British woman dies having £7k Brazilian butt lift in Turkey

A British woman died during a Brazilian butt lift operation after the surgeon walked out halfway through, an inquest has heard.

Hayley Dowell, 38, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, travelled to Turkey in October 2023 for a tummy tuck, Brazilian butt lift and liposuction.

Mrs Dowell paid over £7,000 for the procedures at BHT Clinic in Istanbul where she suffered an embolism and died at about midnight on October 3.

Husband, Neil Dowell, joined his wife on the trip and claimed Mrs Dowell hadn’t been properly told of the risks before the operations.

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

He claimed: “There was not any risk outlined to her.”

Mrs Dowell’s mother, Ann, said her daughter wouldn’t have known about the risks associated with one of the operations because she didn’t consent to all three.

Mr Dowell said he grew concerned by a last-minute change to the length of one operation, which he he told the court was shortened from six hours to an hour and 45 minutes.

He claimed: “The surgeon left halfway through the operation and left the anaesthetist to do the job. You can’t do both at the same time.”

The grieving husband said the clinic was asked to sign a consent form after his wife died following the butt lift.

Coroner Nicholas Walker said a full investigation would be carried out focusing on what information Mrs Dowell received and the circumstances around her death, the Mirror reports.

Turkey is a popular destination for cosmetic surgery but UK health officials have issued warnings about the country.

The UK Foreign Office has said it is aware of six Brits who died in Turkey last year after medical procedures while others have experienced “complications” requiring further surgery.

Foreign Office officials advise anyone thinking of travelling to Turkey for medical, surgical or dental treatment to discuss any plans with a doctor, dentist or clinician.

They also say anyone thinking about going abroad for medical treatment or elective surgery should check their insurance, read NHS guidance and be wary of websites selling cosmetic surgery as part of a holiday.