‘It was like a slaughterhouse,’ says mum, 33, left in agony & leaking pus after ‘botched Turkey op’ to fix ‘saggy’ boobs
A MUM has shared the brutal and agonising ordeal she endured after flying to Turkey in search of her dream body.
Stephanie Briggs, 33, was left with green pus leaking from her boobs after a botched breast reduction procedure overseas.
The stay-at-home mum, from East Yorkshire, said her stitches began leaking four weeks after the surgery and two holes developed inside her breasts.
“It was like a slaughterhouse,” she said.
“When my breasts started leaking, I was so worried and this carried on for four weeks with such debilitating pain.
“I was prescribed antibiotics to clear up the infection, but this didn’t work and the green gunk only got worse.
“I had to change my bra three times a day and would have to slowly peel them off as it stuck to my wounds.
“The pain was horrendous and then I discovered two holes underneath my breasts which left me terrified as they kept getting bigger.”
The mum-of-three said she had always longed to have “perkier” breasts, admitting that her 34G cup size had made her self-conscious – especially in the bedroom.
She finally gave in and sought out surgery after her ex-partner called her breasts saggy.
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She said: “I looked like a 60-year-woman and had issues in the bedroom, but I really wanted to finally meet someone.
“I was suffering from terrible back pain too.
“But when I discovered the surgery in Turkey, I thought my prayers had been answered.”
After coming across a procedure costing just £1,950, Stephanie booked herself in.
But upon arrival, she quickly realised something was off.
She said: “I was wheeled through some glass doors and down the corridor, where I noticed all the doors were open.
“I could see people with their bellies cut open and surgeons standing over them – it was horrific. I thought I was going to die there.
“I was out for seven hours and woke up in sheer agony.
“While my boobs were smaller, they felt like heavy rocks and I was filled with instant regret.”
After the procedure in 2022, it became clear her breasts had only been slightly reduced - to a 34E cup.
Stephanie was also left with permanent scarring, and a body she now hates more than before.
She said: “I think [my boobs] are absolutely disgusting and I really hate that I cut corners because I couldn’t afford anywhere else.
“I needed two more courses of antibiotics to clear up the infection and now, thankfully, the holes have closed up.
“I’m really not happy with my breasts – one nipple is higher than the other and I’m still numb underneath.
“But I’ve got to make the most of a bad situation and at least they’re no longer saggy."
Stephanie vehemently warned against anyone considering flying to Turkey for a surgery, saying that you shouldn't pick the cheapest option.
She added: “If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t ever go back to Turkey. I would have waited and saved up for a reputable clinic in the UK.
“Don't go for the cheapest option or you’ll end up like me.”
Her ordeal comes after a mum-of-four almost died after a botched plastic surgery in Antalya in 2023.
Sara Platts, 32, had spent £14,000 on a tummy tuck, breast implants, and three additional treatments, only to be left severely disfigured and fighting for her life.
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Afterwards, Sara had to undergo eight separate surgeries, including the removal of most of her breasts and implants, and extensive skin grafts to reconstruct her abdomen.
Ali Soueid, a spokesperson for the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps), warned overseas clinics cut corners and there is no guarantee on the safety of their ops.
Risks of plastic surgery overseas
Overseas surgeons are not subject to the same rules, regulations and training as doctors in the UK.
That means you can't guarantee the safety of the equipment or material they are using.
Unsterile equipment dramatically increases your risk of infection, which could lead to necrotising fasciitis (flesh-eating bugs), sepsis or even death.
On top of that, if you are opting for fillers or injections anywhere on the body there is no way of knowing if doctors are using dangerous substances.
Cosmetic surgeons have warned against cut-price surgery as there is a real risk you will be injected with "unsafe substances".
Prof Ash Mosahebi, honorary secretary of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons’ (BAAPS), said most patients either opt for cheap injections or implants to boost their bum.
"If they are having injections then god knows what they are being injected with, if it is safe, or if it is sterile," he told The Sun Online.
"Oil, for example, does make it look bigger for a few days but then it deflates and it’s likely infection like sepsis can kick in.
"I know of silicone oil being used, which shouldn’t be used for medical purposes.
"I’ve heard of cement but I haven’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s things like that.
"Most of the time the injections end up having a lot of bacteria in them as well because they aren’t sterile."