Mum of three Leah Cambridge, 29, from Leeds, collapsed shortly after the start of the £3,000 op at a Turkish clinic
A BRITISH mum of three has died after cosmetic “bum lift” surgery at a Turkish clinic used by Towie stars such as Lauren Goodger.
Leah Cambridge, 29, from Leeds, collapsed shortly after the start of the £3,000 op. The clinic boasts that clients get “UK standards of care.”
The partner of Leah said he is still trying to find out what went wrong.
It is thought she died in the operating theatre but the cause has still not been revealed.
Partner Scott Franks, who was last night in Turkey with her parents preparing to fly Leah’s body home, said: “I just wish this was a bad dream.
“Two days ago I was happy. Now I’m a broken man and will be forever. I’m hurt so bad and this is only the start. My life has crashed.”
Scaffolding manager Scott, 31, warned others considering similar cosmetic surgery to take note of the risks. He added: “People need to be aware of situations that can happen with this treatment.
“We are still waiting for answers and are also trying to get a flight to bring Leah home.”
Beautician Leah was at the Elite Aftercare clinic in Izmir for the Brazilian butt lift, made famous by US reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
Its website says it has done plastic surgery for Towie stars Lauren Goodger and Amber Dowding and Geordie Shore’s Chloe Ferry.
COSMETIC procedures in Turkey are advertised at prices more than 70 per cent cheaper than here.
Face and neck lifts in the country can cost as little as £2,640, against around £4,500 in Britain.
Boob jobs at one Turkish clinic are on offer for £2,725 compared with £5,500 at home.
The packages include consultations with the surgeon, the op, anaesthetist and hospital fees, medication and post-operative check-ups abroad.
And clinics say they can book flights, accommodation and transfer for as little as ten per cent of the treatment cost.
A hair transplant is priced at upwards of £12,000 in the UK, putting it out of reach for most Brits. But the cost in Turkey can be £1,500.
Botched foreign cosmetic surgery procedures have cost the NHS about £30million since 2013.
Lauren posted online earlier this year about the clinic saying: “Hi guys I’ve just arrived at Elite Aftercare and I’m very excited to let you know what I’m having done soon — so keep watching.”
The controversial buttlift procedure involves taking fat from the waist or stomach and inserting it in the buttocks.
It is popular with women who want a more pert bottom or an hour-glass figure.
Surgeons at Elite Aftercare say it is safer than other bottom boosting procedures because it involves using the body’s own fat rather silicon implants.
It is thought complications set in soon after they began the procedure on Leah.
Her condition worsened and doctors and nurses they could not save the mum of three boys, from Leeds.
Scott, Leah’s partner for ten years. said: “It’s like a nightmare. Leah wanted to get married and we definitely would have in next few years but instead I’m going to have to plan a funeral.
“I’m looking at her face on video and I think it can’t be true.”
BRAZILIAN bum lifts are the "deadliest cosmetic procedure", a top surgeon has warned.
The controversial op involves taking fat from other areas of the body and injecting it into the glutes and bum to make them bigger.
But, if it's not done correctly, it can cause serious problems, Professor for aesthetic surgery Jim Frame from Anglia Ruskin University warned.
"To be successful, a fat graft needs nutrition and so has to be injected into tissue that has a blood supply," Prof Frame said.
"Fat has more chance of staying in place if it is inserted into muscle – but this is where the risk lies.
"Injecting fat into the buttocks can easily lead to serious problems if done incorrectly. These include a fat embolism, when fat enters the bloodstream and blocks a blood vessel.
"In the lungs, for example, it blocks oxygen from entering the bloodstream, while in the brain it can cause a stroke – both can be fatal."
Cheap overseas clinics are contributing to a rise in deaths from having the procedure, Prof Frame, a senior consultant surgeon at Springfield Hospital, Chelmsford, said.
Last year a survey of 692 surgeons from across the world found 32 patients had died from a condition called a fat embolism - where the injected fat travels to other parts of the body that it shouldn't.
""Most of these deaths appear to have been caused by inappropriately qualified practitioners working in non-approved facilities, including homes and garages," he added.
"Other post-surgery problems, such as gangrene and sepsis, can also be fatal."
Scott, writing on Facebook as he and her parents headed off to collect Leah’s body, said: “I can't believe I’m setting off to say my goodbyes to my little darling.
“This is going to be the hardest thing I’ve done. I can’t imagine being in house without her.”
Emotional Scott, speaking directly to Leah, said: “I will always leave a space for you at the table and make sure our kids remember you.”
Former Spurs footballer Jamie O'Hara had liposuction at the same Izmir clinic in June after piling on the pounds by scoffing junk food on Celebrity Big Brother.
Jamie, who now plays for Billericay Town, said: “Surgery went fine, everything still in place.”
Celebrity Big Brother contestant Chloe Khan is thought to have had a Brazilian butt lift there.
The operation takes between one and two hours and involves a tiny cannula being inserted into a 2mm hole to extract fat.
The fat is then purified and re-injected into the buttocks.
ELITE Aftercare offers cosmetic surgery from a luxury villa outside Izmir with plush double bedrooms and sea views.
Two resident surgeons offer butt lifts, tummy tucks, boob jobs, liposuction, arm lifts, nose jobs and cheek implants.
Patients make appointments at a UK office before travelling to Turkey for the surgery.
The clinic’s website claims: “Elite Aftercare aims to provide a UK standard of care.”
One reality star who had surgery there said yesterday: “It’s not a dodgy back street clinic.
“I weighed up whether to have my nose job in the UK or over there and chose Turkey.
“They’re constantly checking you’re all OK. They’re not going to discharge you if they don’t think you’re fit to leave the hospital. I was fine.”
The clinic’s website says the procedure is one of its most popular and is normally carried out by surgeon Dr Ali Üçkan. It is not known if he operated on Leah, whose eldest lad is 12.
The website says: “You will be able to walk normally after just one day and shouldn’t have much pain.
“Our surgeon and nurses will check on you and advise regularly to see an optimal recovery is made.
It adds: “Surgery should not be taken lightly as there are risks in all procedures.
“Complications can rarely occur. Although uncommon, areas of concern can include; bleeding, infection, anaesthesia problems, fat necrosis and decreased sensation.”
Both Lauren and Chloe have had bum lifts and spoken of how happy they are with the results. It is not known who did Lauren’s. Chloe’s was done in Marbella.
The clinic did not reply to requests for a comment.
