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Plastic surgery horror stories: 7 botched procedures that made the news in 2019
Plastic surgeons and medical boards have long-warned against traveling abroad for risky cosmetic procedures without doing proper research, but several of these patients chose to take their chances. Others simply went off recommendations from friends. Many of these patients expressed immediate regret, and in many cases, it's easy to see why.
1. Florida woman loses nipples, nearly dies after botched plastic surgery abroad
Lyndsay Colosimo had traveled to Colombia from her home in Florida for a tummy tuck, breast reduction and butt lift. But what she would up with were near-fatal complications and life-altering scars. Colosimo said she knew she made a mistake immediately after the surgery, but ignored the red flags, like when a nurse used massage oil to push the infection out of her wounds because she just wanted to feel better. Once she got back to the U.S., she went straight to the hospital where she was diagnosed with an E. coli infection in her breast and told she needed more surgery to fix her stomach.
“I was seeking perfection but now I look back and realize I was good enough," Colosimo said.
Click here to read the full article.
2. Woman claims cheap lip fillers left her with infected 'rock-solid sausages'
Lauren Winstanley took a friend's recommendation for a salon that offered low-budget lip fillers, but really wishes she hadn't. The 18-year-old landed in the hospital for a week after her lips swelled to look like “rock solid sausages” and began leaking “green and yellow pus.” Winstanley had to undergo surgery to remove the infected fillers and later added that she was put off from fixing the damage left behind.
She isn't the first to warn others about choosing fillers based on low-pricing, but hopefully, she's among the last.
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3. Russian 'Popeye' has 3 pounds of 'dead' muscle removed after DIY bodybuilding injections
Here's the journey of a 23-year-old in Russia who earned the nickname "Popeye" due to his abnormally large biceps: Kirill Tereshin had used “petroleum jelly” injections, or Synthol oil, to enhance the size of his arms, which wound up killing the muscle tissue and requiring several surgeries to remove. Tereshin was reportedly told he could die or face amputation if he did not have the corrective procedure.
His doctor said Tereshin was “lucky” that the injections did not affect any other parts of his body.
Click here to read the full article.
4. Botched Brazilian butt lift leaves mom with lopsided rear after she was 'close to dying'
It was the recommendation of a friend that drove Angela Pedrosa into her surgeon's office and left her with a lopsided rear. After receiving 300 milliliters of a substance injected into her buttocks, with left her in severe pain and immediately affected her health. An infection then set in and rotted away her flesh and tissues before developing into sepsis.
A different team of surgeons cut away the infection and pumped her full of antibiotics, but the damage has left her with a lopsided behind full of scars. She now faces reconstruction surgery that will involve taking fat from her stomach to reshape her butt. She's also terrified that the reconstruction will not work, and has already been dealing with complications from the first steps.
Click here to read the full article.
5. Mom says botched weight loss surgery abroad turned skin black: 'Destroyed my life'
In another tale of tourism surgery "don'ts," Beatrix Searles, from Montana, forked out $4,000 on liposuction in Colombia last October. But just days after the operation, the 53-year-old said the flesh around her wound began to rot and turn black. Searles has since undergone seven surgeries — to try and rectify her "botched" surgery abroad — and has been left with nasty scars across her stomach after her stitches burst open. She claims doctors told her that the surgeons in Colombia may have failed to follow medical hygiene procedures.
"I can't look like this forever — I feel like I can't go out into public or wear a bikini or go to the beach," she said. "It's destroyed my life and I hope those responsible get brought to justice."
Click here to read the full article.
6. Instagram model looks to remove illegal butt injections, warns others against procedure: 'Don’t do it!'
Courtney Barnes, who goes by the Instagram handle @MsMiamiTV, is urging her followers and fans to avoid "black market pumping parties" after she got illegal butt implants at just such a party, leaving her butt "discolored" and "sagging." Barnes said she sought the 59-inch rear back at age 22, but now, at 35, she regrets what kind of attention it brings. She also said it may cost upwards of $20,000 to correct the damage done.
