Surgery Warning After Birmingham Woman Dies Abroad

4 December 2018, 19:19 | Updated: 4 December 2018, 19:21

The husband of Tryce Harry warns other women not to travel for a "Brazilian bum lift".

The husband of a teaching assistant who died after undergoing a so-called Brazilian bum lift procedure in Hungary has urged other women not to travel abroad for similar surgery.

In a statement issued after an inquest into the death of mother-of-two Tryce Harry, her husband, Kirk Harry, said he had supported her "dream" of having cosmetic treatment.

A two-hour hearing at Birmingham Coroner's Court was told that Mrs Harry went into cardiac arrest an hour after the end of three procedures, including surgery to her tummy, and liposuction to transfer fat into her buttocks.

A post-mortem examination showed the 49-year-old, from Hockley, Birmingham, died after suffering a "fat embolism" despite CPR and advanced life support treatment at a clinic in Budapest on March 19.

Birmingham area coroner Emma Brown ruled that neglect did not play a part in the death, concluding that Mrs Harry had died from "complications of elective surgery".

The inquest heard that Mr Harry was not informed about his wife's collapse and death until three hours later.

In a statement issued following the inquest, Mr Harry - whose wife paid 5,300 euros for her five-hour operation - urged others not to seek such surgery overseas.

He said: "My wife had thought long and hard about having this procedure done. It was not a decision made lightly by either of us, but it was her dream and I supported her in it.

"We had no misgivings, no fear. We thought we had found the perfect place. We knew other people who had been to the same clinic and were very happy with their treatment.

"My wife was happy the last time I saw her. She was very happy to undergo the procedure and saw it as a new chapter in her life.

"She shouldn't have died. If I could turn the clock back, I would, and I would advise anyone considering this procedure to have it done here in this country where medical practices are expected to be better.

"Whatever the cost, one can't put a price on life. You only get one life."

Mr Harry added: "My wife was quite simply everything to me. To my children and I she was the most important person in our world, our greatest cheerleader.

"For me, she was the love of my life, the woman I loved more than anyone ever created, my childhood sweetheart and my first love, who I adored.

"We had been together for more than 27 years and we were looking forward to the rest of our lives together but now I am forced to go on without her love.

"Tryce was such a wonderful wife and mum, who lived for her family, and her passing has changed all of our lives. We miss her dreadfully. We are learning to live without her but it's terribly hard."

Isabel Bathurst, a specialist travel lawyer from law firm Slater and Gordon, who is representing the family, said: "This is a truly heartbreaking case which exposes the risks of travelling abroad for treatment.

"Clinics may have the expertise to perform these procedures but not always a plan in place for if something goes wrong.

"Mrs Harry's family know nothing can bring her back but hope that now, by speaking out, other people will think more carefully before undergoing procedures such as this in the future."

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said in October that it had advised its members to stop performing "butt lift" operations until more information about safety is available.

The procedure, which involves body fat being injected into the upper buttocks, has been made popular by celebrities promoting a curvier figure.

The surgery is said to have the highest death rate of all cosmetic procedures, at an estimated one in 3,000 operations internationally.

As well as a risk of death from blood clots caused by fat injections into large veins, complications arising from the surgery can include severe bacterial infections, scarring, tissue dying, wound ruptures and abscesses.

A 29-year-old mother of three from Leeds, who died in Turkey in August this year, is also thought to have undergone the procedure.