Anna Valentin died after suffering breathing difficulties one week after undergoing cosmetic surgery in Turkey. More than two years later, Turkish forensic experts have concluded that she died of pneumonia and complications, but that the surgery was performed in accordance with medical safety regulations and that no wrongdoing was committed by medical personnel. A preliminary criminal investigation opened in Turkey has been closed.
However, when Swedish Radio asked Swedish experts to review the autopsy report and publicly available medical records, they criticized the care Anna received and the conclusions reached in the report.
Forensic scientist Brita Zilg of the National Board of Legal Medicine said the cause of death was still unknown.
“She may have had pneumonia, but that was not the actual cause of death, rather it happened earlier,” Jirg said.
Fredrik Gevall, former president of the Swedish Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said the risks of an operation like the one Anna underwent increased the more extensive it was.
“A lot of fat was removed from this normal weight girl. I think they pushed the envelope here,” Gewali said.
Anna was released from hospital despite having been treated with oxygen the previous night, which several experts spoken to by a Swedish Radio reporter said may have contributed to her death.
After spending the night in a hotel, Anna was admitted to intensive care and died less than two days later. Swedish Radio attempted to interview Turkish forensic experts, but received no response. Mehmet Veli Kalartin, the plastic surgeon who operated on Anna in Istanbul, promotes the procedure as a safe butt lift. She said Anna was in good health and insisted that she should also be discharged from hospital.
“Her condition was not too bad,” says Mehmet Veli Karaltin.
The orthopedic surgeon added that while Anna’s death was not directly related to Anna’s surgery, the surgery may have accelerated her illness.
“If I hadn’t had the surgery, I probably would have contracted the virus in some way afterwards,” he said.
Brita Jillg of the Swedish Board of Forensic Medicine says it is necessary to determine the cause and effect of the incident.
“Every job has known risks, some of which are greater than others,” says Jillg.
After interviewing Jillg, reporters contacted the surgeon again but he refused to respond, saying he no longer had access to the medical records.
