Sandbach mum almost killed by blood clots from tummy tuck in Turkey

Sarah Dyson had lost a whopping 15 stone over the last two and a half years through dieting but was desperate to banish the excess skin her incredible weight loss had left behind.

The 36-year-old was quoted £17,000 to have the surgery done in the UK, so opted to fly from Manchester to Istanbul, Turkey, on September 1 for a £6,500 tummy tuck, an arm lift and liposuction.

The mum-of-one said the op went well but claims after raising some swelling in her left leg to doctors, she was assured this was normal so she flew back to the UK on September 8.

The next day while cooking she experienced some breathlessness, but as she had a GP appointment in two days, dismissed any concerns until then.

At the appointment she was told to go to Leighton hospital in Crewe immediately where doctors performed blood tests, an ultrasound and a CT scan - uncovering a blood clot on each lung and DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in her left leg.

Despite being admitted to hospital, her condition worsened and she ended up going into cardiac arrest - having to be resuscitated twice.

The carer claims A&E staff said she should have been given blood thinners but the Turkish doctors 'forgot' and believes that this combined with her getting on a flight is what caused the clots.

The NHS outlines that the risk of clotting increases for four to six weeks after surgery but the risk is increased on 'long journeys of more than four hours, particularly flying'.

DVT is when a clot forms in a deep vein, often in the legs, which can become dislodged and pass into the lungs, which can be fatal.

Now Sarah is recovering at home but says she will have to take blood thinners for the rest of her life and says the surgery is 'not worth it at all'.

Sarah, from Sandbach, Cheshire, said: "It has completely put me off cosmetic surgery. One mistake nearly cost me my life.

"When I landed on the Monday, I was fine, I was very swollen. I put it down to the flight because you can swell can't you? Especially after surgery you're more prone to swelling.

"On the Tuesday evening I remember I was in the kitchen cooking my family their tea and I was out of breath just standing there. I wasn't even moving, I was just stood in the kitchen cooking.

"So I went and sat down and I just knew instantly that I had a clot on the lung. I just knew.

"I ignored it because I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday so they could check all the work I had done.

"While I was losing the weight I knew I wanted the skin removal so I was doing research after research.

"I chose who I was going with, booked it, then had the surgery. They did a fantastic job but they just forgot to give me my blood thinners.

"When I originally first went into A&E I told them I had had a tummy tuck arm lift over in Turkey and they said, 'have they put you on blood thinners?' and I said 'no.' They said, 'they must have forgot.'

"No matter what surgery you have, you have blood thinners for so long and especially when you've got a flight home you're at high risk of DVT and blood clots and stuff but I never got them.

"I definitely think the flight made things worse. You're prone to blood clots on flights without surgery anyway but surgery and a flight, it's deadly really isn't it?

"I'm glad what happened happened when I got home and not in mid-air. If it would have happened on the flight I wouldn't be here now."

Sarah, who is 5'8, went from a UK size 26 to a UK 12-14 but coughed up £6,500 for the surgery and flights to Turkey to get rid of the excess skin she was left with.

She said she had been quoted the huge sum of £17,000 for a tummy tuck and liposuction in the UK.

She claims she has since contacted the clinic she visited in Turkey but they have now blocked her.

Sarah said: "All I remember is trying to strip off so I could breathe because I was panicking, asking the nurse not to let me die and I woke up in intensive care.

"My friend came straight away because my mum and dad live in Manchester. They're an hour away from me. They got a phone call to say you need to come and say goodbye.

"The blood clot had travelled to the part of my lung that produces the oxygen and I couldn't get any oxygen around my body.

"I am definitely thankful to be alive. I'm just glad I cannot remember dying.

"I woke up in an induced coma with a tube down my throat. That was terrifying because I didn't have a clue what had happened.

"The skin [before I had the operation] was horrible. I hated it. I never felt like I'd lost 15 stone.

"It stopped me from wearing clothes I wanted to wear all the time. I used to have a technique of tucking it in every morning so it didn't look bad.

"I still felt like I was 15 stone heavier. I hid in baggy clothes still. I absolutely hated it. I couldn't look in the mirror.

"My vanity almost cost me my life."

Sarah said doctors have told her she cannot drive for the next two months while she recovers, so she has to take time off of work.

Sarah said: "I can't work. I've been a carer for nine years. I'm sat at home worrying about how I'm going to pay my mortgage. I've just got to take every day as it comes.

"It's not worth it at all. I don't regret the surgery but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend.

"I feel like I've lost the 15 stone but I also feel like I've been hit by a bus."

FOOD DIARY BEFORE WEIGHT LOSS

No Breakfast

Lunch - Sandwich meal deal with a bag of crisps and a drink

Snack - Sausage roll or pasty

Dinner - Chippy tea

Supper - Crunchy nut cornflakes

Drinks - Diet coke and coffee only

FOOD DIARY AFTER WEIGHT LOSS

No Breakfast

Lunch - Ham and lettuce sandwich on a high protein thin with a fruit salad and low-fat crisps.

Snack - Fridge raiders or a yoghurt

Tea - Low-calorie ready meal

Drinks - Diet coke and coffee only