Martyn Latchman, a British man from Milton Keynes, died after beginning a hair transplant in Istanbul, Turkey. According to The Guardian, the 38-year-old passed away last week after getting sick during the £1,500 ($1,991) procedure’s preparatory phase.
The clinic involved, Dr. Cinik in the Besikitas neighborhood of the city, whose prior clientele include ex-England and Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand, said it was unclear why Latchman became unwell.
The clinic confirmed that he passed away later in the day after being moved to an intensive care unit at a nearby hospital.
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Dr. Cinik’s website says that it has performed over 50,000 successful transplants. International football players are among its famous clients. Other former patients include former France and Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé, Brazilian World Cup champion Rivaldo, and Croatian World Cup finalist Ivan Rakitić.
The clinic issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened” by Latchman’s death. It stated that he returned this year for a second procedure after having a successful hair transplant last summer.
The statement said, “Prior to the second operation, all necessary medical evaluations and tests (including blood work, chest X-ray, ECG, etc) were carried out thoroughly and without omission, just as they were during the first procedure. These assessments were conducted under the supervision of an anaesthesiologist, and the patient was cleared for surgery.
“However, before the hair transplant procedure began and during the preparatory phase, the patient unexpectedly became unwell for reasons that are still unknown. Immediate medical intervention was provided, and he was urgently transferred to a fully equipped university hospital. Despite ongoing intensive care treatment throughout the day, the patient sadly passed away later that evening.”
The statement added, “Our clinic is an experienced medical institution that has performed over 70,000 hair transplant procedures to date. All relevant medical documentation related to this incident has been submitted to the appropriate authorities, and the matter is currently being investigated by judicial bodies.”
It also refuted rumors in Turkish media last week that Latchman died during the procedure or that it was interrupted.
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It added, “The incident occurred before the hair transplant procedure had begun. Due to the ongoing legal process and out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further details will be disclosed at this time.”
Latchman’s body has now been transferred to the United Kingdom. According to a Foreign Office official, “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Turkey and are in contact with local authorities.”
Turkish media reported that authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Latchman, who is originally from Bridgend in South Wales, was the assistant headteacher at Goldington Academy in Bedford until last December. He was also the head of computer science there. He left his 16-year teaching job last year to work as a defense contractor, per The Guardian.
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