Cosmetic surgery abroad warning

Ms Farmer, 34, had always been unhappy with a bump on the bridge of her nose and after seeing an advert for cut price surgery abroad, she contacted the company involved.

She was convinced by the sales pitch and happy that surgery would cost her much less than in the UK so she travelled to Prague to have her surgery in 2005.

To start with the results were good but then her nose began to droop.

Ms Farmer, a hair and beauty therapist, from Hall Green near Solihull said: "I thought it was something that I had done, so I called the clinic in Prague and they said that if I came back, they would have a look at it and correct it, but I had to pay for my flights. However, they wouldn't give me a general anaesthetic as it was more expensive, so I was awake throughout the whole procedure. It was one of the worst things I have ever experienced."

Following her second surgery, Sally then returned to the UK hoping that her nose would improve but the drooping returned.

"I called the company again and demanded a full refund but my calls were not returned, so I was left in a desperate situation."

She then decided to get the surgery fixed in the UK and saw consultant plastic surgeon, Bruce Richard in 2007.

"Mr Richard discovered that the surgeons in Prague had cut through my nostril plate – something that should not have happened and was the cause of the problem. I had one corrective operation with Mr Richard which was incredibly complex and involved redistributing cartilage in my nose to build it up again.

"The whole process was incredibly painful. I am a lot happier than I was, but my nose will never look the way I had expected it to.

"Too much damage was sustained in Prague and as I result I would strongly urge anyone considering cosmetic surgery abroad to not take the risk.

"In hindsight, it would have been much more sensible to have saved up a little more and had the procedure carried out by a reputable surgeon in a reputable hospital here in the UK."

Bruce Richard consultant plastic surgeon for the private Spire Parkway Hospital, said: "Sally's case shows a rising trend of seeking cosmetic surgery abroad, and UK Plastic Surgery consultants increasingly have to put right things when the operations go wrong. The risks are enormous – often the patient doesn't even meet the consultant, who will be working on them until the day of their surgery, and there is minimal aftercare, meaning if there are complications, another trip abroad is required, often costing more than surgery in the UK would have cost. It is vital that consumers are aware that, despite the lure of cheap surgery, often the risks far outweigh the benefits.

Source: telegraph