Overview
- A new BMJ Open analysis of 14 studies estimates NHS follow-up for complications after overseas elective surgery at £1,058 to £19,549 per patient.
- Reviewing 655 NHS-treated cases from 2011 to 2024, researchers found 90% of patients were women with an average age of about 38, and 61% had surgery in Turkey.
- Cases most often followed cosmetic and bariatric procedures, with common problems including wound infections, poor healing, and complications requiring intensive care or further surgery.
- The study notes reports of severe outcomes such as sepsis leading to multiple organ failure and deaths from hypoxic brain injury or cardiac arrest, though how often these occur is unclear.
- The Royal College of Surgeons urged reliable national data collection, and the government said it has launched an awareness drive on risks and plans to update guidance.