“Just because it looks good does not mean it’s healthy," she said on "Hooked on the Look" while addressing a group of young women considering the procedure. "And I just want to say don’t do it. Don’t do it!”
Click here to read the full article.
7. Woman claims implant scar smelled 'like rotten meat' after botched procedure abroad
Holly McCulloch claims she forked over $3,500 for a breast implant procedure and an all-inclusive stay at a resort in Turkey but was left feeling like a "total freak" with a lopsided chest. She also claims that at one point, a 7-centimeter hole along her surgical wound started smelling “like rotten meat,” and then she noticed her implant had started poking through the skin.
She said she found the clinic through an ad on Instagram, and despite being immediately suspicious, but she went ahead with the procedure anyway. She's since had the implant removed, and was scheduled to undergo a third procedure to have another implant, this time at a hospital near her home in Manchester.
Plastic surgery has always been one of those things that I was confused anyone would try to take shortcuts with. Whether its traveling abroad for cheap prices or not properly executing aftercare, you're toying with something that is going to change your body and appearance forever, and I think a doctor with great testimonials and background, who will be honest and upfront with you with what is actually possibly, is way more important than one who's willing to knock off a few hundred dollars for you.
That's true and if you develop a complication from a cheaper surgery like that then it ends up being more costly in the long run.
Buyer beware of having surgery on the cheap. Promises are made and they do not always turn out for the best in reputable circumstances say nothing of finding a dr or a clinic that sounds too good to be true.
This just goes to show you, that if your thinking about doing anything that can alter your appearance, you need to also think about your health. This is very serious, and people need to do their homework before even considering to have any type of plastic surgery. Make sure the surgeon is board certified, and look at patient reviews. It's also a good idea to check their credentials, to make sure that they are in fact what they say. Do not go to another country because of a lower price if your not familiar with their practices, and medical care. As we can see here, the money that they anticipated to save, only cost them more money, and physical pain, and emotional scars.
Scary that people are out here doing things like this to people. I can only imagine how these people feel trying to get plastic surgery on something they're insecure about and having it look worse and problems with it health wise. Anywhere that's doing surgeries for cheap is questionable
I don't think that there is anything wrong with plastic surgery, if you want to alter your appearance then do so BUT when you decide to go to another country for a "cheaper" price you can't exactly be surprised when you come off the table looking botch or develop a seriously infected suture site. There is a reason why in those other country the price is dirt cheap compared to here in the U.S. If you really want to alter something on your body that bad then do it the right way, go to a well recommended surgeon, do your research on what you want done, what products will be used whether if its breast implants do you want saline or silicone or how that specific doctor sutures or if he used glue etc those types of things. And instead of wanting it dirt cheap because you want it right then and there wait and save your money to pay the few thousand dollars instead of a couple hundred and then having to pay even more because you almost die from a very infected suture site.
Plastic surgery has always been an interest to me in the back of my mind. When I know I will not have any more kids, I want to get the "mommy wants her body back" package. But, it takes a lot of research and you need to be willing to pay a lot for a plastic surgeon who is legit and doesn't put cheap products into your body. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, and it is even truer for plastic surgery. Never take the cheap way out for a procedure you want done, you will end up in full regret and possibly the hospital.
I see your point Nora. There comes a time when both men and women may want to feel better about their looks. There are many reasons for plastic surgery. If I were to have a procedure I would research carefully. Make a few consultation appointments and see what Dr's work and ethics are a fit with yours. Are your expectations real? Ask about before and aftercare. It is important to be sure the skin is in the best condition before undergoing a surgery
I've heard so many botched plastic surgery stories, but I'm still not opposed to the idea. I'm not the kind of person who will travel to a foreign country to get a "discount" nose job. That just sounds like the worst idea ever. I agree that it's extremely important to do your research and have a couple appointments with a surgeon that you trust in order to have the experience and, more importantly, the RESULTS that you want.
