Turkish cosmetics firms are upselling potentially deadly operations to unsuspecting Britons, an investigation has found. Undercover reporters recorded a sales representative offering discounts and a surgeon recommending an additional Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) during a brief consultation.
Undercover probe reveals sales tactics
Two reporters, one male and one female, attended the ALZ Health Tourism Expo in Manchester, where dozens of Turkish firms touted their services. A representative from Medical Point named Ahmed Altun told them he could "guarantee" convenience and promised a "really good discount."
In a follow-up WhatsApp consultation lasting just 14 minutes, a surgeon discussed liposuction to "tone hips and tummy." Within seconds, he recommended a "skinny BBL" to inject harvested fat into the "gluteal area." He even suggested taking "gainers" or "supplements" to bulk up before the operation.
Experts condemn practices
Industry experts who reviewed the footage described the practices as "deeply troubling." Ricardo Ribeiro, whose daughter Morgan, 20, died after gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey, said it was "disturbing." Ashton Collins of Save Face, the UK's Government-approved register, said she was "appalled."
Anthony MacQuillan, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), said the footage raised concerns about "commercially-driven" consultations. He told the reporters: "There is no such thing as surgery that doesn't have risk attached to it."
Fatalities and NHS costs
The Foreign Office says at least 28 British people have died since 2019 due to complications from elective medical procedures in Turkey. Seven British nationals died in 2025 alone. Analysis suggests the NHS faces costs of nearly £20,000 per patient when such surgery abroad goes wrong.
Melissa Kerr, 31, died on the day she had BBL surgery at the Medicana Kadikoy Hospital in Istanbul in 2019. Morgan Ribeiro went into septic shock in January 2024 on her flight back to the UK; the plane was diverted to Belgrade, where she died days later.
Consultation details
The undercover reporter, who at 7.5st and 5ft 5in is a healthy weight by NHS standards, was told by Mr Altun that liposuction would take "between seven to 10 days max." He produced a WhatsApp message from a recent Nigerian patient who praised the care, saying: "She's really satisfied with the results."
The surgeon suggested the reporter should "gain some weight" for the BBL, saying: "One of the main issues is you should have enough fat." He recommended powdered "gainers," adding: "You can gain a lot of calories and fat in this kind of supplement." At no point did he ask about her medical history.
BBLs are not illegal in the UK or Turkey but are unregulated and considered the most dangerous form of cosmetic surgery. Consultant plastic surgeon Dr Simon Lee said the most striking omission was "any meaningful discussion of risk." Mr MacQuillan noted that "upselling" introduces more risk to patients for procedures they weren't asking for.
