I was desperate to get rid of my eye bags for my 50th – but €1k ‘botched op’ left me like a basset hound & €10k in debt
A MUM’s bid to get rid of her eye bags for her 50th birthday backfired – when a “botched” op in Turkey left her with DROOPING eyelids like a basset hound.
Anita Brawders decided to treat herself for her major milestone last year and booked a surgery to have her lower eye bags removed in Turkey.
The now 51-year-old paid €1,000 for the operation in which surgeons made a small incision under the eye and pulled the skin up.
However, within days of arriving back home, Anita noticed the area below her eyes was beginning to droop – exposing her lower eyelid.
The bar manager returned to Turkey for revision surgery but claims the lower lids dropped once again within a matter of days.
Devastated, the mum-of-three said she looked “disfigured” – and missed out on family events, as well as her 50th, due to her “botched” appearance.
The mum-of-three has since had another revision surgery in Canada that was successful – but caims she’s spent more than €10,000 on operations, flights, and time off work.
Now, the mum, who lives in Kilkenny, Ireland, wants to warn others against travelling to Turkey for surgery.
Anita said: “About three months after having my upper eyelid surgery in Lithuania, I started noticing my eyebags.
“I was coming up to 50 and just wanted to feel better about myself. It was a little 50th birthday present to myself.
“I started researching about six months beforehand and this clinic came up in Turkey. Everything looked good with the clinic.
“After coming back home, it just didn’t seem right. It wasn’t healing. I took the plasters off and it didn’t look right.
“I started texting my co-ordinator and they said it was just part of the healing process.
“Then about three weeks after my surgery, they decided to bring me back and reassured me they could fix what had happened.”
Anita opted to go under the knife again in Turkey to help fix her right eye but within four days of arriving home, the skin dropped.
‘Ruined my 50th’
Anita said: “It was devastating. I could see no end to it. I lived with this for a year.
“I missed out on a lot because of it. I didn’t have my planned party as I was supposed to.
“I had weddings that I missed out on. My family were shocked. I felt disfigured and I looked disfigured.
“I felt like I had been botched. It ruined my 50th.
“I had no self-esteem. I wouldn’t go anywhere but working at my own bar. I felt like I couldn’t go out.
“I hated looking at myself in the mirror. You can’t hide it, it’s the first thing you see. I didn’t want to live like that for the rest of my life.”
After a year of living with her ‘botched’ eye, Anita underwent revision surgery in Canada in August to help prevent the skin from dropping again.
I regret going to Turkey about my surgery. You’re signing things in Turkey, you have no idea what you’re signing. It’s dangerous.
Anita Brawders
Anita said: “It looks amazing compared to what it did look like. It changed my life.
“I’m in the healing process at the moment. I’m doing well, I’m not sure if I have to go back for another procedure. He saved my life.”
Anita claims the clinic offered her €2,400 in compensation after the operation – which she described as “an insult”.
Anita said: “It was an insult what they offered. That’s not going to cover half my costs.
“I spent money on flights, wages, my business, taking time out of work – it didn’t near cover my cost.
‘Feel so let down’
“The surgeon never took responsibility for his actions. They told me every procedure is a risk and you’ve signed your paperwork.
“I haven’t heard back from them since. I feel so let down. I don’t want them to do this to anyone else.
“I regret going to Turkey about my surgery.
“You’re signing things in Turkey, you have no idea what you’re signing. It’s dangerous.”