A mum who has been left “deformed” after getting a tummy tuck in Turkey claims she thought she was going to die when she developed sepsis.
Charlie Sugden booked a liposuction and tummy tuck procedure after years of feeling unhappy with her body following the births of her three children.
The 40-year-old says as soon as she woke up from the £3,800 operation, she realised something was wrong.
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Her stomach had already started turning black because the circulation had been cut off and she was developing sepsis.
She claims she was in agonising pain and was scared she would die but the thought of her children kept her going.
Charlie flew back to the UK five days later but collapsed in pain after noticing a gaping wound in her stomach.
Medics performed an operation to remove the dead skin and Charlie says she’s been left “deformed”.
“When I woke up, I was in horrendous pain,” Charlie, from Leeds said.
Charlie Sugden’s stomach after skin started turning black. (Picture: Jam Press)
“I looked down and my stomach was black because the circulation had stopped.
“I can’t describe the pain I was in. I thought I was going to die in the bed.
“The only thing that kept me going was my children.
“I kept thinking I needed to get home for them so they have a mum. I couldn’t die like that, it would be so traumatic for them.
“I was screaming in agony. My stomach was dying. All I could feel was tight pain on my body.
“I had to get out of bed for my children even though it killed me. I needed to get home to them.
Charlie Sugden’s stomach after skin started turning black. (Picture: Jam Press)
“Back in the UK, I was on the sofa, I got up and my stomach opened up.
“Loads of fluid came out of it. I collapsed and I was rolling around in pain.
“I went to hospital and they said I had sepsis.
“They cut the dead flesh away and stuck a vacuum pack to my stomach to help it heal.
“When I woke up, I had no stomach and I wasn’t prepared for that. I was in shock massively.”
Charlie, who is completing her GCSEs and hoping to become a nurse, was recovering in hospital for five days, as reported by Need to Know.
Charlie Sugden after a surgeon cut away the dead skin on her stomach in the UK. (Picture: Jam Press)
She said she’s been left “disfigured” by the surgery which she had in July last year but is thankful to be alive.
Charlie said: “I’m deformed, my stomach goes in. It looks awful.
“I can wear a dress now but I know what I look like underneath.
“All that matters is that I’m alive to be a mum to my kids.
“That would have been a horrible way for me to die and for my children to lose their mum like that.
“I’m fit and healthy and I’m thankful for that.”
Charlie opted for a tummy tuck after struggling with her body image since having children.
Charlie Sugden’s stomach being vacuum sealed once back in the UK. (Picture: Jam Press)
She says she’d been researching surgeons for four years and the one she eventually chose had been recommended to her by a friend.
Charlie added: “From having three children, I have a stomach.
“The muscles are broken in my stomach and it’s difficult to get them back.
“Even if I lost weight, the belly would stay and it affected my confidence massively.
“I’m an active woman and I wanted to look good. I wanted to wear a bikini. I haven’t worn one since having kids.
“I did a lot of research but I didn’t trust any of it because I thought the reviews could be fake.
“It was word of mouth that pushed me to make the decision.
“You have to be prepared in case you run into problems.
“I didn’t ask who would look after me if anything went wrong.
“I was naive. I just thought I’d be fine and home in a few days.
“People going over there must go to a hospital rather than a clinic so that if something goes wrong they are able to access medical assistance.”
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