A British mother who died after cosmetic procedures in Turkey was given just five minutes to decide whether to have a Brazilian butt-lift, an inquest has heard. Hayley Dowell, 38, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, died on October 3, 2023, after undergoing surgery at the BHT Clinic in Istanbul.
High-pressure offer minutes before surgery
Mrs Dowell had travelled to Istanbul with her husband, Neil Dowell, having booked a procedure package costing more than £7,000. Her original plan was to have a tummy tuck and 360-degree liposuction. However, roughly 10 minutes before she was due to go into surgery on October 2, her surgeon proposed adding a BBL, using fat from the liposuction to enhance her buttocks, which he described as "a little flat".
The offer came with a discounted rate of £1,500, instead of the usual £2,500. Mr Dowell said he initially thought the surgeon was suggesting it "off his own back", before a staff member arrived with a card machine to collect payment. The couple were given five minutes to decide.
Mr Dowell told the inquest: "We had five minutes to decide that. We are trying to sort it out. Checking our banks, saying you pay half and I will pay half. It was so quick. We had to make a quick decision. She was going down in 10 minutes after the woman left with the card machine. The surgeon never came back in. They came in with anaesthetic to make her a bit drowsy, and they took her away."
No consent form signed
Mr Dowell said he never saw his wife sign a consent form for the BBL, and that the clinic's medical team did not explain the risks. The surgeon had signed the BBL consent form that morning, but Mrs Dowell only verbally agreed to the extra surgery at around 3pm that afternoon.
Pathologists in Turkey, whose findings were corroborated by UK authorities, determined that Mrs Dowell died from a fatal micro fat embolism caused by the liposuction procedure. This complication occurs when fat enters the bloodstream and blocks blood flow to organs such as the lungs.
Mrs Dowell had previously had two breast augmentations in the UK. Her husband described her as a "healthy" and "energetic" person who suffered from asthma, and who had become self-conscious about her appearance after having children. He said: "After three children she wanted a flat stomach, and she was always concerned about the weight, so she wanted to trim herself down a bit."
Why she went abroad
Asked why she sought treatment abroad despite his reservations, Mr Dowell cited social trends and cost. "I think it was more of a trend and obviously the finance situation," he said. "I think so many people do it and it was something Hayley wanted to do. Friends of hers had done it and had told stories about certain procedures, and she just went for it."
Mrs Dowell had spent four to five years researching the move, and had booked through Qunomedical, an online medical tourism service. The couple arrived in Turkey on October 1, 2023, and signed initial paperwork for the planned procedures shortly after landing.
Timeline and aftermath
On October 2, Mrs Dowell was taken to the clinic at 6am. At 3pm, the surgeon suggested the BBL, and she was taken into surgery 10 minutes after payment was collected. Four hours into the operation, staff told Mr Dowell the surgery was going well, but at 11.59pm they alerted him that his wife was "unwell" after suffering two cardiac arrests. She died just after midnight on October 3.
Following her death, Mr Dowell reported the incident to Turkish police. Area Coroner Nicholas Walker said he intends to issue a prevention of future deaths report. Dr Sophie Chung, CEO of Qunomedical, said the company acted as "facilitators" and no longer partners with BHT Clinic or offers BBL procedures. The clinic declined to provide evidence to the inquest.
Mrs Dowell is believed to be one of six British citizens who died in 2023 after cosmetic surgery in Turkey. The inquest remains ongoing.
