Cosmetic surgery is a booming industry in the UK, with 65,000 operations carried out last year. But BBC Disclosure has discovered some companies use surgeons from abroad who fly in and out of the country, leaving patients exposed if complications arise.
The practice of using FIFO surgeons (fly in fly out) really needs to be regulated. It is not illegal of course to use them, and the surgeons are free to work in the UK if they have GMC registration. However, like many things, they only work when they work and when things go wrong, they go very wrong!
We would liken this to doing the opposite trip and flying abroad for surgery. This can also be successful and cheaper than in the UK. But equally when things go wrong, they really do compromise the health, well-being and often finances of patients.
Transform has used FIFO surgeons for many years. It is a practice that exists in our view simply because they get away with paying foreign surgeons less than their UK counterparts would correctly charge.
Transform market very heavily in the UK.
This costs money. A lot of money. This means they cannot afford to pay the rates the UK surgeons quite rightly expect for their experience, training and expertise. This means they often engage with inexperienced surgeons or surgeons from abroad to control costs. When things go wrong, it is also not an argument to say it’s a small percentage of patients. Each patient is a person who’s life could well be put on hold or ruined by bad surgery.
We are aware that this doctor still works in the UK. By no coincidence, it is at another clinic that uses predominantly surgeons from abroad who fly in and fly out.
The Beauty Gurus has UK trained surgeons of the highest calibre.
Rhinoplasty in particular is a highly complex procedure that many surgeons do not perform as it is so difficult. Many of the patients seen by our lead surgeon Mr Vijh are pateints needing revisions from poor surgery elsewhere.
“It’s very difficult surgery. It’s even harder to correct errors made by others, but it is something I specialise in and find more and more people need.”
Vik Vijh
It is simply wrong that the commercial desires of some companies in this market are put before patient satisfaction.
If you are considering cosmetic surgery, please book a consultation with one of our experts here.
