21 November 2023
Buttock enlargement surgery – wey pipo also sabi as Brazilian butt-lift (BBL) – na di fastest-growing cosmetic surgery procedure but also one of di most dangerous.
UK government tok say dem go meet wit officials for Turkey to discuss regulations around medical and cosmetic tourism.
Dis meeting dey come afta reports of several deaths of pipo wey travel go Turkey for buttock enlargement.
Melissa Kerr, 31, bin die for private Medicana Haznedar Hospital for Istanbul for 2019 during buttock enlargement (Brazilian butt-lift) surgery.
One fatal clot bin travel go her lungs afta dem remove fat from one part of her body during one liposuction procedure come inject am into her buttocks.
One coroner bin raise concerns say dem no give her and odas enough information before dem travel abroad.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield tok say government take di issue "seriously", for her response to one prevention of future deaths report wey Norfolk senior coroner, Jacqueline Lake write.
Ms Caufield tok say officials from di Department of Health and Social Care go "visit Turkey very soon to meet wit dia counterparts".
One mama of three children die for August 2020 afta she do liposuction for Turkey and BBC bin report how seven British patients die afta one weight loss surgery for di kontri.
Conservative Ms Caulfield wey be minister for mental health and women health strategy, bin offer her "heartfelt condolences" to di Kerr family and say: "e dey important we take di learnings from wetin happun to her in order to prevent future deaths."
"E dey particularly important say those wey dey consider to do Brazilian butt-lift (BBL) procedure must dey fully aware of di risk and get time to reflect fully on dia decision before di surgery," Ms Caulfield tok.
"Di risk of death for BBL surgery dey at least 10 times higher pass many oda cosmetic procedures."
Goment dey consider how to "effectively communicate" information about di risks of going abroad, she tok.
Di minister tok say as di UK government dey look globally at "di consequences of international health tourism... we get strong interest for di number of UK nationals wey dey travel go Turkey for medical treatments".
Di BBC don contact di Ministry of Health for Turkey for comment
Wetin be Brazilian butt-lift?
Dem dey use BBL to make buttocks dey bigger, more rounded or lifted.
Surgeons dey insert silicone-filled implants and dem dey inject or transfer fat from oda parts of di body go di buttocks.
Even wit di dangers, di British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) tok say di procedure na di fastest-growing type of cosmetic surgery, and im popularity dey increase by 20% every year.
Last year, BAAPS issue new guidelines to members afta a four-year moratorium - suspension - on BBLs sake of di high death rate.
Dem now don recommend say na only surgeons fit carry out a procedure wey di name na superficial gluteal lipofilling (SGL), wia dem dey use fat dem collect from di body, inject am below di skin whereas BBLs dey insert fat deep into di muscles.
Dem also recommend say make surgeons carry out only SGLs as di same time dem dey use ultrasound scans so dem fit see wia di cannulas dey go.
Why pipo like to do di surgery?
Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Anu Sayal-Bennett, wey be chartered member of die British Psychological Society, tok say she feel say di appeal of celebrity culture and di perfect pictures dem dey put for social media dey behind di trend for BBLs.
She say celebrities like Kim Kardashian, wit dia strikingly curvaceous bodies, dey fuel di fashion.
"Wit di plenty tok-tok on body positivity, pressures dey for women - and men too - to look a certain way," Dr Sayal-Bennett tok.
Plastic surgeons dey often send dia patients to her as dem recognise di importance of psychological screenings.
She say those surgeons ethics be say, if patients no meet di criteria den dem no go do di operation - but she warn say dis no ne di case across di world.
Why pipo dey travel go abroad for Brazilian butt-lift?
Adverts for cosmetic surgery clinics for Turkey dey show very fine fotos of women for inside swimsuits to promote di surgery, plus special offers for patients join di procedures.
Dr Sayal-Bennett tok say di advertising dey "terribly seductive".
"Di glossy adverts: you fit get your BBL, sip your cocktails and get your beach holiday and di price dey cheap.
"But no be so - na major surgery."
Di money for di procedure na di deciding factor, Dr Nora Nugent, vice-president of BAAPS tok.
"For UK, di surgery fit cost between £6,000 and £12,000, but e fit pass dat amount.
"Adverts of di procedure wey I don see for Turkey range from £3,500 to £5,000," Dr Nugent add.
"Some pipo bin go abroad wen surgeons wey dey follow BAAPS guidelines no dey carry out di procedure between 2018 and 2022."
Both experts agree say di glossy images from overseas no rhyme with di reality.
"Di buttocks go swell, e go dey sore and bruised and wia dem remove di fat – wey fit be for several sites – go swell and bruising go dey dia as well, Dr Nugent explain.
"You need padded dressings and compression bandages so you no go dey beach."
Both doctors stress di importance of aftercare afta di surgery.
Why di procedure dey so risky?
UK inquests don torchlight di deaths of three women - Melissa Kerr, Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, from Dartford, Kent, and Leah Cambridge, from Leeds – wey travel go Turkey for BBLs or linked procedures.
Pipo don die during BBLs sake of di fat dem inject into large veins wey come travel go di major organs.
Na di high fatality risk bin make BAAPS for 2018 tell dia members say make dem no carry out di surgery.
E discover complications wey range from severe bacterial infections wey include MRSA, necrosis - wia tissue die - scarring, wound ruptures and abscesses.
For 2018, BAAPS bin hear how one London hospital bin experience one six-fold increase since 2013 of cases wey need urgent follow-up care from surgeries dem do abroad.
While Ms Kerr inquest hear say mortality rates na one in 4,000, Dr Nugent say more recent research don show say e likely dey di range of one in 13,000 to 15,000.
Wetin make pipo wey dey travel go Turkey for BBL suppose do before dem travel?
BAAPS bin issue one joint statement on patient safety wit di Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (TSPRAS) dis year.
Di organisations dey advise anyone wey wan travel go Turkey for plastic surgery to follow dis new guidelines.
Dem issue di guidelines afta BAAPS see say complications for patients wey dey go abroad for treatment rise by 35% for 2022.
"We no fit stop pipo from going overseas - our insurance and hospital costs for di UK dey so much higher," Dr Nugent tok.
"But di least we fit do na to point dem towards questions dem suppose ask dia surgeons, how di procedure go dey carried out and details about di routine aftercare."
Di new advice for any potential patients wey dey plan go Turkey include:
- Check to know if di Turkish surgeon dey part of TSPRAS (the Turkish Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons) and dem get Turkish board certification
- Plastic surgeons suppose don practice for dia speciality area for at least five years
- Surgeons suppose fit offer aftercare plan and patients need to know dia name and how to contact dem
- E dey compulsory for Turkey to get comprehensive consent form completed ahead of travel
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