A MAN who paid £2k for gastric balloon surgery in Turkey wishes he never had the procedure and says it left him "throwing up daily for the next year".

Luke Hughes, 30, from Clacton, sought to lose weight after gaining 4st during the pandemic.

Tipping the scales at 16st and struggling to squeeze into a size 36, he researched weight loss surgeries abroad.

Luke came across a gastric balloon surgery - which involves having a balloon inserted in the upper stomach to reduce stomach volume and appetite - for £1,000, which he hoped would help him slim down. 

He flew to Turkey, in January 2023 for the procedure - after booking it with a company that "had good reviews". 

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Half an hour after being discharged, Luke says he began throwing up "black stomach acid" every 10 minutes and struggled to keep water down.

Luke claims he spent the next nine months throwing up and says he had to have the gastric balloon removed in September 2023 on the NHS.

He said: "I firstly looked into having it done in the UK but nowhere in the UK would do it as they said I wasn't heavy enough.

"That’s when I started looking online and found somewhere in Turkey. Within days I was approved, and I went in January 2023."

Upon returning to the UK, he immediately sought emergency care.

But Luke continued to suffer for nine months, eventually learning the balloon had been "fitted too high and over-inflated," preventing food and liquids from passing into his stomach. 

He lost 4st while the balloon was fitted.

Luke says he deeply regrets the surgery and has warned others against seeking medical procedures abroad.

"I wouldn't even recommend doing your research - I'd recommend not having it done in Turkey at all, to be honest," he said. 

"It’s crucial to have documents in English and be able to ask important questions. I wish I’d never had it done."

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Despite a bruised oesophagus and significant anxiety that led to him spending most of the year isolated, unable to work outside his home or socialize, Luke has now made a full recovery and ready to move forward after a challenging year. 

He said: "I'm feeling OK now. I'm feeling a lot better and obviously relieved it's out and able to move on."