I was left in permanent agony and feared I would die after jetting to Turkey for £2,000 six-pack operation – and didn’t even get the abs I wanted
- EXCLUSIVE: Brit Chris Smith left in permanent pain after Turkey tummy tuck op
- Chris paid Turkish firm MedAway, which specialises in cosmetic surgery
A British cosmetic surgery tourist told how undergoing a £2,000 tummy tuck to get a six-pack left him in horrific pain – and fearing he was going to die on the operating table in Turkey.
Chris Smith says he woke from the three-hour operation in an Istanbul hospital with ‘swollen blue legs’ and fearing he was going to explode, suffering continuous stabbing pains, scarring and numbness, leaving him unable to live a regular life.
Reliving his ordeal Chris told MailOnline: ‘As soon as I woke up from the operation, I knew something was wrong.
‘My whole body from my arm pits to my hips was purple. I couldn’t walk and I was in a huge amount of pain. The hospital then discharged me a day later and I had to go and stay in a hotel. They couldn’t get rid of me quick enough.
‘I honestly thought I was going to die. I kept on telling the hospital that something’s wrong, but they weren’t listening to me. I had two tubes coming out of my body which were attached to plastic cylinders that were filling up with blood and fat. I also had a catheter attached to me.’
British man Chris Smith (pictured post-surgery), 35, has revealed how he feared he was going to die and has been left in permanent pain after jetting to Turkey for a £2,000 operation to get a six pack
Mr Smith, from Tamworth, Staffordshire had Vaser Liposuction, a body sculpting procedure in which stubborn fat that cannot be lost through exercise or diet is extracted from parts of the stomach to create a ‘high definition’ six pack (left pre-surgery; right post)
Chris, 35, from Tamworth, Staffordshire , who runs three successful flower shops, had booked Vaser Liposuction, a body sculpting procedure in which stubborn fat that cannot be lost through exercise or diet is extracted from parts of the stomach to create a ‘high definition’ six pack.
After researching his post-operation symptoms, Chris fears he was given traditional liposuction, which is more invasive than Vaser Liposuction and takes longer to recover from but claims that even this was not carried out properly.
He said: ‘They gave me the wrong operation and didn’t do it right otherwise I would not be in this state. I’ve spoken to other people who’ve had Vaser Liposuction in the UK and they are back on their feet within hours, only have a local anaesthetic and are rarely in pain or have extensive bruising.’
Chris paid £2,200 to a company called MedAway, which specialises in cosmetic surgery in Turkey.
The company denies they gave him the wrong operation, insisting there is no case of malpractice and everything was carried out within ‘medical regulations.’
After waking up in agony from his operation, Chris maintains that he was told that he should return to Britain as soon as possible and have the tubes inserted in him removed at an NHS hospital.
He fumed: ‘How can you tell somebody who is in that condition to go and stay in a hotel and then get on a plane? I made it clear that I wasn’t going back. And I couldn’t understand why, after paying all this money, the doctors in Turkey wanted the NHS to deal with their mess.’
Chris said that he decided to extend his stay in Turkey by another three days and made it clear to the hospital that he was not prepared to leave the country with plastic tubes inserted in him.
He was forced to buy new return flights and in addition to his extended hotel stay, estimates that it cost him close to an extra £1,000.
The tubes were eventually removed on August 20, on the morning he flew back to the UK.
He fumed: ‘The flight was one of the worst experiences of my life. My legs swelled and turned blue, and I thought I was going to explode. I didn’t think I’d survive. I just kept on thinking what a terrible mistake I’d made.’
After researching his post-operation symptoms, Mr Smith (pictured pre-operation) fears that he was given traditional liposuction, which is more invasive than Vaser Liposuction and takes longer to recover from but that even this was not carried out properly
After waking up in pain from his operation, Mr Smith (pictured in hospital) maintains that he was told that he should return to Britain as soon as possible and have the tubes inserted in him removed at an NHS hospital
Since returning to the UK, he revealed that he has had to endure continuous pain and has also been left with scars from the ‘botched’ op. He has also had to take more than week off work and at one stage, had to be rushed to a local hospital after fearing that he had become infected.
‘They did some tests and told me that there need to be further investigations,’ he said. ‘But I could be waiting ages on the NHS so have decided to go private, which is going to cost me more money, but I urgently need treatment and medication.
‘I’m in agony at times and it’s difficult for me to stand or walk for too long. This whole experience has been the worst of my life.’
He is also planning to get an opinion from a doctor outlining what operation he actually had done and how it was performed.
Chris said that he wanted to have a six pack because he has always had problems with his self-image and in the past, has suffered from depression and anxiety.
He admitted: ‘I’ve struggled with my mental health and while I exercise a lot, it was not enough to get me the six pack that I wanted. This operation was about making me feel better about myself, but it’s ended up making me feel worse.’
A Vaser Liposuction operation in the UK costs around £10,000. Chris urged Brits thinking of going to Turkey for cosmetic surgery to thoroughly research the company carrying it out, insisting that they should not be influenced by the cost.
Chris said: ‘These ads (pictured) for cosmetic surgery just kept on popping up on my Facebook offering Vaser Liposuction in Turkey. When I saw the price, this company was charging, I just went with them. It was a no brainer and a lot cheaper than paying £10,000’
He said: ‘These ads for cosmetic surgery just kept on popping up on my Facebook offering Vaser Liposuction in Turkey. When I saw the price, this company was charging, I just went with them. It was a no brainer and a lot cheaper than paying £10,000.
‘But I’ve been very stupid, I just looked at the price, that’s all. If I had to do it all again, I’d pay the extra money and have this operation done in the UK because if there are any complications then it’s easier to deal with them.’
He has contacted MedAway to demand compensation and also revealed that he is trying to find a lawyer who specialises in medical negligence cases in Turkey.
In a statement given to MailOnline, MedAway insisted: ‘In the case of the patient in question, the operation was performed following a consultation with the doctor. However, despite providing medical reports that indicated the procedure performed, the patient is refusing to acknowledge that a different technique was used post-surgery. At this point, some patients resort to defamation campaigns and false accusations in order to seek refunds.
‘We have carried out our work in accordance with regulations and using the best materials and equipment available. There is no case of malpractice or complications involved.’
But Mr Smith hit back: ‘I know 100% that I did not have Vaser Liposuction and high definition six pack sculpture. The photos I have provided show the truth of what happened to me. Do you see a six pack in those photos? I certainly didn’t have what I paid for and I’m angry that this company still believes that I did.’
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