THE chief executive officer (CEO) at a London-based cosmetic surgery clinic has warned patients against travelling overseas for cosmetic corrective procedures.

Richard Tickle, CEO at Belvedere Private Hospital, has said his hospital and the NHS are concerned about the glamourisation in the media of surgery abroad.

Richard highlights risks such as not understanding procedures due to language barriers and lack of aftercare among some of the dangers.

He said: "People have argued we (as a private hospital in the UK) are only interested in the fact operations can be half-price in places such as Africa and eastern Europe and that's what we are upset about."

But he says he is concerned patients are unaware of the risks and added costs of having to resort to a private hospital at home to sort out botched operations. It is undisputable cosmetic surgery is more expensive here, but Richard explains patients need to think about why this is.

"Consider the following," he said. "We (in the UK) are highly regulated, taxed and have to comply with stringent conditions.

"What happens when something goes wrong? Infection can cause a patient to stay in the said country at vast unplanned expense. Plus, the NHS will not offer corrective surgery to anyone who has had cosmetic surgery abroad unless it is life threatening."