Weight loss surgery tourism needs urgent regulation, say UK experts

Private bariatric surgery is estimated at £10,000-£15,000 in the UK, but £2,500-£4,500 in Turkey. Photograph: Shannon Fagan/Getty Images

A booming trade in medical tourism for weight loss surgery is placing patients at risk and needs urgent regulation, experts have warned.

Despite the growing popularity of injections such as Mounjaro to treat obesity, the number of patients travelling to other countries for surgery is increasing, the latest analysis suggests.