By Catherine Morrison BBC News NI
June 24, 2022
image captionClaire (not her real name) was left alone and in pain in a hotel room after a number of procedures
A Belfast woman who recently underwent a so-called “mummy makeover” procedure in Turkey has warned about the risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery.
Claire (pseudonym) was enduring pain alone in a hotel room after undergoing numerous surgeries, including breast implants.
She paid just under £5,000 for breast augmentation, liposuction and a tummy tuck.
That includes a flight and a two-week hotel stay.
However, she said she developed necrosis (death of body tissue) in her breasts and required further surgery.
She said the aftercare she received was poor and she was left alone in pain in her hotel room.
Bodily fluids were dripping from the open wound on her back.
She had to be treated at Ulster Hospital for open wounds after returning to Northern Ireland and will require ongoing treatment.
He said his advice to anyone considering a similar trip to Turkey was to complete the process in Northern Ireland.
“Scream in pain”
After giving birth to her two children and losing the post-baby weight, Claire decided to undergo surgery because “no matter how much I went to the gym, I couldn’t tighten my muscles or get rid of the excess skin.” He said he chose to accept it.
She said she chose Turkey because women she spoke to in a Facebook group had successful surgeries there.
“I thought it was going to be OK, that I’d be able to sit in my hotel room for two weeks and watch movies and order room service.
“It’s going to be two weeks off doing nothing. It’s been a nightmare.”
She arrived in Turkey on Tuesday night and was scheduled to undergo breast augmentation and liposuction surgery the next day, followed by her third surgery.
But after the first operation, Claire said she “woke up violently”, shaking all over and screaming in pain.
“My body felt like it was on fire, my back was burning and I screamed. The door, a heavy duty fire door, was closed.
“I tried to yell but nobody could hear me. I must have been yelling for about an hour and a half.”
“Fluid running down my legs”
She said a cautery instrument was dropped on her face, causing burns to her face and bruising to both eyes.
“I was told that my skin was third degree burned and I would need a graft.”
Claire was hospitalised for two days and “was in so much pain that she cried and begged the doctors, ‘Can I stay the night? I don’t think I can take care of myself,’ but her pleas went unheeded.”
When she returned to her hotel room, she said that every time she stood up, fluid from the wound ran down her leg and she was unable to get out.
“They said it would close automatically but by the time I got home it still hadn’t closed,” Claire said.
“So, the day before I went home, they did my final exam and the doctor pushed all the fluid out of my back, through my thighs, out of a hole in the bottom of my back, and gave me an adult diaper. Please go home.”
Claire’s breasts also became necrotic, with one of her breasts “blackened and oozing”.
Claire said another patient encouraged her to tip the nurse after she felt her needs were not being met after her first surgery. So, during her second surgery, she gave money to the nurse as she looked after him, and as a result, she received more money, she said. Careful treatment.
He returned to Belfast two weeks later and now requires treatment for fluid retention and is still taking painkillers and antibiotics.
image captionDr Alastair Brown said he saw at least 20 patients last year who needed care after surgery overseas
She added: “They said my internal bruising was quite severe. They were very concerned and did a chest X-ray to see why it was so dark and hard, but it just showed I had trauma to the muscle and there’s nothing they can do about it.”
“You just have to grin and bear it, treat it with painkillers and wait for it to heal on its own.”
Asked if she thought this was a failed operation, she said: “Tell me in six months and I’ll tell you if it was worth it, but I can’t say at this point.”
But, she added, “I would never do that again, even if they paid me. It was a horrible experience. A nightmare.”
“Please don’t do it yourself.”
Claire gave the following advice to anyone planning to travel abroad for a similar procedure: “Save your money and have your surgery done in your hometown, no matter where you live, so you can get aftercare.
“If you really want to go to another country, don’t go alone, take someone with you.
“It’s nearly impossible to do on your own and it’s painful, so don’t do it.”
Dr Alastair Brown, the surgeon who is currently treating her at Ulster Hospital, said he had seen at least 20 patients last year who needed care after surgery overseas.
“The severe cases coming to the plastic surgery department range from severe infections, bleeding around the wound and significant areas of necrosis. Very severe infections require hospitalization for treatment,” he said.
“One patient required a 26-day hospital stay and multiple surgeries, but very often these patients will not only require this at the time but multiple surgeries, and this can continue for years.
“What you may think is a cheap option to make you feel better may actually end up costing you a lot of money over the long term.”
He added: “Complications can happen to anyone, even with the best of intentions. But the main issue is the aftercare and how to deal with complications when they arise.”
