosmetic surgery end up regretting their decision.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has previously warned that people risk life-changing injuries if they jet-off abroad for substandard cosmetic surgery and has vowed to work with international partners to improve safety.
Professor Vivien Lees, a consultant plastic surgeon and vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: 'Sadly, we are hearing all too often about patients seeking cut price surgery abroad only to pay the true price later with their health.
'These patients deserve better protection.
Melissa Kerr (pictured), from Gorleston, Norfolk, died at a private hospital in Istanbul in 2019 aged just 31 while undergoing a BBL
Leah Cambridge (pictured), 29, from Leeds, died at a private hospital in Turkey in 2018 after she suffered a massive pulmonary embolism while having the procedure
'The NHS will provide care in emergency situations but will not be responsible for sorting out poor results from operations that would not otherwise be available through the NHS.
'It's welcome news that the government has said they will work with international partners to try and improve safety for UK citizens going abroad for cosmetic surgery.
'Achieving this will need a multifaceted approach.
'This could include clamping down on aggressive marketing, promoting best practice and introducing proper insurance and after care for patients who need revision surgery.
'This week RCS England brought together representatives from the NHS, regulators and government to discuss how we can bring about the changes needed to protect people choosing to go abroad for treatment.'
The Foreign Office website says anyone considering travelling to Turkey for treatment should discuss the plans with their own doctor or dentist, adding that 'private companies have a financial interest in booking your treatment and their literature should not be your only source of information'.
The website said embassies 'cannot usually help if you have travelled abroad for medical treatment, for example if you have issues with the care received or costs involved.
