A British woman died during a Brazilian butt lift when the surgeon allegedly left midway through the operation, an inquest has heard. Hayley Dowell, the 38-year-old victim, flew to Turkey for a series of cosmetic procedures, including a tummy tuck, BBL, and liposuction, costing her over £7,000.
The surgery took place at Istanbul’s BHT Clinic on October 2, where she shockingly passed away “around midnight” on October 3, following a fatal embolism. Her husband, Neil Dowell, who traveled with her on October 1, claimed Hayley wasn’t adequately briefed on the inherent risks by the clinic’s doctors and shockingly, he was asked to sign consent forms posthumously.
Hayley from Eastleigh, Hants, reportedly is one of six Brits who have succumbed to complications from similar operations in Turkey this year. The country, known for its affordable cosmetic surgery options, has drawn safety concerns and warnings from UK health authorities. Winchester Coroner’s Court heard how the initial hearing into her death cited an embolism – a post-surgical complication posing lethal risks due to blood blockage.
“We found a surgeon that had a clinic named after himself. He was one of the [top five] surgeons in Turkey,” Mr Dowell revealed. However, he also disclosed to the court that his wife had “only consented to two” of the three operations she underwent, reports the Mirror.
“There was not any risk outlined to her,” Mr Dowell alleged. Mrs Dowell’s mother, Ann, expressed that her daughter “would not have known the risks” of one of the operations as she didn’t give consent for all three. Mr Dowell voiced his concerns about a sudden change in the duration of the operation. “It should have been a six hour operation but it wound down to one hour 45 [minutes],” he stated.
“The surgeon left halfway through the operation and left the anaesthetist to do the job. You can’t do both at the same time.” Mr Dowell also claimed: “They asked me to sign the consent form after she passed away, after the BBL.”
A full inquest is set to take place in January and Coroner Nicholas Walker has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the information Mrs Dowell received and the circumstances surrounding her death.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office’s own website has flagged that at least six Brits have died in Turkey this year post-op, while back in 2022, reports claimed that since 2019, a grim total of 17 Brits had passed away following medical trips to the country.
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