A mother-of-three was left with deep holes in her stomach and fat gushing from her scars after a botched operation in Turkey.
Michelle Collyer, from Cambridgeshire, was left bed-bound with horrific scarring and diagnosed with PTSD after ‘treating’ herself to what was supposed to be a £8k ‘mummy makeover’ at a clinic, self-described as a ‘VIP cosmetic surgery’, in Istanbul.
The support worker first met her surgeon just 15 minutes before her operation and was told she would instead be having a singular tummy tuck, 360 body lift and breast reduction implants, costing an extra £1k.
During the operation she was put under general anaesthetic for 10 hours, four hours longer than the maximum time medically recommended, and was left with severe wounding on her stomach.
After waking up her body was convulsing in shock while she was refused morphine.
Four days later, her doctor performed a revision on her scarring – cutting into her body whilst she was awake – which eventually left her with 7cm holes and blood and fat streaming out of her stomach, before she was hospitalised in the UK and left unable to leave her house or move for months.
Ms Collyer, who runs a support group for people affected by botched surgeries, has since been ignored by the clinic on social media and email after revealing the extent of her injuries.
She told MailOnline: ‘It was horrific. The care was shocking. I’ve had three children and I’ve experienced pain, but nothing like this. I was literally just given co-codamol.
Michelle Collyer (pictured) was left with deep holes in her stomach and blood and fat gushing from her scars after a shocking botched Turkish operation
Her stomach eventually healed but she has left with ‘horrendous’ scarring that makes her stomach look ‘deformed’
Four days after her original surgery her doctor performed a revision on her scarring, which eventually left her with 7cm holes in her stomach
‘When I came round my whole body was in convulsion. I went into shock and I was so cold. The heating was broken which was making me shake even more.
‘There was such a massive language barrier and we weren’t getting internet either, so we couldn’t use the translator app.’
The revision surgery later took place the doctor’s clinic, more suited to ‘lip filler’ procedures she claims, rather than an operating theatre.
‘All he said was, “I just need to fix something”. But he didn’t explain to me what he was actually doing.
‘He then laid me on the bed and started injecting all around where my scar was with numbing cream. And he opened me up there and then, while I was awake and cut away.
‘I begged him to stop but he continued whilst I was awake. I was crying the whole time, and they wouldn’t let my husband in the room.’
After the second procedure the mother had two drains attached to her body to keep leakage. They both rapidly filled up with blood and liquid fat but the Turkish doctors declared her fit to fly and she returned home.
On her return her stomach leaked more intensely, but she was assured it was ‘normal and fine’ by the clinic.
Blood and liquid fat rapidly discharged from her stomach holes when she returned home
‘I noticed one of my gorges was soaking wet, so I changed them all. But it was a mixture of blood and liquid fat and it had the most horrific smell of flesh.
‘Within 48 hours, things really got bad, and I got very poorly with a high temperature and heart palpitations.
Ms Collyer’s stomach ‘completely opened up’ and she was admitted to hospital where she was left in agony.
She was treated by a plastic surgeon before returning home where she was visited by a nurse for wound care every day for four months.
‘I wasn’t able to move apart from to go to the toilet and I got necrosis because I wasn’t moving.
‘I had to have my family members literally do everything for me. They had to look after my children and help around the house because I literally couldn’t do anything.
‘I couldn’t lift, I couldn’t even hold a mug of tea or coffee or anything. I had to get someone to do it for me, or I had to drink from a cup and just use a straw.
‘It was just absolute hell. This went on for about four months in total to get me to a state where I didn’t need nurses in my home every day.’
‘I was diagnosed with PTSD. Mentally and physically it was awful.’
Her stomach eventually healed but she has left with ‘horrendous’ scarring that makes her stomach look ‘deformed’.
‘It’ll always be the biggest regret of my life. My surgery was supposed to be a treat to myself,’ she said
Ms Collyer’s breast implants were never put in while her breasts have been left mishaped.
‘It’ll always be the biggest regret of my life. My surgery was supposed to be a treat to myself.
‘I now have a huge scar and body dysmorphia. It’s just an endless battle within my head.’
After reporting her body’s damage to the clinic she was offered further surgery in Turkey but they warned her against using UK surgeons.
‘Once I told them I went into hospital and my surgeon’s opinion, their whole communication changed,’ she said.
‘I’ve asked for all my medical records. They denied me access. They wouldn’t send anything through.
Dr Anthony Barabas, NHS consultant plastic and hand surgeon, who treated Ms Collyer, told MailOnline: ‘It was one of the worst cases I’ve seen face to face.
‘We would not recommend surgery that will take longer than six hours. Complications including death massively rise after that. She was under for ten hours which is ridiculously long.
‘In Michelle’s case they didn’t do the surgery they said they’d do. The closure of the abdomen wasn’t done correctly.
‘The surgeon did the restitching in his office. A tiny stitch would be okay in the UK but anything else should have been done in an operating theatre.
‘She had two drains in until she flew. They filled up with 400ml each. That is too much discharge to fly.
Turkish surgeries offer packages including VIP airport transfers in ‘luxury vehicles’ and 5-star hotel stays with breakfast. But at least 28 Brits have died from dodgy surgeries since 2019
A variety of procedures not offered in the UK are carried out by doctors in Turkey
‘She shouldn’t have had combined breast and abdomen surgery. In Turkey they cram as much into one surgery as possible because they don’t think people will come back.
At least 28 Brits have died, and many more left seriously injured, by dodgy Turkish treatments since 2019.
Dr Barabas added: ‘Complications in Turkey are very frequent. I’ve seen 30 over the past 18 months. Most NHS departments have a steady trickle coming in. One case cost the NHS £120,000. But the tide is changing in the UK. We only cover life threatening or open wounds – not just if you don’t like the result.
‘In Turkey speed, not safety, is the priority. The problem is a lot of patients go on the cheap and choose the cheapest option. You are taking a bit of a risk getting surgery abroad where you are away from your doctors.
He added: ‘Another problem is ‘cosmetic surgeon’ is not a protected term. Anyone with a surgical degree can say they are one. In Turkey, if you speed through your exams you can be one three years after medical school.
‘Lots of surgeons are very poorly trained but realise there is a lot of money to be made – so go straight for it.’
Ms Collyer warned others of the danger of Turkish treatments.
‘Don’t risk your life,’ she said. ‘Prior to choosing the clinic I researched for two years and nothing came up bad against them.
‘That should have been a red flag. I should have woken up and thought, why isn’t there at least one bad review?’
