Medical tourism trend
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Ever more people are visiting Turkey from abroad for nose jobs, hair transplants and similar procedures. Prices are low, but what are the risks?
By Elmas Topcu und Aynur Tekin"I wanted a nose job since turning 13. I heard Turkish doctors were good at them. A few girlfriends of mine had similar surgeries;they were very satisfied." Benita Paloja, a 28-year-old woman from the United States, decided to doas her friends had done and flew toTurkeyto get cosmetic surgery on her nose.She says she paid just €4,600 and was able to fly home aweek later.
Paloja, who works in the financeindustry and as a part-time model, is pleased she had the surgery. She says she feels more confident today and has been hired for more modelling gigs. She also enthusiastically recalls the comprehensive care she received at the clinic. She says she isstill in touch with the medical team.
"I could have had the same surgery in the U.S. for €27,800, thoughI certainly wouldn't have received the kind of attention and care I did in Turkey," says Paloja.
A real boom
Turkeyhas seen a medical tourism boom since theCOVID-19pandemic. In 2021, over 670,000 foreigners visited Turkey to receive medical treatment, according to the country's state-owned International Health Services (USHAS) agency. One year later, that number rose to over 1.25 million, an increase of 88%. In the first six months of 2023, the figures remained similarly high.
Turkish health care facilities are generating considerable revenue from this international business, totaling more than €1.85 billion in 2022. Revenue fell slightly in the first half of 2023, though experts believe this was primarily due toTurkey's devastating February earthquake, which claimed the lives of more than50,000 people.
Germans top the list
In 2022, most foreigners seeking medical treatment in Turkey hailed fromGermany, followed byBritainandSwitzerland, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). Botox and hyaluronic acid treatments for combating wrinkles were the most popular nonsurgical procedures among foreigners in Turkey. The top three surgical procedures were liposuction, rhinoplasty and breast augmentation.
Turkey has also become ever more attractive for leg lengthening procedures. It is especially popular with men from the West who want to be taller. One of those who underwent the procedure is 31-year-old Ash (not his actual name) from the United States, who until recently was dissatisfied with his body proportions. After undergoing surgery, he has gained 12 centimetres in height and is now 184 centimetrestall.
Ash says he feels much better now, though he admits that "it was a very painful procedure and the recovery phase took an incredibly long time". Even so, he says it was worth it. Ash says his chances whenflirting have improved, and he now enjoys more respect from others.
Yunus Oc, an experienced Istanbul-based orthopaedic surgeon, says he has performed more than 200 leg lengthening procedures in the past two years alone. "I used to mainly perform this procedure for medical reasonsfollowing accidents orbecause of growth disorders or short stature," he says.
In recent years, however, more and more people have sought him out for cosmetic rather than medical reasons, Ocsays. He thinks the number of these surgeries will continue to rise over the next three to five years. Buthe warns that, unlike with nose or breast surgeries, leg lengthening procedures can have very serious consequences if thedesired results are not achieved.
Poisoning following botox stomach treatments
There has been a growing number of reports about complications resulting from cosmetic surgeryperformed in Turkey. A year ago, Germany's public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute, reported that some 27 peoplehad sufferedpoisoning following a botox stomach treatment. The procedureinvolves injecting botox into the stomach lining to create a prolonged feeling of satiety. The treatmentcaused serious side effects in some patients, includingmuscle weakness, blurred vision, breathing difficulties and sometimes paralysis.
In mid-January, a Brazilian butt lift had deadlyconsequencesfor a British woman. The mother of three went to Istanbul for thecosmetic surgeryand suffered a fatal heart attack four days later that was triggered by a fat embolism, according to British media. The procedure involvesremoving fat from the patient's body and using it plumpup and enlarge thebuttocks.
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Turkey is considerably cheaper
Do such incidents indicate thatTurkish doctors or clinics are not professional enough? Dr. Susanne Punsmann, an expert with the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre in Germany, advises against generalisations, saying"there are good and bad [healthcare] facilities in Turkey, just like everywhere else". Punsmann points out that the title of "cosmetic surgeon" is not protected by law.
Sherecommends that anyone interested in getting treatment in Turkey thoroughly check the doctors' qualifications or find out how often they have already performed the planned procedure. Punsmann also says that doctors with the relevant qualifications are known as "specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery".
She adds, however,that "other doctors – usually surgeons, dermatologists or gynaecologists – are also allowed to perform cosmetic surgery".
She says it is also important to check whether the doctor or clinic is certified according to European standards, such as the ISO standards, indicating that the clinic is regularly inspected, among other things. Patients should also find out about the materials or laboratory used, according to Punsmann.
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Watch out for non-certified clinics
Ali Ihsan Okten of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) says one should be careful about non-certified clinics. He warns thatthe health tourism boom is causing an increasing commercialisation ofthe industry.
The market is highly competitive. Clincs are using aggressive advertising tactics, sending out text and WhatsApp messages and promoting their low prices to attract customers around the world. "The key criterion for getting treatment in Turkey is often the low cost," says Punsmann. "Savings of up to 70% are possible." She says that while a breast augmentation procedure will cost at least €4,500 in Germany, such a procedure can be had for as little as €2,500 in Turkey.
In Dusseldorf, Germany, getting a surgical procedure to reduce the size of one's stomach costs around €12,500, whereas in Turkey it costs only a third of that price. This means you can save a lot of money in Turkey, especially onexpensive procedures.
Butthese savings may increase the willingness of some people to take greater risks.
© Deutsche Welle 2024