This article is interesting because I've recently seen a trend on the app TikTok of people who are traveling out of the country for surgeries, especially nose jobs and the BBL surgery. While there are certainly reputable plastic surgeons all over the world, what really concerns me is this trend will promote people to simply search for the cheapest doctors in the world to perform their surgery and may likely end up with horrible results like in these stories. Personally I feel if it's a procedure you want that badly then you should find the best doctor near you to do it and save until you are able to afford it. After all, a lot of these permanent procedures are mostly based off what is most fashionable in the moment. Even if you have to wait, at least you'll have spent the extra time making sure that surgery is something you really want and will have the peace of mind knowing the procedure is completely safe.
I agree with you Delaney. Save your money and got to several surgeons for consultations. Look at before and after pictures. You need to trust the Dr and just going anywhere because your saving a little money is crazy to me.
As like anywhere you get what you pay for and your health is not something to be cheap about
@delaneyhiggonsiectskin-com I agree you definitely should take the time to find a doctor that you trust and has many good reviews with before and after pictures. Finding a doctor just based on the prices of procedures is just simply not a safe thing to do. I don't have the app tiktok but I believe that the more people push these videos online about going to get surgery out of country for cheap prices the more I think it's unfortunately going to seem appeasing to certain age groups.
@deborahwatersiectskin-com Agreed health is never something to be cheap about. You do get what you pay for in the plastic surgery industry especially. You also have to remember, we only live one life, are you going to risk it on getting cheap surgery?
with plastic surgery being so popular these days you hear so many stories about how someone ends up botched instead of how they wanted to end up looking. i have heard that even celebrities, who have the money to go get the proper surgery, end up botched. certain surgeries are definitely more taxing and risky for the body such as BBLs. i follow dr. miami on snapchat because i think it is so interesting to watch the process, but he said himself as well as other plastic surgeons that they do not even like to do BBLs becuase of how risky the surgery can be. keeping in mind your overall health is way more important in my opinion than keeping up with beauty trends in an every changing society.
@delaneyhiggonsiectskin-com you're so right delaney. doing your homework is probably the most important thing to do when considering plastic surgery, there are so many complications that can happen so taking the extra steps to avoid unnecessary pain and spending a lot of money is more than essential
There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting plastic surgery. However, when getting something as serious as plastic surgery, you need to make sure to do as much research on the procedure, the facility, and the doctor that will perform your surgery.
There are so many horror stories about people being botched because they went the cheaper route when getting the procedure done or didn't do enough research beforehand.
Yes visit a few Doctors to get their ideas and ways they will approach what you want done. I would be very afraid to go to some doctors after seeing some of their work on others. Also saving a bit of money to go out of the country scares me as infection can set in quickly without the correct aftercare
Plastic surgery you shouldnt cut corners about. I seen many peoples stories of getting the surgery cheap or going to other countries to get it done and coming back with complication and near death situations. I believe people also fail to realise the post op care is extremely important also.
@keyonnastarksiectskin-com research on the procedure and the doctor doing the surgery is so important
@noracrainiectskin-com I agree with your statement " you get what you pay for" yeah the sugery may be cheap but the complications and putting your life and health at risk isnt.
Plastic surgery should never preformed in another country because its cheaper. There could be so many life threating things that could happen just like these people.
@deborahwatersiectskin-com You should always see the doctors work and go around to others doctors and check them out.
@keyonnastarksiectskin-com I agree there is nothing wrong with plastic surgrey but make sure you get the right doctor. It can be a beautiful thing or a very dangerous outcome.
I have never really understood why when it comes to any type of surgery, or even health, people try and find the cheapest option and go with it. When deciding to go through with something like this it is so important to research what doctor you are seeing and the side effects of this type of procedure. Of course nothing is always going to be perfect, but when going the cheaper route you are more likely to be at risk for more side effects, health risks, and more treatment than intended.
@camiryndavisiectskin-com I have also heard/ seen so many horror stories about cheap surgeries, and just going to doctors that are not experienced. Post op care is very important so everything heals correctly.
@jaydensugickiectskin-com BBLs have the one of the highest risks but it is so common now these days I don't think people look into the risk factor of it.