Turkey medical tourism agency named in New Zealand media

WhatClinic and a clinic in Turkey have been named in media reports in New Zealand in relation to a botched breast surgery case and warnings about cheap medical tourism providers.

New Zealand media is warning prospective medical travellers about cheap medical providers after a woman was allegedly left “infected and deformed” from a breast procedure in Turkey.

In a video posted with media reports, the New Zealand woman says she looked overseas because of the high cost of local surgery.  After research on WhatClinic, she choose to go to Turkey. She booked the breast lift and augmentation through medical tourism agency Clinic Center and was treated at JCI-certified Koc University Hospital in Istanbul.

After the initial breast lift and augmentation she noticed her breasts sagging. Clinic Center was no longer working with the surgeon, stating that he was not able to pass the required checks done by center and that the reviews from previous patients scored lower than their standard. The patient contacted the surgeon directly which, the Clinic Center has since stressed, was made without their knowledge. The surgeon agreed he would do a further breast lift, and a Brazilian butt lift, face graft and liposuction in her arm. It was after the second round of surgeries that the patient had serious complications.

At the beginning of October after her second set of operations, she woke up in an Istanbul hospital, shaking, sick, and vomiting blood. Despite this, the attending surgeon said she was well enough to leave the hospital and fly to Thailand to recuperate. There she developed a serious infection, and she was admitted to Auckland Hospital when she arrived back in New Zealand.

Cliniz Center founder Mustafa Temiz has commented on the case, stressing the importance of patients going through established and experienced medical tourism facilitators to find high quality treatment. Temiz said, “We represent and bring thousands of international patients to health institutions and doctors. Our patients are shown great care by these institutions and doctors. In addition, we make necessary checks about the quality of work and care provided by partner doctors and make regular interviews with patients for them to review the services we provide. If an institution or a doctor can not pass our standards, we terminate our relationship with them and this guarantees the high quality of work for our patients.”