'I flew to Turkey for £7,000 mummy makeover - now I'm in pain and lumpy'

27 July 2023 , 09:46

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Emma Witney, pictured before the surgery, was depressed with the way she looked

A mum-of-six who was depressed with the way she looked has been left 'lumpy and bumpy' and in pain after a £7k makeover in Turkey.

Emma Witney who wanted to 'feel better' about herself, flew to Istanbul for a tummy tuck, breast lift and a 'fleur de lis' procedure, which removes abdominal fat. Just four months on Emma, 46, still has bouts of agonising pain and says her body feels "tight and odd". She is now worried the problems are unfixable.

Emma had tried to postpone the prepaid treatment, following the death of her mum the day before. But says the clinic, which has not been named, told her it was best to still go ahead. "I was devastated when they said they couldn't change the date. I felt so guilty leaving my children for a week but I knew I wouldn't be able to go and do it again", says Emma.

Emma Witney left 'lumpy and bumpy' and in bouts of pain after Turkish procedure (Emma Witney / SWNS)

"I got the surgery in the first place because I was depressed and I wanted to feel better about myself. But it's gone so badly I'm now having to double my anti-depressant dose. I paid so much money and now I can't do anything about it. Don't take the risk. If you can save enough and do it over here [the UK], do it."

The 'mummy makeover' cost Emma just £7k at the Turkish clinic, compared to £27k if she had the same procedure in the UK. Emma, a PA to children with additional needs, said she didn't find any negative reviews before booking in but has now been left in "horrendous" pain.

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Emma was left with loose skin after a gastric bypass in December 2020

She said: "At first I thought it would be okay after the swelling went down. They told me the bumps were fluid that I'd need to get drained out with lymphatic massages. But after 10 weeks of getting specialist massages I was told it's not fluid. My tummy goes into a V shape, and it's bumpy too. One of my boobs is bigger than the other and my right arm puckers where it's been sewed tightly. It feels so tight and odd."

Emma, from East Sussex, lost 11.5 stone following a gastric bypass in December 2020 but was left with loose skin. She began to look into options for it to be removed when she found the clinic online. Emma contacted the Turkish clinic in November 2022 and was booked in just a month later, for the procedure in March this year.

Emma spent a further £500 on massages to reduce the swelling

Emma says her post-op care wasn't what she would have expected. She adds: "Luckily I had taken my own pain relief over. I can't imagine what I would have done if I hadn't." A week after arriving back to the UK, Emma spent £500 on 10 lymphatic drainage massages, after she was told they would help reduce the swelling.

She said: "There's not much I can do at this point. No one's getting back to me. Now I'm healed I've been left all lumpy and bumpy - it's awful. I never would have expected to have paid all that money and be left like this. Now I don't have anything left to fix it."

The clinic has been approached for a comment but did not respond.

Maryam Qaiser