I went to Turkey for 'mummy makeover' cosmetic surgery and ended up with sepsis

Kayleigh Lewis, 30, became self-conscious about her belly and "saggy" boobs after having sons Mason, 10, and Keaton, eight.

She saw an advert on Instagram for a Turkish surgeon offering 'mummy makeovers' - one surgery to do a BBL, tummy tuck, liposuction and breast implants all at once.

Kayleigh felt it would "take away all her insecurities" and pooled her savings and money from parents to book the surgery.

The seven-hour procedure cost £7.3k and was performed at Erdem Hospital, Istanbul, after Kayleigh flew out in April 2024.

But she woke up in agony, hooked up to drains, and unable to move.

She claims she was "ignored" by nurses and was "refused" any strong painkillers.

Despite feeling extremely unwell, unable to walk and with unhealed wounds, Kayleigh says she was given a 'fit to fly' note to return to the UK.

Kayleigh called 111 on arrival and was rushed straight to A&E where tests revealed she had sepsis - a life-threatening condition where the body starts attacking its own organs and tissues in response to an infection.

She needed an operation to 'suck out' all the infected matter - and ended up spending two months in Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

She had to learn how to walk again after and says she still suffers with back and leg pain 17 months on.

Kayleigh says if she could "go back in time" she would never have booked the procedure, and encourages mums tempted by 'mummy makeovers' to think twice.

Kayleigh, a forensic psychology student, from Southampton, said: "I knew there were risks but I thought if I went somewhere certified, nothing bad would happen.

"But as soon as I got out of the surgery I knew something was wrong.

"I was in so much pain, I wanted to jump out of my own body.

"After two or three days in recovery, I was still in too much pain to move.

"I went straight to hospital when I got off the plane in the UK - and they found abscesses in my bum which had caused the sepsis, which NHS doctors suspected was from the tools used during the BBL.

"I ended up needing surgery because the infection wasn't getting better and the infected fat and blood were pressing on nerves and causing me agony.

"The whole thing has been so traumatic. A hospital should be the safest place you can be and it wasn't.

"I realise now what you see on social media isn't always reality."

Kayleigh saw the surgeon, Dr Ayse Kalay, advertising her plastic surgeries on Instagram and was immediately enticed.

She cobbled together enough money from savings so she could book the operation in December 2023.

On April 22 2024, she excitedly boarded the plane with pal, Kimberley Rowland, 30, for moral support - having left her sons with a friend for the week.

Kayleigh signed a contract the day before the surgery, confident in her decision as she had read good reviews for Dr Kalay and Erdem Hospital.

She woke up following the surgery in extreme pain, was wearing a compression corset with drains in her, and was given liquid paracetamol, she said.

She said: "I've had two kids and I can't explain this pain.

"The first day after surgery, I couldn't move. I couldn't even sit up."

Over the following days, Kayleigh's drains began leaking and the extreme pain wasn't getting better - leading her to fear the procedure had caused nerve damage.

Kayleigh says she complained she wasn't being given strong enough pain relief and the nurses "were ignoring her call buzzer".

She claims when she was unable to stand and walk, she was called "lazy" - and was told her "body pain tolerance is low".

She claims a medical advisor from the hospital told her to "stop reading from Google" when she flagged concerns about a potential infection.

Kayleigh said: "I think they knew I wasn't well but they changed my numbers on my charts so they could sign me off as fit to fly."

As soon as she arrived back in the UK on April 30, Kayleigh said she called 111 and was sent straight to hospital.

She was diagnosed with sepsis, which the UK doctors suspected may have been caused by the tools used for the BBL procedure, she claims.

Kayleigh was put on IV antibiotics in the hope the infection would clear - but it didn't.

She said: "From my hospital bed I could see a park out the window.

"I'd see people walking and kids playing, and I'd cry - worried I'd never walk again."

Doctors then found giant abscesses in Kayleigh's buttocks - the source of the infection which she says caused her sepsis - when one burst and "sprayed pus".

She also suffered back pain from infected liquids pressing against her sciatic nerve.

On May 23, she went under the knife where incisions were made to "suck out the infected fat and pus" from her buttocks, lower back and hips.

Throughout the stay she needed three blood transfusions as her haemogobin levels were so low.

She began having physiotherapy and over time could walk with a frame, followed by crutches as she regained strength.

After being discharged on June 10, she still went through several more months of recovery.

But to this day, Kayleigh still suffers with pain when she sits, and needs daily nerve pain tablets.

She regrets getting the procedure and encourages other women to reconsider.

Kayleigh said: "Don't do it. It's not what it's made out to be.

"From the moment I woke from the surgery, I wished I hadn't done it."

Dr. Ayşe’s medical company claims that poor communication was due to Erdem Hospital's actions, as Erdem operated as "an agency" when booking Kayleigh in for surgery. A representative said: "Because of that, neither our team nor Dr. Ayşe’s medical staff were ever fully informed about your case details. The agency never maintained proper communication with us at any stage."

It claims Kayleigh was never issued a ‘fit to fly’ notice and said Kayleigh was not medically advised to fly. It claims the ‘fit to fly’ document Kayleigh was issued was “simply intended to explain the post-surgical corset" she wore at the airport, if x-ray security staff asked about it. Kayleigh claims that she was never advised not to fly.

It claims all the required pre- and post-operative tests were performed — “including blood cultures, which are the most critical diagnostic test for detecting sepsis” and that “the results were negative, showing no sign of infection” at the time Kayleigh was in the care of Erdem Hospital.

It claims Kayleigh's problems with walking after the surgery were due to “a condition that already existed” prior to the surgery. Kayleigh says she has no history of any mobility issues and claims this is therefore entirely fabricated.

It claims Kayleigh was “given the same painkillers, antibiotics, and stomach protectors that are routinely prescribed to all patients” and there is "no indication that any incorrect medication was administered.”

A spokesperson for Erdem Hospital said: "We are aware of Ms. Kayleigh Lewis’s case and have carefully reviewed both her medical file and all postoperative communication records.

"Erdem Hospital is a fully licensed and internationally accredited healthcare institution that provides medical services under strict ethical and clinical standards. All surgical procedures are performed by qualified specialists and supported by a multidisciplinary aftercare team to ensure patient safety and comfort.

"Following Ms. Lewis’s surgery in April 2024, her postoperative recovery and vital signs were closely monitored. During her stay at our hospital, there were no clinical signs of infection or sepsis, and her condition remained stable. The patient was provided with continuous nursing care, regular medical checks, and support from our aftercare coordination team. All records confirm that she was discharged in a medically appropriate condition and deemed fit to travel based on objective health indicators.

"After returning to the UK, we were informed of her later hospitalization. We have since reviewed the NHS medical report shared by her family, which does not indicate any confirmed surgical error or malpractice related to the procedure. The report’s notation of “no complication” aligns with our internal findings.

"While we understand that postoperative recovery can be physically and emotionally challenging, our team acted with professionalism, compassion, and in full compliance with medical ethics at all times. Any suggestion of negligence or falsification of records is categorically untrue.

"Family members have been in direct contact with our hospital and have expressed appreciation for the professionalism and support shown by our team during and after Ms. Lewis’s treatment."

Kayleigh says the only contact her friends and family have had with the hospital has been to complain about her treatment, and that this point is therefore entirely false.

The reply continues: "We remain open to cooperating with relevant authorities if required, and we stand firmly committed to transparency, patient safety, and the highest standards of medical care."