Health tourism involves intentional travel abroad to obtain private medical care. Motivations are numerous, ranging from financial (affordable treatment) to accessing care unavailable at home [1]. Evidence regarding risk is often limited, sometimes speculative, with little information to guide decisions. It can be biased, based on sensationalist reports, often produced by people with inadequate expertise in such procedures [2]. Most reports reflect individual cases or small case series of problems. Limited studies publishing complication rates for health tourism exist [3], making risk hard to assess. Complications may be underreported where surgery is associated with financial gain and where patients travel from abroad with poor follow up. A survey by the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery found 37% of members had seen complications of health tourism [4], raising concerns for an individual’s risk but the burden within public healthcare facilities treating complications.

Several publications exist on the dangers of cosmetic iris implants [5], the risks of which have been known for years. We report a case of devastating complications following the procedure.

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