A Coroner’s Court has heard the investigation into one woman’s death during a weight loss surgery has been hampered by the lack of a response from a Turkish Hospital.
Cork city Coroner Philip Comyn said it was despite sending multiple letters in English and Turkish and seeking the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Turkish Ambassador.
Weight loss surgeon Dr Colm O’Boyle told the court weight loss surgery abroad is often carried out based on someone’s ability to pay rather than how appropriate it and said there is little accountability when procedures go wrong.
Speaking to RedFM news, Dr O’Boyle outlines some of his concerns after meeting several patients who opted for weight loss surgery abroad:
They pay upfront if they have reservations, it's very hard for them to pull out. They have superficial investigations either the day before or the day of surgery. That doesn't seem to be any adequate dietary psychological input or multidisciplinary team input beforehand. And then there seems to be very little in the way of follow up care".
