Key Summary
- Lengthy NHS waiting lists, high cost of private surgery, and rising obesity in the UK have led to more patients seeking bariatric surgery abroad
- The cost for private bariatric and metabolic surgery in the UK is approximately £10,000–15,000, while it is £2,500–£4,500 in Turkey
- The procedures include gastric sleeve surgery, where the size of the stomach is reduced, and gastric band surgery, which narrows the intestine
- Botched surgeries can lead to infections, internal hernias and even deaths
Healthcare experts have warned of a booming trade in medical tourism for weight loss surgery, which is fraught with risks, and called for an urgent regulation.
The medical tourism industry is worth approximately £300 billion annually, with year-on-year growth projected at 25 percent.
Lengthy NHS waiting lists, unaffordable cost of private surgery, and rising obesity in the UK have led to more patients seeking bariatric surgery abroad.
According to a commentary in the journal BMJ Global Health, the out-of-pocket cost for private bariatric and metabolic surgery (BMS) in the UK is approximately £10,000–£ 15,000, whereas the same procedure can be performed in countries like Turkey for £2,500–£4,500.
Dr Jessica McGirr, one of the authors, told The Guardian that BMS is incorrectly marketed from an aesthetic point of view.
“This is complex surgery for treatment of a chronic disease with potentially significant health complications,” she added.
Many don't realise that medical tourism packages don't provide any coverage in case of complications or long-term nutritional or psychological support.
The procedures include gastric sleeve surgery, where the size of the stomach is decreased by more than 70 percent, and gastric band surgery, which narrows the intestine.
Both aim to make a person feel full, leading to a reduction in appetite.
But a botched surgery can lead to infections, internal hernias, and even death.
According to March 2024 foreign office figures, at least 28 British nationals have died since 2019 due to complications from elective medical procedures performed in Turkey, many of which are thought to have been bariatric surgery.
Despite the growing popularity of fat loss injections, several patients have been travelling to other countries for surgery.
