New Zealanders are being targeted by “predatory” ads for dangerous weight loss surgeries abroad, according to a surgeon.

A Manawatū woman has spent six weeks in hospital after a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey.

Since returning to New Zealand, she has had a further six operations and faces stomach reconstruction surgery.

Surgeon Rowan French, who spends much of his time performing bariatric or weight loss surgeries, told the Herald patients are increasingly considering heading abroad for these types of procedures.

“[There isn’t] a day goes past that I wouldn’t hear about someone who’s thinking about it or has a relative that’s gone or a relative that’s thinking about it, it’s incredibly common.

“It’s really exploded in the last, I would say, 18 months.”

French said that this is due to “predatory” online advertising targeting specific populations in the country, in particular Māori people, particularly from more “deprived” areas.

The surgeon explained that having a surgery like a gastric sleeve, which involves removing about 80% of the outer part of the stomach, is better for patients to have in New Zealand due to the data stored around them.

Manawatū woman Helen Watson has spent six weeks in hospital since returning from a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey, unable to eat, drink or walk. Photo / Jimmy Ellingham, RNZ

“We broadly know what the complication is in this country because we have an Australasian registry which pretty much all the bariatric surgeons in this country contribute to.

“It’s an Australian, New Zealand database of bariatric operations which monitors how patients do, so, we broadly know the serious complication rate is probably in that 1 to 2% range.

“With the overseas surgery, we have no idea what that rate is because we don’t know the denominator of how many people are going.”

He said people are being promised a cheap fix on social media and more needs to be done domestically to help those looking to go abroad for cosmetic surgery.

“What I’m seeing is relatively deprived people, like particularly Māori with bad metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, quite high BMIs, they’re going over.

Health NZ said it is aware that an increasing number of New Zealanders are traveling overseas for surgery.

“We should be able to look after them here. So, it’s a failure of the country to look after their people adequately.

“We should have better public access to not just bariatric surgery, but the range of proper treatments for obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease.”

French adds that a better understanding of bariatric surgery and obesity from private health insurers might also help to limit the number of people looking abroad.

Health officials confirmed more Kiwis were heading offshore for medical treatment.

“We’re aware of an increasing number of New Zealanders travelling overseas for surgery.” Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard, Health New Zealand’s National Chief Medical Officer, told the Herald.

Stokes-Lampard said Health NZ encourage people to carefully consider their options and understand the risk of these surgeries.

Health New Zealand chief medical officer Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard said it is not recommended New Zealanders travel abroad for surgery. Photo / Health New Zealand

She said travelling abroad for these types of surgery is not recommended as long-haul travel before and after surgery is high risk.

There is a higher risk of infection and complications in countries where healthcare is not regulated in the same way as New Zealand and multi-drug resistant bacteria are more common.

“Around 500 bariatric surgeries are publicly funded in New Zealand each year.

“While there is an increasing number of options as alternatives to surgery, for some people surgery remains the best option.

“Our focus is on continuing to improve access and reduce waitlists to see more patients across districts within four months for first specialist assessments and elective procedures.”

French encouraged people who were looking abroad for weight loss surgery to make sure their GP has tried the public sector first, particularly if they have a long-term issue such as type 2 diabetes.

Health NZ said about 500 bariatric surgeries are publicly funded in New Zealand each year. Photo / NZME

French also added that gastric sleeve surgery was often the wrong type of procedure for many people who might be getting them overseas.

“For most people that’s the wrong operation,” French told the Herald, “and it’s got poorer results and high rates of bad reflux long term”.

“People just think the surgery fixes them and I’ve seen over some 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of patients do well, but I’ve seen many patients regain the weight.”

However, he acknowledged people are still going to have these types of procedures domestically and abroad, so advised these patients to have proper post-operative follow-up for at least a year.

The key piece of advice he had was to make sure after surgery to have a proper follow-up, and a lifestyle change to keep the weight off.