A BRITISH mum-of-two has died after having a “Brazilian bum-lift” surgery in Turkey that she hoped would change her life.
Hairdresser Kaydell Brown, 38, from Sheffield, paid £5,400 for a the procedure as well as a tummy tuck and a boob job.
Her devastated sister Leanne, 40, who was due to have the same surgery, slammed the Istanbul clinic as a “pop-up butcher shop that needs shutting down”.
The Foreign Office says 28 Brits have died after having cosmetic surgery in Turkey since 2019.
But it has not stopped many, such as Kaydell, jetting over for surgery in the hopes it would get her life “back on track”.
The cost of the surgery back in the UK would have been about £15,000, which only made the trip to Turkey seem like more of a bargain.
Kaydell and Leanne were in high spirits as they walked through arrivals at the airport in Turkey.
Two days later, Leanne who was due to be operated on next by the same surgeon, was informed by medics that her sister had died in the recovery room.
Staff said they tried to wake Kaydell up after surgery and some fat must have travelled to her lungs.
Devastated Leanne recalled how doctors broke the heartbreaking news to her.
Leanne told ITV News: “She went in for surgery at about 9.30am and that was the last time I saw her.
“I was in the room waiting for her to come back. I’d asked a few times where she was, how long she was going to be and they just kept saying she was coming and then I got a knock on the door.
“Three people walked in and said, can you come with us please?
“They took me to a room and they just started trying to say, you know, there’s complications with surgery, you know things can happen. And I said, ‘has my sister died?’ And he just said, ‘I’m sorry, but yeah’.”
Leanne was in deep shock and the clinic, it seemed, wanted to get her home.
She added: “They just gave me an envelope and said here’s your money back and here’s your sister’s money back.
“And here’s your flight. It’s like, sorry she’s dead, here’s your plane ticket.
“When you go in and you’re paying, they’re your best friends but when something goes wrong, you’re left to yourself, it’s goodbye.”
Leanne said she was refused permission to see her sister’s body and a flight back to the UK was hastily arranged by the clinic.
The next day, Leanne was back at the airport – dazed, alone and fighting back tears as she headed home.
When Kaydell was eventually examined by a coroner in the UK, more devastating news was to come, large parts of her brain, lungs and heart were missing.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Our sympathies are with the family of Kaydell Brown.
“The UK government has been actively engaging with the Turkish government on how to support the safety of patients who decide they wish to travel to Turkey for medical treatment.
“We urge anyone considering a cosmetic procedure abroad to research the treatment in question, the qualifications of their clinician and the regulations that apply in the country they are travelling to.”
ITV News tracked down the team at Clinic Expert who were responsible for Kaydell’s care.
Their written response read: “No evidence of organ trauma was found. We have handed the body untouched to the Coroner’s Office (in Turkey).”
Clinic Expert adds: “It is highly possible parts were removed while trying to determine the cause of death.”
Over a million foreigners visit Turkey for medical procedures every year – among them, 150,000 Britons.
And the number of British citizens travelling to Turkey is increasing faster than any other nationality, drawn by the cheap prices.
Since 2018, The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons estimates the NHS has spent almost £5 million on corrective surgery.
A total of 78 per cent of procedures carried out in the UK were on people who’d had original procedures done in Turkey.
