Woman struck by flesh-eating virus after Turkish ‘tummy tuck’
A mother contracted a flesh-eating virus after having "tummy tuck" surgery in Turkey.
Carrie, who did not give her second name, developed necrotising fasciitis, dubbed the "flesh-eating disease", having undergone a liposuction procedure in Istanbul in 2022.
The specialist-support assistant from Slough, Berkshire, admitted she is "lucky to be alive and [to] see my kids grow up", warning those considering surgery abroad not to go .
At least 28 Britons have died after travelling to Turkey for cosmetic treatments since 2019, the Foreign Office said.
Carrie booked a liposuction operation for £4,500 having "struggled with her stomach" since having children.
She told The Times: "I'm not skinny but I'm not massive, but there's a pouch and stretch marks that I hated. I wanted it gone.
"I was talking to the company who performed my surgery for two years. I researched them, they had good reviews and I trusted them massively. I thought I'd gone with the right doctor."
Carrie said the first warning sign came after she arrived at a public hospital, rather than a private clinic, and was asked to pay in cash immediately.
The procedure lasted six hours, despite being told it would take half that time, and then her stomach reportedly started turning black.
When she became conscious after the operation, her surgeon said she had developed necrotising fasciitis, which can result from an infected wound.
She told the newspaper: "When I woke up, everything was painful, I knew something wasn't right. It was a really tight feeling to the point I felt my body was going to split in two."
Carrie then underwent another 45-minute surgery to clean the wound. She added: "They cut me open and did it while I was awake while putting a screen up in front of me. It was hell."
Four days after returning to the UK, she collapsed in pain having found a "massive hole" under the dressing of her wound. Carrie went to hospital where she was treated for sepsis and organ failure, which required emergency surgery.
Doctors performed five operations on her over 12 days to remove dead flesh and perform a skin graft, resulting in her spending a week in intensive care. She stayed in hospital for three months and had to take a year off work to recover from the ordeal.
Carrie said: "They ended up taking half of my stomach away. There's no flesh left on my stomach. While I was in intensive care I was screaming in agony. I was out of it all the time.
"I regret it one million per cent. If I could turn back time, I would never have got it. If you want to change your stomach, just diet and hit the gym.
"It still affects my mental health and I have to position my clothes so you can't see my stomach because I look deformed. I can't change it and if I keep dwelling on it my mental health will suffer. I'm lucky to be alive and see my kids grow up."
