- A review found 655 people were treated by the NHS for complications after elective surgery abroad, most commonly bariatric and cosmetic procedures.
- More than half of reported cases involved severe complications that often needed further surgery and lengthy hospital stays.
- The authors argue patients need clearer risk information and stronger plans for aftercare, alongside better data to understand the true scale of the problem.
Travelling abroad for elective surgery, sometimes called outward medical tourism, has grown as flights have become cheaper and overseas providers have marketed heavily online.
For some people, it can look like a quicker route to a procedure that may be expensive privately in the UK or delayed by long waiting lists.
The review pulled together UK based reports of complications linked to elective surgery carried out overseas, focusing on what happened when people returned and needed NHS care.
Most cases involved bariatric or metabolic surgery and cosmetic surgery, with only a handful involving eye procedures.
Most patients were women and the average age was reported as around 38.
Turkey was the most common destination in the reports.
The complications described were often serious. Infections, poor wound healing and sepsis featured repeatedly and many patients needed readmission, further operations or intensive treatment.
Average hospital stays were long in the reported case sets, particularly after bariatric surgery complications.
- How TikTok wellness trends mirror remedies from the Dark Ages
- Tummy tuck in Turkey left a woman needing eight life-saving operations
- Ultra processed foods linked to increased muscle fattiness
Costs to the NHS varied widely, with reported figures ranging from just over £1,000 to nearly £20,000 per patient in 2024 price terms.
The biggest cost drivers were long hospital stays and additional surgery.
The review did not find evidence of any NHS savings linked to people going abroad for these procedures.
The authors also highlight a practical problem clinicians face: aftercare is harder when details of the original operation are missing, incomplete or difficult to obtain.
That can slow decision making and complicate safe follow up.
If you are considering surgery abroad, the headline is risk management.
Ask what aftercare is included, who will manage complications, what documentation you will receive and whether you have insurance that covers postoperative problems.
For weight loss surgery in particular, plan for long term follow up, nutritional monitoring and a clear route back into care if something goes wrong.
