Yorkshire mum of three died after paying £5,000 for Brazilian butt lift in Turkey

A mum-of-three died after undergoing a so-called "Brazilian butt lift" in Turkey at a clinic that was featured on TV programme 'Sex Knives and Liposuction',  a pre-inquest review hearing was told.
Leah CambridgeLeah Cambridge
Leah Cambridge

Leah Cambridge, 29, arranged for the cosmetic surgery to be carried out in Turkey via a company incorporated in England called Elite Aftercare and paid more than £5,000 for the procedure, Wakefield Coroner's Court was told.

A pre-inquest review hearing was told Elite Aftercare acted "almost like a travel agent" and put clients in touch with a cosmetic surgeon in Turkey and provided a villa where they could stay following surgery.

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-> The initial report after Leah Cambridge's deathAn inquest opening previously heard beautician Ms Cambridge died from a fat clot caused by the procedure following complications during the surgery on the morning of August 27 2018 at a private hospital in Izmir.

Richard Paige, legal counsel for Ms Cambridge's family, said the surgeon and clinic involved in Miss Cambridge's surgery was featured on a TV programme on Sky called Sex, Knives and Liposuction last year.

Senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin said he wanted to see a recording of the programme at the full inquest.

Sarah Hemingway, legal counsel for Elite Aftercare, told the pre inquest review hearing that Elite Aftercare introduces clients to surgeons who operate as sole traders.

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Ms Hemingway said: "The thrust of their (Elite Aftercare's) position will be that they are are an agent, almost like a travel agent."

Ms Cambridge's partner Scott Franks told the hearing that she had paid a total of £5,150 for the surgery in Turkey.

Reading from an October 2018 report called the Bottom Line by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastc Surgeons (BAAPS) , Mr Paige said: "The Brazilian Buttock Lift (BBL) is a procedure in which fat is taken from another part of the body, then injected into the buttocks.

"However, surgeons today warn it has the highest death rate - thought to be as high as one in 3,000 operations - of all cosmetic surgery procedures, due to the risk of injecting fat into large veins that can travel to the heart or brain and cause severe illness and death.

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-> Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins appears in Leeds Crown Court"This risk has galvanised the BAAPS to distribute a recommendation to all members, suggesting they refrain from performing BBLs, at least until more data is available.

"This is going even further than the American and Australian Societies, which only alert members to reporting outcomes."

Ms Cambridge's inquest opening previously heard from assistant Coroner James Hargan, who said a provisional post-mortem examination revealed that Ms Cambridge died from a fat embolism caused by a cosmetic surgical procedure.

He said: "Ms Cambridge was a 29-year-old single lady who lived with her partner in this country.

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"Arrangements were made for her to have cosmetic surgery at a private hospital in Izmir, Turkey.

"The procedure took place on the morning of 27 August 2018.

"At round about half-past one in the afternoon of that day, the deceased's mother was informed by hospital staff that there had been complications during the surgery and, sadly, Ms Cambridge had died."

After her death, it was reported that Ms Cambridge had three heart attacks during the surgery.

She is reported to have travelled to the Izmir Private Can Hospital, which boasts celebrity clientele, for the £3,000 operation after growing paranoid about excess stomach weight from having children.

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The Brazilian butt lift procedure, which reshapes the buttocks by transferring fat from areas including the stomach and back, has become an increasingly popular technique for achieving an hourglass figure.

Advocates of the procedure say it achieves results quickly and recovery is usually fast but experts have warned it carries a risk of serious complications.

A date for Leah Cambridge's inquest is yet to be set.