A tragic case has surfaced involving a British woman who died following a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) procedure in Turkey. Her death shed light on the alarming risks associated with medical tourism and patient safety.

Hayley Dowell, 38, had traveled from Eastleigh, Hampshire, to the West Asian country to undergo a series of cosmetic surgeries, including a tummy tuck, liposuction, and the BBL.

She paid over £7,000 ($8,900) for the procedures conducted at Istanbul’s BHT Clinic.

Hayley Dowell, 38, tragically died after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) and other procedures in Turkey

Image credits: Neil Dowell

Just hours after the surgery began, the patient suffered a fatal embolism—a blockage in a blood vessel—and passed away around midnight on October 3 last year.

Troubling details about the surgery were recently revealed during a Winchester Coroner’s Court preliminary hearing.

According to husband Neil Dowell’s testimony, his wife had only consented to two of the three cosmetic surgeries she received.

“We found a surgeon that had a clinic named after himself,” he said. “He was one of the [top five] surgeons in Turkey.”

The deceased woman traveled with her husband and paid over £7,000 for the procedures at Istanbul’s BHT Clinic

Image credits: Neil Dowell

The bereaved husband further claimed that the clinic did not properly inform his deceased wife about the risks involved.

Even more disturbingly, Neil reported that the surgeon left midway through the operation, leaving the anesthetist to continue unsupervised.

“It should have been a six hour operation but it wound down to one hour 45 [minutes],” the husband alleged during the court session. “The surgeon left halfway through the operation and left the anesthetist to do the job. You can’t do both at the same time.”

Husband Neil Dowell claimed his wife had only agreed to two surgeries and not all three

Image credits: Piron Guillaume / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

“They asked me to sign the consent form after she passed away, after the BBL,” he added.

Hayley’s mother, Ann, echoed her son-in-law’s concerns and emphasized that her daughter likely wasn’t aware of all the risks because she hadn’t consented to all three of the procedures.

In 2023 alone, six Britons, including Hayley, died after botched procedures in Turkey. The trend prompted UK health officials to caution against seeking cheaper options abroad without thorough research.

A full inquiry in January will investigate Hayley’s death and the overall handling of her case

Image credits: Rhodi Lopez / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

A full inquest, set for January, will delve deeper into Hayley’s death.

The website for the BHT Clinic mentions having “the technological infrastructure and equipment available only in Turkey and in a limited number of centers in the world.”

“We have the mission of ‘Becoming a World Brand in Health’ by applying patient and employee safety in international quality standards based on ethical principles with its medical infrastructure,” reads the website.

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