She had been waiting four years for doctors to fix her sunken nose, the result of a cocaine addiction.
And actress Daniella Westbrook, 49, has revealed she regrets going through the pain of undergoing her fifth facial reconstructive surgery in Turkey.
Daniella said that because she had a history of cocaine addiction, she was unable to take her painkillers because they contained codeine, and woke up in agony and fearing for her life.
The star underwent a thread lift (a procedure that uses temporary stitches to “lift” the skin) and fat transfer procedure last month to fix a previous botched procedure.
But she told OK!: “I had a thread lift procedure and they put over 1,200 threads in my face. I was also supposed to have a nose reconstruction done, so I went in for that, but that wasn’t done.”
‘I thought I was going to die’ Danniella Westbrook has detailed her “nightmare” reconstructive surgery in Turkey, claiming doctors failed to fix her nose and left her with “lumps the size of tennis balls” all over her body.
Terrible time: Daniella, who has a history of cocaine addiction and cannot take painkillers because they contain codeine, said she woke up in agony and feared she would lose her life.
Daniella said she will be returning to my surgeon in Liverpool to have her nose fixed, and that she will be reconstructing the bridge of her nose entirely within her mouth, as well as reinforcing the front of her nose.
She said: “They took fat from my back, sides and stomach and injected it into my face to try and make it more symmetrical. But I feel like they took too much fat from my stomach. I’ve always had six-pack abs and now I wake up in the morning and they’re gone.”
“I have this big lump of fluid all over my stomach – it’s like a big tennis ball. It’s ruined my body. It’s going to take a lot of work to get it back. I’m turning 50 this year and I want to be in the best shape I’ve ever been in.”
Daniella said she had had surgeries before but had never experienced the pain she felt after the two-hour operation.
She also said she was crying hysterically but the Turkish doctors could not understand what she was saying.
Daniela said she wrote a will because she was sure she was going to die. She spent five days recuperating in Turkey before flying to Portugal, where she now lives.
She said she hated the way she looked even more than she did before and wanted to get in the best shape she could before turning 50.
Daniella said she remained in high spirits and had vowed never to undergo surgery abroad again.
HELP! Daniella underwent surgery last month for a surgical thread lift (a procedure that uses temporary stitches to “lift” the skin) and fat grafting to correct a past failed operation – stock image
Health: The former EastEnders actress (pictured here in 1991) previously revealed she will be undergoing facial reconstructive surgery on the NHS.
Tough: The actress has had a well-publicized battle with drugs, and famously had her nose reconstructed after a cocaine overdose left her with a collapsed septum in 2002 (pictured left in 2009, right last year).
Actress: Daniella made her EastEnders debut in 1990 at the age of 16 and has appeared in the show on multiple occasions since (pictured in 2009)
She got engaged last year to her 29-year-old fiancé David, who is currently in prison, and says she is looking forward to finally getting her face in order when they get married this year.
This comes after it was revealed that Daniella will finally have facial reconstructive surgery on the NHS after a private plastic surgeon said it would cost £500,000.
The star has had to undergo five operations to correct his face, which has been “crushed” by a past cocaine addiction and osteoporosis.
But she insists the surgery was necessary to “survive” and not for “vanity” reasons, but purely for health reasons after excessive drug use caused her nasal septum to collapse in 2002.
She previously told The Sun: “I’ve been trying to get someone to do it for the last seven years but they’ve refused because they might fail and be disqualified.”
“Plastic surgeons wanted half a million pounds to change my face and I thought I’d never get the surgery – which is why I ended up in intensive care just before Christmas.”
“I had a cold and couldn’t breathe. My body was filling up with fluids, I couldn’t wake up properly after going to sleep and they put me in intensive care.”
“I was sent to Aintree Hospital in Liverpool but only because I was referred to the right doctor. Otherwise I would still be waiting to find someone. They are now doing it for me under the NHS.”
The star recently revealed he plans to have ribs inserted into his face after years of drug abuse left him with a busted nose.
She had rib insertion surgery in 2018 after osteoporosis rotted her cheekbones and gums, and in addition to facial plastic surgery, she had lip fillers and Botox injections last year, and is hoping to get back to her best.
The actress has had a widely publicized struggle with drugs and famously underwent reconstructive nasal surgery in 2002 after a cocaine overdose left her with a collapsed nasal septum.
At the height of her drug use, she was reportedly taking up to five grams of cocaine a day and spending nearly £250,000 on drugs.
Since then, the star has made multiple stints in rehab to battle his demons, and revealed in June 2021 that he was finally drug-free after attending a clinic in Mijas, Spain.
Daniella first appeared in EastEnders in 1990, aged 16, and remained with the show for three years.
