'I flew to Turkey for weight loss surgery - now I only have 7% of my stomach left'

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE: Donna Worthington, 36, from Birmingham, went to Turkey for gastric sleeve country arsenic she wanted to suffer value but she has told however she was near warring for her beingness aft a botched operation

A mum has told however she was "struggling to breathe" aft waking up from botched country in Turkey which her near her with lone 7% of her stomach.

Donna Worthington, 36, from Birmingham, who weighed 19st 10lbs astatine her heaviest, wearing a UK formal size 26, said that she wanted to beryllium healthier for her children.

And that was erstwhile she decided to alert to Turkey having splashed retired £2,900 for gastric sleeve surgery but past she recovered herself warring for her beingness aft the operation.

“When I arrived home, I saw a UK surgeon instantly to archer maine what was going connected – and helium said it was the worst process helium had ever seen,” she said. “He explained that I lone had 7 per cent of my tummy left, which meant it was excessively tiny and had travelled up to my chest.

“I was successful implicit shock, arsenic I didn’t adjacent cognize that was possible. The full travel has been a nightmare from commencement to finish. After waking up from surgery, I was struggling to respire and had bedewed myself due to the fact that I was successful truthful overmuch pain. I cried, trying to get the nurses’ attention, but they told maine to support my dependable down. It was similar I was successful a surviving hell. And it’s the azygous biggest regret of my life.”

Donna had tried assorted diets before, including hiring a idiosyncratic trainer, but was incapable to defy indulging successful Chinese takeaways and saccharine treats. Whenever determination was origin for celebration, if she felt upset oregon adjacent conscionable bored – she would eat.

And past she spoke to a person who had mislaid value successful Turkey. “I thought she looked perfectly amazing, it was similar she was a antithetic person," said Donna. “I marvelled astatine her trim fig successful a brace of shorts and top. I couldn’t judge it was her. And past she told maine she had been to Turkey for surgery, and arsenic determination were nary complications, I was hooked connected the idea.”

Donna asked for the details of the session and booked herself successful consecutive distant adjacent though her husband, Adrian, 49, was "horrified" astatine the determination arsenic good arsenic different household members. She said: “They kept saying to me: ‘What if thing happens to you? Think of the kids.’ But it was due to the fact that I was reasoning of them that I opted for the surgery, to go a amended mum and bask beingness with them more.

“I became determined to beryllium a healthier, much progressive person. All the problems I had been dealing with – precocious cholesterol, headaches and associated symptom – was down to being overweight. And I had had enough.” Adrian yet came astir to the thought and supported Donna passim her travel to Turkey.

During a consultation, it was planned that 80% of her tummy would beryllium removed to make a smaller pouch. While she initially felt excited, past a question of panic came implicit her. She said: “I disquieted that I mightiness ne'er spot my kids again. I tried to enactment the thought to the backmost of my caput – however I privation present that I had listened to myself. The session had been described arsenic luxurious, but it stunk of rotten eggs.

“I had to motion loads of forms, but I couldn’t recognize anything, arsenic it was each successful Turkish. I handed implicit the currency and past the nerves started to acceptable in. Adrian said helium would spot maine successful 2 hours – arsenic that was however agelong they said it would instrumentality – but I wasn’t retired of theatre for four.

“I was successful excruciating pain, felt bloated and I knew that thing wasn’t right.” Three days aft the country successful July 2022, she returned to the UK but she was incapable to clasp nutrient and portion down starring to her value dropping drastically - with implicit 1st 4lbs successful little than 5 days.

Donna was whisked to the infirmary and fitted with a feeding tube, arsenic good arsenic hooked up to fluids, arsenic she was severely malnourished and dehydrated. With her beingness connected the line, and doctors unclear of the issue, she had to fork retired a further £25,000 connected going private.

After uncovering retired the cause, she had to person a seven-hour country successful September 2024 to bring her tummy backmost down from her chest, with the summation of aesculapian mesh to halt it from moving. She said: “I begged for them to hole me. I spent 3 weeks successful hospital, wherever it was hoped that my tummy could’ve been made bigger – but determination was nary luck.

“I was upset, but successful each honesty, I was conscionable thankful to beryllium alive.” Following the ordeal, Donna is inactive incapable to support down immoderate much than a fewer spoonfuls of babe food. She’s besides been admitted doubly with sepsis and pneumonia arsenic the information of her assemblage continues to deteriorate, leaving the mum housebound.

Donna added: “I’ve missed retired connected truthful overmuch with my family. I miss the days erstwhile the worst happening I had to woody with was not being capable to spell into the swimming excavation with my kids. Now I’d gladly portion disconnected successful a bikini – careless of my assemblage – if I was capable to. Instead, I’m incapable to walk immoderate clip with my boys. They’re increasing up close earlier my eyes and I’m not a portion of immoderate of it.

“It’s heartbreaking. Adrian doesn’t slumber anymore, arsenic he’s perpetually checking to marque definite I’m breathing. My kids commencement banging connected the doorway if I don’t reply close distant and my household deliberation I’m dormant if I don’t reply the telephone due to the fact that of however severely this country has near me.

“If I had work a communicative similar mine, I would ne'er person gone done with the surgery. If you tin prevention up, delight person this done successful the UK, it’s not worthy the risk. And if you bash spell to Turkey, delight bash your probe – don’t spell by 1 person’s experience. I would overmuch alternatively beryllium abdominous and struggling, alternatively than walk each time wondering if it’s going to beryllium my last.”