By Mariam Issimdar & Helen BurchellBBC News, Norfolk
The family of a woman who died during buttock augmentation surgery have praised a coroner who pledged to call on the government to warn people about cosmetic surgery abroad.
Melissa Kerr, 31, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died in a private hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2019.
Norfolk Coroner Jacqueline Lake said she would undertake a “prevention of future deaths” report into the case.
Ms Kerr’s twin, Natasha, said she was “overjoyed” to be signed up.
In the interrogation, which concluded on Tuesdayan expert witness – plastic surgeon Simon Withey – said the high death rate as a result of the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) amounted to more than one in every 4,000 procedures.
Mr Withey said if the risk of the procedure had been explained to Ms Kerr before she committed herself financially to it, she would “probably” not have had it.
Ms Lake ruled Ms Kerr had not been given enough information to make a safe decision and said “the risk to citizens who continue to travel abroad for such procedures continues… and I believe future deaths can be avoided by way of better information”.
In a statement issued to the BBC, Natasha Kerr said: “The mortality rates associated with surgery in Turkey are alarming, more so the mortality rate associated with buttock fat transplantation.
“These figures do not even include patients who have survived but suffered serious life-changing complications, or those who have been permanently disabled.”
He continued: “Patients are not fully informed about surgical risk and associated mortality rates, patients do not see their surgeons until hours before surgery and they do not have adequate medical assessments.
“Surgeons are using outdated and dangerous techniques that are putting patients at great risk. This cannot continue, we must act now to prevent future risks to life.”
Medicana Haznedar Hospital in Istanbul was asked to respond to the findings of the investigation.
Melissa’s family said they were devastated by her death.
She was described as a highly educated woman with two master’s degrees, but one who was insecure about her body.
A diligent mental health practitioner, she was “passionate about helping the most vulnerable in society”.
Natasha Kerr added: “We pray the government will take the right steps to implement change to prevent another innocent soul being lost to cosmetic tourism.
“We hope people will think twice about traveling to Turkey for surgery. We pray that another family will not have to endure the extreme pain that we continue to experience.
“Melissa’s pure soul will live on through me and I vow to make her proud.”
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