Irish hospitals see surge in complications following cosmetic procedures abroad

A snapshot survey by St James’s Hospital has highlighted the burden of cosmetic tourism on the Irish healthcare system during the pandemic.

A hospital in Dublin has seen a “surge” in the number of people presenting with complications following cosmetic procedures abroad during the pandemic, with some patients requiring implants to be completely removed.

A snapshot survey by St James’s Hospital has highlighted the burden of cosmetic tourism on the Irish healthcare system during the pandemic and patients have been warned to be aware of the "hidden costs involved" if they run into complications.

Within four months, eight women presented to the Dublin hospital and were referred for treatment after experiencing complications following elective cosmetic surgery overseas.

All patients were female and aged between 18 and 48 and each surgery was performed within Europe with 75% of cases in Lithuania or Turkey.

The study estimated the total cost for treating the eight patients was €30,558.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, study lead Dr Marlese Dempsey said while cosmetic tourism isn’t anything new, they saw “a surge in patients” presenting to their unit with complications during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The main procedures people are travelling for are breast and buttocks implants in addition to fillers, which are mainly for the buttocks, as well as tummy tucks.

“They’re the most common things people are travelling overseas for and they’re the ones that we’re seeing the significant complications in relation to,” Dr Dempsey said.

According to Dr Dempsy, seven out of the eight patients were presenting with either wound breakdown, infection after their surgery, or a combination of both. Two of the patients had infected implants that had to be removed.

Of the patients that we saw, unfortunately, five of them required admission to hospital and four of them required further surgery.

Complications can happen in any hospital or clinic but when travelling overseas, you do not have the same degree of planning prior to the surgery, she warned.

“Obviously there is that aftercare as well. It would be pretty standard in Ireland to have a least two consultations before any major plastic surgery,” she explained.

This gives you a chance to tell the surgeon what you are looking for and what your expectations for the plastic surgery are.

“It also gives the surgeon a chance to examine you and let you know whether those expectations are realistic.” 

If going overseas, she said it is normally “not practical to have that degree of consultation in advance” and “certainly not in a face-to-face” manner.

When it comes to aftercare, complications usually happen sometime after recovery and not within the first few days after.

She advised patients to “protect themselves” and consider all options carefully.

“While there may be an initial saving travelling overseas, you really want to think about the hidden costs involved if you run into complications down the line and just that difficulty accessing follow-up care with your treating surgeon if you have travelled overseas,” she said.

The study has been published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.