A mother from Manchester was left fighting for her life after a cosmetic surgery procedure in Turkey went disastrously wrong, resulting in a severe infection. Aimee Carr, a 29-year-old makeup artist and mother of three, described the intense pain she endured as “horrific” and “worse than childbirth” after undergoing a £3,000 breast uplift with implants in July.
Aimee, who sought the operation to boost her self-confidence, revealed details of her experience on Good Morning Britain on ITV on September 22. She explained that she felt excruciating pain immediately after waking from the procedure.
Having researched extensively over more than a year and consulted with over 40 clinics, Aimee admitted she changed her mind several times before choosing a clinic in Turkey, influenced largely by the availability of UK aftercare services. She also noted that the surgeon was well-known. The procedure was significantly cheaper abroad; while such surgeries in the UK can cost between £7,500 and £13,000, Aimee paid approximately a third of that amount.
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“I don’t usually like spending money on myself and prefer putting it towards my children,” she said. “So, this was a treat for myself. I had seen impressive surgery results from Turkey as well as some less favourable outcomes in the UK.”
However, shortly after the surgery, Aimee began experiencing severe pain. Initially attributing it to post-operative discomfort, her symptoms worsened after returning to her hotel, as she developed a fever, dizziness, and sickness. The pain became unbearable, prompting her to describe it as worse than childbirth.
She explained how the pain and associated symptoms left her unable to stand, walk, or even carry out basic tasks such as opening a toothpaste tube. Aimee also described an unusual crackling sensation under her skin, likening it to “bubble wrap”.
On one occasion, she feared she was losing her sight. She also awoke to find herself lying in blood. During hospital treatment, she temporarily lost her vision and collapsed, waking up surrounded by blood.
After returning to the UK, Aimee called NHS 111 and was advised to attend hospital urgently, where she was diagnosed with sepsis-a life-threatening condition in which the body’s response to infection causes widespread inflammation, potentially leading to organ failure.
Despite recognising something was seriously wrong, Aimee initially hesitated to use NHS services, feeling reluctant due to the elective nature of the surgery abroad. It took her several days to seek help, by which time she was told by an ICU nurse that she was lucky to have survived the journey home.
Although Aimee is improving, she has not fully recovered and continues to experience the effects of post-sepsis syndrome, a condition affecting up to half of sepsis survivors, which includes a range of physical and psychological symptoms.
Ashton Collins, Director of Save Face, commented on Aimee’s case, saying, “Unfortunately, her experience is not isolated. We frequently see patients returning from surgeries abroad, like in Turkey, who have been dismissed or gaslit about their symptoms, only for us to discover they are facing life-threatening complications.”
Post-sepsis syndrome can affect individuals of all ages and presents with both physical and emotional challenges, underscoring the serious risks associated with complications following cosmetic procedures abroad.