Australians having cheap overseas plastic surgeries are spending thousands getting them fixed
Sera and Kayla were promised their dream bodies before undergoing cosmetic surgeries. But it became a real-life nightmare that costs them thousands. See what happened and expert advice.
Cosmetic Health
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cosmetic Health. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Exclusive: Australians are being warned of the risk of cut-price overseas plastic surgeries which are leaving many deformed and traumatised.
Since Covid travel restrictions lifted, medical tourism providers have seen an explosion in destination surgery bookings – and increasingly for men.
At least one company reported the number of Aussies travelling to locations like Thailand and Turkey for man boob removals had climbed 80 per cent in the past year, male neck and face lifts were up 60 per cent, while male hair transplants and female eyebrow transplants jumped up 40 and 43 per cent respectively.
And Turkish airlines’ three direct flights between Melbourne and Istanbul – established last year – have proven popular with Australian patients, saving up 30 to 70 per cent on procedures there.
But the brutal reality of some medical tourism is “cheap and nasty”, the effects of which are being felt back home on our already-stretched private and public hospitals.
Specialist plastic surgeon Dr Laith Barnouti’s firm Australian Plastic Surgery is performing multiple revisional surgeries every week.
“Over the last 12 months there have been steady clients coming from overseas doing surgery, whether it’s in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Thailand, you mention it, it’s everywhere,” he said.
“Every week in our practice there’s a patient coming with a complication from overseas.”
Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons president and specialist plastic surgeon Dr David Morgan said Aussies needed to be more aware about the risks of overseas surgery.
“There is often less consideration given to the inherent risks in seeking cosmetic surgery overseas,” he said.
“Patients also need to consider how they would manage the situation if there is a complication or unsatisfactory outcome, particularly in a health system that they are unfamiliar with, and often in a language that is not their native tongue.”
Dr Barnouti said one of the biggest problems with overseas work was that follow-up consultations could be difficult and neglected.
“Plastic surgery is very important, as important as any other surgery … trying to trivialise it is the problem.
“People could die from surgery, even if it’s a simple surgery. Abdominoplasty or liposuction or breast surgery, it’s vitally important to be performed properly by the right qualified people.”
Australian cosmetic tourism company Aesthetica.com chief executive David Allen said getting good results overseas was possible, if clients went through safe channels.
“The problem with Turkey is there’s a lot of good stuff and a lot of bad stuff. The bad stuff sells on price and that’s where people get caught. They’re making decisions based on cost, not care,” he said.
“We’re already saving our clients between 30-70 per cent (on the cost of surgery in the UK or Australia, including flights). Yes, you can find cheaper, but in doing so you’re taking on unnecessary risk.”
Mr Allen’s firm, which has seen an enormous rise in bookings, especially by men, offers patients a corrective surgery insurance option to provide a peace of mind.
But he acknowledges not everyone books with dedicated cosmetic tourism companies, which is where problems can arise.
“The issue isn’t Turkey. It’s people going for the cheapest deal and losing sight of the fact that they’re not shopping for a jumper, their changing their body and ultimately their confidence.
“We provide them with an option as well, an insurance option, which means that should they need to return to Turkey, their flights and their treatment is all paid for … although we’ve never had anyone claim on this.”
PAINFUL COST OF OVERSEAS SURGERY
Sera Ajazi spent $12,000 on a breast lift and augmentation in Thailand, which at first she thought was “fantastic”.
“The experience was great. I had a good time going there, it was fantastic,” the 35-year-old said.
Her enthusiasm dimmed quickly, though, on her return to Australia as a rare flesh eating bacteria took over her body.
“Exactly two and a half months later (after coming back to Australia) is when I started noticing a massive pocket of fluid under the right breast, and that just got bigger and bigger and bigger,” she said.
The bacteria was eating her breast tissue.
“I was getting holes under the breast,” she said.
“There were literally holes, like bullet holes. You could see my freaking breast implant from a bird’s eye.”
Ms Ajazi, of Sydney, did not want to have her implants removed but was told her condition would “only get worse”.
“(Australian plastic surgeon Dr Laith) Barnouti warned me the hole will get bigger, the implant will slip out, like, under the hole, under the breast,” she said.
Then, her left breast became infected.
“I’m now stuck, pretty much deformed on both sides, and I have to wait three months to re-implant, and spend another $15,000 to fix up what Thailand did to me,” Ms Ajazi said.
“I’ve had both my boobs ripped out of me, two and a half months post putting them in.
“I feel like I can’t look at myself, I feel like I look ugly.”
Gold Coast sex worker and influencer Kayla Jade was also left traumatised by an overseas surgery – a Brazilian butt lift in Turkey.
“I could feel everything on the operating table,” the 30-year-old mother and podcaster said.
“So when they were sucking out the fat from the lipo, I could feel like the rods, like pulling out the flesh, pulling out my fat … it just felt like burning, stinging.
“I could feel everything, but I was paralysed, obviously from the anaesthetic, I could just feel tears running down my face and yeah … it was heckers (hectic) … but I can laugh about it now.
“I woke up just in immense pain … vomiting blood … in the worst pain you could possibly imagine.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Australians having cheap overseas plastic surgeries are spending thousands getting them fixed
LISTED: What you’ll pay for Botox in your suburb – but beware of this
We’ve investigated prices at 430 clinics that offer anti-wrinkle injections to show how much the cost can vary. It comes amid a warning not to search for cheap deals due to high risks. SEE THE LIST
Meet the women who say breast implants destroyed their health
Breast implant illness is not officially recognised. But Australian women who’ve battled painful symptoms and forked out thousands to have theirs removed want action.