Turkey surgeon who operated on Brit woman who died says he 'did nothing wrong'
The Mirror has traced the doctor who performed weight loss surgery in Turkey on a Brit who died.
Dr Serkan Bayil denied botching the operation on tragic Morgan Ribeiro, 20, and insisted he did nothing wrong.
Grieving mum Erin wants a cosmetic tourism ban. She said: “It must stop.”
Morgan Ribeiro, 20, used her own trust fund to pay for gastric sleeve surgery by Dr Serkan Bayil in Istanbul but collapsed on her flight home and died later in hospital.
Dr Bayil told us at the private hospital where he works that her death had nothing to do with the operation and claimed she died due to an embolism on the plane. But his assessment angered Morgan’s grieving mum Erin Gibson, 44, who said surgeons had told her that her small intestine had been cut.
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Gastric sleeve surgery involves the insertion of a silicone band which pinches the stomach so people feel fuller sooner. The cost for private treatment in the UK is £8,000 to £10,000, but in Turkey it was just £2,500.
Morgan Ribeiro shared this TikTok before going to Turkey for gastric sleeve operation
Morgan Ribeiro with Jamie BrewsterMorgan went under the knife on January 5 and was cleared by Dr Bayil to return home to South London on January 9. But during her flight back to Gatwick she developed complications and is believed to have gone into septic shock. The plane was diverted to Serbia for her to receive emergency medical treatment but she sadly died four days later.
Dr Bayil told us at the Medivita hospital in Istanbul that Morgan’s death had nothing to do with her surgery there. He said: “She died due to an embolism on the flight, not due to complications from the surgery.
“Her vital signs were good when she left us. The most fearful thing in these operations is leakage and she had zero leakage and because of this I think she had an embolism.”
Dr Serjan Bayil speaks to one our reporters in Istanbul (Humphrey Nemar)
Morgan Ribeiro was said to have been bullied for years about her sizeMum Erin said a post-mortem was currently being carried out on Morgan in the UK. She said doctors in Belgrade had told her that Morgan’s small intestine was damaged during the operation.
Responding to the doctor’s claims that Morgan had an embolism, she said: “That is preposterous. It wasn’t an embolism. It was a laceration. It had been cut, we were told during the operation.. I was told that she was showing signs of fever immediately because her body was already going into septic shock. She had broken-down food leaking into her bloodstream. She was already on the way down when she was still in that hospital.
“If that is true, how can they not have picked that up and then release her from their hospital? She was complaining that she wasn’t well. There aftercare was ‘make sure you get up and walk around’.
“Can you imagine the pain that poor child was in? There needs to be some accountability. This isn’t just ‘she had an embolism’, she was cut in the small intestine, and I believe he didn’t pick it up. We were told this by the Serbian surgeons. This cosmetic tourism must stop.”
The Medivita hospital is in the suburbs in the west of Istanbul, just beside a motorway. The walls outside are grimy and the reception area is grubby, feeling more like a GP’s surgery than a Harley Street clinic.
We watched a procession of patients going in and out for appointments. Some were on crutches while others had visible scars and bandages from procedures such as nose jobs and hair transplants. Dr Bayil is very active on social media, proudly boasting about his success stories.
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He posted on Instagram on January 5, the same day Morgan went under the knife, how unlikely it is that a stomach bubble may explode.
Dr Bayil, a respected surgeon for 20 years, told us the Turkish authorities visited him on Monday to begin investigating the case and took away all reports but that he is allowed to continue working in the meantime. He also expressed his sorrow at Morgan’s death, but insisted Turkey was a safe place to have surgery.
He said: “I am sad, so, so sad, she was so young I wish that this had never happened, it is the first time in my career. Two others from England that had the same surgery are very happy with it. But in surgery there are always complications, always risk. I would say it is safe to come to Turkey, this is just a tragic incident.”
Morgan’s boyfriend, Jamie Brewster, 19, said that he was told by doctors she had gone into septic shock. They explained that medics in Istanbul must have perforated her small intestine, causing an infection.
Serbian prosecutors and the British authorities have since launched investigations into Morgan’s death after the Serbian medics in Belgrade were forced to remove 3in of her small intestine in a bid to contain the infection.
Morgan is just the latest in a growing list of Britons who have died or suffered complications after opting for cheaper surgery in Turkey’s massive foreign medical industry.
Fearing hefty medical bills or waiting lists, an increasing number of Britons are choosing medical treatments abroad in what’s often called “medical tourism”.
According to Patient Beyond Borders, a global tourism guide, Turkey is now among the world’s top 10 medical tourism destinations.
In 2022 alone a whopping 1.3 million foreign patients flocked to the country for procedures such as hair transplants, bum lifts or “Turkey teeth”.
Last year the Government said it is aware of more than 25 British nationals who have died in Turkey since January 2019 following medical procedures.
There have also been reports of an outbreak of botulism linked to weight loss treatments performed in Istanbul and Izmir in February 2023.
The advice on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for those interested in such procedures is to be aware that the standard of medical facilities and available treatments can vary widely globally.
They also encourage Britons to discuss plans with their GP before going ahead with any medical procedures abroad, as well as doing do your own research, warning how private companies have a financial interest in arranging your medical treatment abroad.
Last year the Turkish Government responded robustly to growing criticism of its medical tourism industry. A spokesman for the Embassy in London said: “Turkey is a leading destination for health tourism, offering high-quality healthcare services.
“Patient safety is a top priority in the Turkish healthcare system. Patients are provided with detailed information about the services offered, and they can report any complaints they have.
“This helps to ensure that patients receive the best possible care. Healthcare services in Turkey are provided by authorised institutions and surgeons in accordance with international standards. These institutions are regularly audited by the Turkish authorities to ensure that they meet the highest standards of quality and safety. These annual assessments are obligatory for health institutions.”
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