Brits Who Fly Abroad For Cosmetic Surgery Should Never Fly Within 72 Hours Of Treatment
An experienced cosmetic surgeon has warned Brits who travel abroad for treatment they should never fly home within 72 hours of the procedure.
Cosmetic surgeon Dr Manish Sinha also said it’s vital to focus on the quality of post-operative care if you make the choice to travel abroad for surgery.
His comments come in the wake of the death of Erin Dennis, 26, who died following gastric sleeve procedure.
Dr Sinha, from the Klinical clinic, said: “People should not fall for ‘glossy brochures’ advertising medical tourism and instead should focus on the care they receive after surgery to lower the risk of complications.
“Weight loss surgery has a low associated mortality rate of typically less than 1% but with this kind of surgery, patients typically have other associated health risk factors like diabetes, heart disease and nutritional deficiencies,” he said.
“This is because obesity comes with an increased risk of health conditions which make post operative care an essential part of any medical treatment to avoid complications and even death.
“After a procedure like this you should spend a night in hospital to make sure your recovery is going well. The next day, you should be ready to go home.
“But it will take six to eight weeks to be fully recovered and travelling, especially flying within 72 hours, should be avoided because blood clots after surgery remain a serious risk due to prolonged sitting.”
“Weight loss surgery is a serious medical procedure which requires post-operative care and anyone thinking about this surgery must take into consideration the continued care they will need after weight loss surgery,” added Dr Sinha.
“All surgery comes with risks and the fact that surgery is elective does not change that.
“Medical tourism is on the rise but often this could lead to deficiencies where these patients may not have access to a planned and structured post operative care which they would if they undertook a procedure in the country where they live.
“Whilst it is exciting to begin the weight loss journey after such procedures, severe nutritional deficiencies may quickly set in and may not be picked up at the urgent care set up at the NHS.
“Patients undergoing weight loss surgery are best managed by a team of multidisciplinary experts including dieticians, specialist nurses and doctors to proactively manage these issues.”
Dr Sinha added that anyone considering travelling for surgery should be aware of the serious risks saying, “it is important to raise awareness of these despite the increase in glossy brochure based medical tourism.”
There is an increasing number of deaths following people travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery, with Turkey one of the most popular destinations.
In 2019, Melissa Kerr died in an Istanbul hospital after fat was injected into a vein during a Brazilian butt lift procedure.
“In the UK all surgeons can be checked on the GMC Specialist Register and hospitals and clinics are registered by the CQC which will include strict monitoring of aftercare,” said Dr Sinha.
“This is not the case in other countries and adds to the risks for those travelling abroad for surgery which cannot be cancelled out by cheap prices.
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