Mum who nearly died after Turkey cosmetic surgery urges people to stay in the UK

A woman who ended up fighting for her life after infections following cosmetic surgery in Turkey says people should ‘take the hit’ and pay more for operations in the UK. 

Katrina Marshall, a mother-of-four from Hastings, still has scars from surgery three years ago and suffers pain in what she described as a ‘horrendous’ experience. 

She flew to Turkey for breast implants, a tummy tuck and a Brazilian butt lift procedure in 2022.

She paid a company more than £6,000 in a ‘package deal’ for the three operations and accommodation. 

Following the operations, all carried out in one day, she returned to the UK and developed infections, which left her in excruciating pain. 

She told Metro she had reported her symptoms to the surgeon who offered pain relief medicine. 

Katrina, 46, a school bus driver, said: ‘I flew to Turkey for the procedures as it was cheaper than in the UK but it turned into a nightmare. I had three procedures and soon after something didn’t feel right. I was in pain. I was given pain relief and then returned to the UK.

‘Then I got really ill and was rushed into hospital. I had four blood clots and severe infections. I was told I could have died. The NHS saved me.

‘For anyone thinking they are saving money by going to have the surgery in Turkey I would say think again. If things go wrong it’s better to be in the UK. It’s a false economy, save up more and have the surgery here.’

Images of the severe infections seen by Metro show the extent of the damage to Katrina’s body following the medical complications following the surgery. 

Metro has chosen not to run the images due to the graphic nature of her injuries.

After her infections and clots were treated by the NHS she paid a cosmetic surgeon in the UK £10,500 to repair the damage but she still has some scarring and pain. 

She added: ‘It’s been a nightmare it really has. The company in Turkey offered to do the surgery again free of charge but there’s no way I was going back after that experience. I would advise people to take the hit and pay more for surgery in the UK.

‘I don’t want others to go through what I have. The toll on my body has been so bad and I was told without emergency treatment I would not be here now. It’s been very distressing for the whole family.’

A statement from BlueCare, the company in Turkey which organised Katrina’s surgery, said in a statement:  ‘Mrs Katrina Marie Marshall approached us for a full mommy makeover, which included 360° liposuction with tummy tuck, breast lift with silicone augmentation, and a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift).

‘She visited the hospital on May 27th, 2022, for consultation and medical analysis. Her surgery was successfully performed on May 28th, 2022.

‘On June 22nd, 2022, Mrs. Katrina informed us that she had returned to the hospital due to an infection in her breast area. We maintained regular follow-up with her until September 4th, 2022, when she informed us that the implants had to be removed.

‘Following this, we coordinated with the surgeon and extended an offer for a revision treatment, which included all necessary medical work, at no additional cost. This offer was made for October 15th, 2022, once her breasts had fully healed. However, we did not receive any further communication from her.

‘Please note that prior to undergoing such procedures, every patient is thoroughly informed of the associated risks, including up to a 30% chance of post-operative infection. No operation is performed without the patient’s informed consent and signed documentation.

‘We deeply regret the difficulties Mrs. Katrina faced during her recovery and remain open and ready to cooperate in any way that could support her moving forward.’

Last week, experts told the British Medical Journal that the out-of-pocket cost for weight loss surgery done privately in the UK is around £10, 000 to £15,000, but £2,500 to £4,500 in countries such as Turkey.

They added that 5,000 people from the UK travel to overseas each year to have surgical weight loss treatments, known as ‘medical tourism’.

Figures from the Foreign Office show that between 2019 and March 2024, at least 28 British people died due to elective surgeries in Turkey.

Nurses and medics have previously warned MPs about the rising numbers of weight loss surgeries available abroad, and said complications linked to cosmetic surgery have become a ‘significant burden’ on the NHS.

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