05 August 2023 , 11:43
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A beloved mum-of-two has tragically died after travelling to Turkey for a ‘Brazilian butt lift’ operation - before suffering a devastating embolism.
Lauren Wood, remembered as a “force of nature” by her family, travelled to Istanbul in May last year for a liposuction, tummy tuck, breast surgery, and a BBL. But while undergoing the operation, her blood pressure and heartbeat plummeted. The Stoke resident was rushed from the clinic in the Bakırköy area and taken to hospital, where she sadly passed away in the intensive care unit. She leaves behind her children Indea and Rosey and her grandson Oskar.
An inquest in Stoke-on-Trent heard that Lauren died after a fat embolism - a Royal Stoke consultant plastic surgeon said the fatty tissue grafted onto her bottom had poisoned her bloodstream.
Royal Stoke surgeon Mr Ertan Erel added: “It is a rare but well-recognised condition. The mortality rate of this condition is around one in 15,000. When these surgeries are conducted under compulsory ultrasound, the rate of death drops to zero.”
He added it was clear from the report made by Dr Özgen Kıvanç, who carried out the procedure, that ultrasound was used. The inquest heard from Dr Kıvanç that Mrs Wood had not informed the cosmetic surgery team about a gastric bypass operation she had had several years before, StokeonTrentLive reported.
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He said: "Her low heartbeat and low blood pressure meant that we had to return her to the supine position. The anaesthetist began an attempt at cardiac resuscitation. That was successful but the surgery was stopped and she was taken to the ICU. She was there for approximately ten hours before dying by cardiogenic shock.”
The medical cause of death was read out as being 1a fat embolism, 1b injection of fat, 1c, operation for soft tissue with liposuction and lipo injection. A post-mortem examination revealed macroscopic fat embolism.
Recording a narrative conclusion into Mrs Wood’s death on May 1, 2022, Coroner Duncan Ritchie said: "Lauren was a healthy 44-year-old. She travelled to Istanbul in spring last year and Dr.Özgen Kıvanç offered the procedure.
“She had been in contact for some months. She intended to have liposuction, breast surgery, a tummy tuck and a Brazilian bum lift. In essence, the surgery involved fat that was to be removed and reinjected into the hip area.
"Her family arranged to have her body flown back after her travel insurance declined to pay. The pathologist, Dr Stevens found as part of his post-mortem exam a massive fat embolism. We heard from Mr Erel who said that there is a risk if fat is deposited wrongly with the cannula needle going directly into the vein.
"I have not identified any insufficient practice in the reported actions and I am unable to say that there are any defective practices which may have caused her death. I am recording a narrative conclusion that she died following complications of cosmetic surgery. My condolences are with her family."