A woman who has been hospitalized for five months after undergoing weight-loss surgery abroad at a discount stated that she regrets her decision daily.
Emma, 34, from Porthcawl, county of Bridgend, described it as “the worst experience of her life.”
Doctors have cautioned that she is among the numerous individuals who travel abroad for inexpensive surgery and return with “severe and life-threatening problems.”
The Welsh government stated that the National Health Service provided emergency care to everyone in need.
Emma, whose surname is omitted at her wish, expressed regret over her April operation in Istanbul.
The mother of three said she had no complaints about the care, but a few weeks after surgery she “felt uncomfortable and struggled to breathe” one night.
She was diagnosed with sepsis at the emergency room due to fluid in her diaphragm and lungs.
At the time, doctors were unaware that the fluid was caused by a minor stomach leak, so she was equipped with tubes to drain it away.
In September, after many hospitalizations, doctors discovered the source of the leak.
Since her initial surgery in April, Emma has spent a total of 15 weeks in the hospital, nine of which were spent nil by mouth, and has undergone two procedures.
She said: “I also had pneumonia, it’s been horrible, and then I developed fluid under my diaphragm and an abscess under my lung, which was caused by a stomach leak.
“The hospital in Turkey has been in constant communication and has been outstanding, but I could never return since it would be horrifying.
The notion that my children may have been left without a mother still saddens me.
Surgeon Andrew Beamish remarked that a “concerning percentage” of patients were returning home with “severe and life-threatening problems.”
Mr. Beamish, who works at the Welsh institute of metabolic and obesity surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, stated that the current state of affairs was “not sustainable.”
The center is the only one in Wales that offers this procedure, which costs over £12,000 when performed privately but costs only £3,000 in other nations.
The NHS offers bariatric surgery after a suitability assessment, although there are lengthy wait times.
As obesity affects every organ in the body, he stated that surgery should be “one tool utilized as a part of a comprehensive weight management program.”
Mr. Beamish, a consultant bariatric surgeon, attributed the issue to a lack of financing in the United Kingdom.
“Many people are traveling abroad, especially those with lower wages and from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he remarked.
Mr. Beamish stated that, although patient records indicated that the procedure was comparable to that performed in the United Kingdom, pre-and post-operative care was a concern, with patients frequently remaining at a hotel for a few nights after surgery before flying home.
“There is no genuine aftercare – for this type of treatment, you need psychiatrists and expert dieticians, as you will be eating differently and cannot consume the same amount of food,” he stated.
Mr. Beamish stated that “desperation” drove people to “find the money and get it done somewhere” even though this resulted in the NHS treating more patients with unusual problems requiring lengthy stays in intensive care.
“Missed out on my child’s life”
Anna, not her real name, was taken to the hospital with a stomach leak after undergoing a sleeve gastrostomy in Istanbul after gaining weight after the birth of her child in November.
The 24-year-old from Swansea, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that a friend of her mother’s had surgery in Turkey with “wonderful results” and that she booked her surgery after conducting online research and meeting people who had used the same surgeon.
She stated her experience was “wonderful and the staff couldn’t do enough for you,” that the surgeon saw her every day, that she left with medication and an aftercare pamphlet, and that her consultant and dietitian were immediately accessible via WhatsApp.
Anna suffered pain in her back and shoulder when she returned to Wales six days after her surgery and was unable to raise her infant out of the pram.
She was sent to A&E after acquiring a fever and has been hospitalized continually since May.
She stated, “I regret having the surgery because I feel like I’m missing out on my baby’s life, I feel guilty and horrible for paying privately, and I was afraid coming to the NHS since something went wrong.”
But not everyone has had a horrible experience.
Steph Moore from Newport has shed nearly 10 stones (63kg) since undergoing a gastric sleeve procedure in Turkey in December 2021. She claims that the procedure “changed her life.”
The 31-year-old searched online for four months before discovering “an incredible clinic.”
She spent one week in Turkey, including three days in the hospital after her surgery and two doctor’s appointments.
After three months, she received weekly WhatsApp messages and a video chat, characterizing the aftercare as “wonderful” and expressing her only regret as “not doing it sooner.”
Steph needed to drop weight to qualify for IVF, and the surgery allowed her to achieve her goal and begin treatment.
Ahmed Ahmed, a bariatric surgeon consultant, stated: “Patients who are considering bariatric or other forms of surgery abroad are highly encouraged to investigate their alternatives thoroughly.
“I have witnessed an increase in the number of patients who underwent bariatric surgery abroad and were left with severe issues necessitating additional treatment in the United Kingdom. Occasionally, this was owing to a lack of post-operative monitoring.”
The Welsh administration stated: “Before getting any treatment, individuals who are seeking private healthcare of any kind must conduct extensive research.
“We would advise individuals to confirm that they are dealing with a trustworthy individual, request to see their credentials, inquire about difficulties and side effects, and, if feasible, speak with others who have been treated at the same clinic or hospital.”
