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NHS spending millions fixing overseas plastic surgery

Thousands of patients travel to Asia, Eastern Europe, South Africa and elsewhere for cheap cosmetic surgery, but then have to rely on NHS doctors if they suffer complications or receive inadequate treatment.

Some treatments are offered as complete holidays with patients offered an all inclusive deal on travel, hotels, surgery and sometimes a safari or beach holiday.

Research carried out by The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons found that 25% of its members had treated patients for complications related to surgery carried out abroad.

Problems ranged from cosmetic defects in breast augmentation to dangerous complications including blood poisoning, clots, wound infections and swabs left inside patients.

In 2007 surgeons saw at least 208 patients and a quarter needed emergency surgery to correct problems, 31 per cent had a second planned operation and a third had non-surgical treatment to rectify a complication.

The British Medical Association and the Patients Association said it would be wrong to with-hold NHS treatment for patients who had problems after having surgery abroad.

It was not possible to establish the total cost to the NHS of treating these patients but with extra surgery, inpatient stays and outpatient follow up, it will run into millions of pounds each year.

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