18/06/2026
The price difference can look very tempting. Flights, a hotel, and surgery all bundled into one package, promoted by polished social media content. It's easy to see why cosmetic surgery tourism has become such a booming industry.
But a major review published in the BMJ Open has put some sobering numbers to what surgeons have long been warning about. More than half of patients who travelled abroad for elective surgery experienced moderate to severe complications. And once those complications develop back home, the original surgeon is rarely reachable in any meaningful way.
The reality is that what appears to be a saving often isn't. NHS treatment costs for complications from surgical tourism have reached nearly £20,000 per patient in some cases, before any revision surgery is even considered.
Cosmetic surgery performed well is genuinely life-enhancing. But price should never be the deciding factor.
We've written about what the brochures don't tell you – and what good surgery actually looks like. Worth a read before making any decisions > https://www.nigelhorlock.com/the-hidden-cost-of-cosmetic-surgery-abroad/