Inside explosion in numbers of Irish people getting unlicensed surgery & how trip to Turkey can end in harrowing tragedy
IRELAND has seen an explosion in recent years of people travelling abroad for surgery.
But sometimes it ends in tragedy.
A number of people who travelled to Turkey for medical or cosmetic surgery have died.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has also reported having provided consular assistance “in a number of cases” relating to medical procedures undertaken abroad.
With poor post-op checks, people have to rely on Ireland’s health service if they become ill on their return home.
Writing in The Irish Sun on Sunday today, Fianna Fail Senator LORRAINE CLIFFORD-LEE says that swift intervention is required to address the surge in Irish medical tourism to Turkey.
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TURKEY has gained popularity as a destination for cosmetic surgery because of its competitive pricing, luxury marketed packages and modern clinics.
In recent years there has been a surge in Irish citizens travelling there for cost-effective cosmetic surgery, raising concerns about the associated risks of medical tourism.
While the allure of the procedures and state-of-the-art facilities may be enticing, the increasing number of people travelling abroad for elective weight procedures needs a closer examination of the dangers and complications involved with undergoing surgery in a foreign country, especially outside the EU.
While it may seem all well and good to do your research on these hospitals and surgeons — and bask in the glow of the gleaming online reviews and testimonials they receive — we are learning more and more about how many of these rogue traders are using sophisticated websites and branding that have no official licensing or recognition from the Turkish government.
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In practice, this results in Irish patients being operated on by unlicensed people in illegitimate premises, when the promised well-credentialed surgeon and clinics suddenly become unavailable on arrival.
A primary concern for Irish patients is the lack of comprehensive aftercare and follow-up support once you return to this country.
Complications, infections or general dissatisfaction with results is challenging to address when patients are thousands of miles away from their surgeons and healthcare facilities.
Variations in medical standards, cultural differences and language barriers can also pose obstacles to effective communication and postoperative care.
Most notably, though, is the cost barrier. Widely available evidence tells us that people can have surgery in Turkey for €3,000, which covers a preoperative examination, diet plan, accommodation, postoperative support, counselling and transport.
At home, the price is closer to €12,000. It’s no wonder people are choosing these packages.
This is a problem that is showing no signs of abating.
INFORM PEOPLE OF RISKS
In the past three years, at least ten people who travelled to Turkey for procedures have died, the majority of who underwent bariatric surgeries.
While we cannot restrict people from travelling, we can — and should — inform them of the serious risks that this poses.
It is often the most citied and conventional method of suggested interventions, but we know the impact that effective public awareness campaigns can have on changing mindsets and increasing awareness.
Just look at Movember or the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge for motor neuron disease.
An effective public awareness social media campaign, led by the HSE and Department of Health, would be an apt starting point to dispel the myths of these successful surgeries that are primarily targeting people through socials channels such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Awareness campaigns are effective interim measures.
But in the long term we need to look at the wider issue underpinning medical tourism for weight management. This involves a complete reversal of the way in which we view and treat obesity and weight management in this country.
STIGMA BEING ERODED
Obesity was first included in the International Classification of Diseases in 1948. Hardly anyone took notice.
The misconception that obesity is a lifestyle choice, that can be reversed simply by exercising willpower and eating a less, became cemented in the minds of the public and much of the medical profession.
But over the past 25 years or so, most particularly the last decade, momentum has been steadily building towards an acknowledgement that obesity is not merely a risk factor for illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, it is a chronic disease.
We are beginning to see more progressive consideration of this condition and the stigma is very slowly being eroded.
But we need to see more advances. The adage of “eat less, move more” does not cut the mustard any more.
Medical intervention such as semaglutide is shrouded in secrecy and shame, and this should not be the case when they have been effectively proven to treat this disease.
There are also very positive knock-on effects for the wider health service and waiting lists if we implement such changes in obesity treatment and weight management.
While the allure of cosmetic surgery in Turkey and other jurisdictions may be strong, there are both short- and long-term actions that we can implement to reverse this trend and see people properly treated here in Ireland.
We need to see the HSE and Department of Health leading on this.
They must seriously consider the range of new medical interventions as a way forward to treating this disease and combatting the medical tourism route that puts many lives at risk each year.
