Ulrike Hamann, 64, was unlucky, though initially it looked like her dreams were about to come true.
Hamann went to Antalya in southern Turkey to have her stomach stapled, an operation that cost less there than in Germany, where she lives.
She was initially delighted, losing more than 30 kilos. She decided to head back to Antalya for a face lift, to tighten things up after losing all that weight.
This time, though, she was less happy with the operation.
Hamann, not her real name, is one of hundreds of thousands of health tourists who head to Turkey for cosmetic surgery every year.
Health tourism, including cosmetic procedures, generated $2.1 billion in the country last year alone. Some 640,000 people came to Turkey for such operations in 2021, despite the pandemic, according to the Turkish statistical office Tüik. Meanwhile almost 600,000 went to Turkey for similar procedures in the first half of 2022.
Every day, Turkish hospitals perform about 2,000 hair transplants, state news agency Anadolu reported, citing the Turkish Health Tourism Association Tüsatder. Some 70% of patients come to Turkey from Europe while 30% come from the Arab world.
Hamann found her doctor through an agency and was careful to check him out, beyond just looking at before-and-after pictures on Instagram. Germany bans such advertising but it is permitted in Turkey.
The cost was the deciding factor. Hamann's facelift in Turkey cost €4,000 ($3,960), including the flight.
She couldn't have afforded the prices at home. "Procedures in Turkey are on average 30% to 50% cheaper than in Germany," says plastic surgeon Bernd Loos, who is not in favour of people travelling abroad for surgery.
"The doctor has never seen the patient before. If they get there and the doctor sees their body and realises that it's not likely to go as hoped, he probably won't cancel the operation," Loos says.
However, it's not that the surgeons are lacking in training and skills, says Loos, who notes that you can also pick the wrong surgeon in Germany, "although the chances are a lot lower."
Hamann's initial operation was in 2021. She spoke to dpa early in 2022, and was still happy about the work on her stomach and her face. After all, she no longer had a double chin and she was pleased that her cheeks looked smooth.
That was in February. Then she wanted a small adjustment to one of her cheeks so Hamann flew back in April.
However, when she woke up, she found her eyebrow was numb. Back in Germany, a thread emerged from her cheek. Over the next few months, she gradually realised the operation had not helped, Hamann says.
Her skin sagged again. "I now look like I did before the operation," she says. Meanwhile she had recommended the doctor to someone she knew, whose operation was also "totally botched."
The woman had a thigh lift, and photos of her now show large scars in the middle of her legs.
Sarah Muna Kasule, from the US, wants to prevent such things from happening and founded Surgery Savior and Surgical Match. Together with her six employees, she advises and supports people who travel to Turkey for beauty or health operations.
"The problem is that most people are looking for a bargain," says Kasule, who now lives in Istanbul. However, she says that beauty tourism is booming in Turkey not only because of the low prices but also because quality is high.
Turkish doctors are experienced and often well qualified because they have carried out so many operations, but, she says, you need to find the right surgeon. "But it's difficult for patients to research which Turkish doctors are qualified and members of the right medical associations in Turkey, Europe or the US," she says.
Kasule's services include everything from translation assistance, consultations on finding a doctor, to inflatable chairs, for those who are unable to sit down for six to eight weeks after a Brazilian butt lift. Her main concern is patient safety, she says.
Tourists have also died following plastic surgery in Turkey. Britain's Foreign Office notes in its travel advice that at least 20 people have died as a result of "medical tourism visits" since 2019.
Kasule is well aware of the numbers, thanks not only to her direct contact to patients, but also to the Turkish Tourism Association for Health Travel board.
Often, people travel to Turkey for several procedures at once, such as for a "mommy makeover" involving a breast operation and a tummy tuck. That puts a significant strain on the body and can be dangerous, she says.
A further problem is the care following the operation, which can be inadequate. Desperate patients often call Kasule asking her how to get hold of a private nurse or further supporting services.
Hamann, now retired, contacted a lawyer. She says the hospital offered to reimburse her the full price in exchange for a confidentiality agreement.
She's planning to spend the money on another facelift by a surgeon in Hamburg next spring.
