The husband of a teaching assistant who died after having a Brazilian bum lift procedure abroad has urged others 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 Tryce Harry went into cardiac arrest an hour after the end of three procedures, which included surgery to her stomach, 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” where fat lodges within a blood vessel causing a blockage of blood flow.
She died despite CPR and advanced life support treatment at a clinic in Budapest on March 19.
Birmingham coroner Emma Brown ruled that neglect did not play a part in the death, concluding that Tryce Harry had died from “complications of elective surgery.”
The inquest was told Kirk Harry was not informed about his wife’s collapse and death until three hours after she had passed away.
In a statement issued following the inquest, Kirk Harry – whose wife paid 5,300 euros for her five-hour operation in Hungary – 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.”
The husband 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.”
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 traveling 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.”