As the seventh Irish person in two years has died after undergoing medical surgery in Turkey, experts question the concerning rise in medical tourism. 

A man died after undergoing dental surgery in Turkey, an increasingly common practice among Irish people. 

Irish Dental Association Member Dr Will Rymer said the dental surgery is a “safe procedure” - but improper care can lead to a “terrible tragedy”.

“There are good quality dentists and bad quality dentists in many countries,” he told The Hard Shoulder. “But the cases I've reviewed of patients coming back from abroad are not normal cases.” 

He said several of his dental patients are coming back from countries like Turkey with “huge blocks of porcelain fused together” in their mouth. 

“Because these teeth are now welded together, the whole smile is dependent on each of those individual teeth,” he said. 

“We’re an extremely conservative profession – we like to avoid cutting – but these large aggressive cases would leave you wincing.” 

J14J00 Close-up portrait of a female patient at dentist in the clinic. Teeth whitening procedure

Dr Rymer said three in four dentists now report having to deal with ‘dental tourism’ issues. 

“When you’re travelling long distances it’s very hard to get proper aftercare,” he explained. 

“I'd be sceptical of any commercial entity that it is relying on coming to a foreign country and recruiting and advertising actively for dental patients.” 

Treatments for obesity

The previous six Irish people who died in Turkey all underwent bariatric surgery, a procedure used to treat obese patients. 

Consultant Bariatric Surgeon at St Vincent’s Hospital Dr Helen Heneghan said it is “unfortunately very common” for Irish people to travel abroad for the procedure. 

“More than once weekly we’d see patients coming to emergency services after seeking and undergoing bariatric surgery abroad,” she said. 

Bariatric surgery is safe and the most effective treatment for people who suffer complications from obesity – but it is not “a quick fix”, according to Dr Henegan. 

'Corners are cut'

In Ireland, potential patients undergo around nine months of an educational and preparation process before they are selected for bariatric surgery – while people can arrive the day before their surgery in Turkey with no objections. 

“Corners are cut in terms of the quality-of-care given,” Dr Henegan said. 

“Patients are sometimes nursed in hotels afterwards – it's sold as a four-star experience and it’s absolutely inappropriate.” 

She said a lack of resources and funding in Ireland is a large factor in why people seek surgery abroad. 

“It isn’t as accessible as it should be in Ireland,” Dr Henegan said. “The legacy of underfunding has led to lengthy waiting lists and poorly accessible services.” 

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