Imagine paying thousands of pounds for some much-anticipated cosmetic work at an internationally recognized clinic — only to die shortly after. That exact thing happened to 38-year-old Hayley Dowell, who died after undergoing a Brazilian butt-lift surgery (BBL) in Istanbul, Turkey.
In October of last year, Hayley suffered medical complications because her surgeon casually walked out halfway through her surgery. The package procedure she underwent was a tummy tuck, BBL, and liposuction.
Hayley’s family is devastated about the lack of transparency and proper warnings at the clinic, raising some serious questions about patient safety. Her story is unfortunate, but it’s to be learned from.
Medical tourism in Turkey is becoming more popular.
Turkey has become a popular destination for people seeking cosmetic enhancements, as even including flight costs and accomodations, it’s still much cheaper than clinics in the UK or United States. However, as more patients travel to clinics across the country, some horror stories have emerged. Some people are dying after their procedures, while others are dealing with post-op recovery injuries.
Hayley Dowell traveled to Turkey for multiple surgeries
The Mirror reports that 38-year-old Hayley Dowell traveled to Turkey to get several cosmetic procedures. She paid over £7,000 and booked at the BHT Clinic in Istanbul on October 2nd last year to get a tummy tuck, a liposuction, and a BBL.
A blood clot caused her death shortly after surgery
Hayley’s operation went wrong, and she passed away around midnight on 3 October. She suffered an embolism, which is a blood flow blockage that can happen after surgery and can be fatal.
Her husband says she wasn’t properly warned of the risks
Neil Dowell flew to Turkey with his wife on 1 October. He claims that she wasn’t properly warned by the clinic’s doctors. He said, “We found a surgeon that had a clinic named after himself. He was one of the top five surgeons in Turkey.” Neil added that his wife “only consented to two” of the operations, repeating that “there was not any risk outlined to her.”
The surgeon left the operation halfway through
Neil also pointed out another red flag. He said that the six-hour operation was cut down to just one hour and 45 minutes. “The surgeon left halfway through the operation and left the anaesthetist to do the job. You can’t do both at the same time,” he said. To his shock, he also revealed that “they asked me to sign the consent form after she passed away, after the BBL.”
A full inquest is scheduled for January
In January, a full inquest will take place. Coroner Nicholas Walker is conducting a detailed investigation into the information Hayley had received and the circumstances surrounding her passing.
The clinic claims to have world-class standards
On BHT Clinic‘s official website, they claim to have the technological equipment and infrastructure that only very few medical centers in the world have. They also claim to “apply patient and employee safety in medical procedures, following international quality standards based on ethical principles.”
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The cost of the procedures was just over £7,000
The medical tourism site Bookimed shows that the full cost for a Premium Liposuction with BBL and Tummy Tuck All Included comes to about £7,300, or the equivalent.
Six Brits died in Turkey after medical procedures in 2023
UK health officials have warned Brits planning to fly over for cosmetic procedures about the potential risks. According to the Foreign Office website, six Brits passed away in Turkey in 2023 following medical procedures, and between 2019 and 2022, 17 Brits died after medical visits.
Hayley’s family believes she wouldn’t have known the risks
Hayley’s mom said the same thing, mentioning that she “wouldn’t have known the risks” of at least one of the operations, since she only agreed to two of them. Sadly, it seems like this trend is still going on.
If you’re thinking about getting cosmetic work done, please be extra careful and make sure you fully understand the risks before moving forward. Stay safe out there!