Caters News AgencyA woman has been left with crippling debt and no nipples after a botched boob job went majorly wrong.
Lyndsay Colosimo travelled from Florida in the US to Colombia to have breast enhancement surgery, a tummy tuck and bum lift for £7,700 ($10,000), which is a fraction of the price in the US.
But to the 38-year-old’s horror, the operation left her with rotting flesh that began to turn black.
Caters News AgencyShe said:
I was in surgery for five and a half hours – when I woke up, I didn’t feel right and a doctor was nowhere to be seen.
My legs felt numb and I began vomiting uncontrollably – it was the worst pain of my life.
It continued for a few days and I could see a black spot under my bandage, but I was told it was dried blood and not to worry by medics.
I knew in my heart it wasn’t as I was getting worse by the day. Eventually I saw what was under the bandage and 30% of my nipple was black.
Caters News AgencyLyndsay says she was diagnosed with necrosis, which occurs when cells die as a result of a disease, injury or failure of blood supply, and this led to the removal of her milk ducts just three weeks after her initial operation.
She was due to stay in Colombia for 20 days following the procedures to allow proper recovery time, however she stayed another 12 days because of the complications.
Lyndsey, who underwent the operations in a bid to feel confident before turning 40, says she had open wounds on her breasts as the implant sockets weren’t big enough, as if ‘the incision was made for a C-cup and a DD was shoved in’.
Caters News AgencyThe insurance underwriter explained:
My skin started breaking open, it was terrifying to see. I had a fever and continued to show signs of infections, and was encouraged to walk around whereas usually people are told to rest after surgery.
My stomach began to fill with fluid and pus would seep out of my belly button, and massage therapists were sent to my hotel room with razor blades to cut open the incisions and massage the fluids out.
After coming back to the US, Lyndsey went straight to hospital, where she says E.coli was found in her breast, with revision surgery needed on her stomach.
Caters News AgencyBy the time she was discharged from hospital on November 20, her medical bills had rocketed to £30,929 ($40,000). Lyndsay had treatment in Colombia to reduce the cost, however if she had stayed in the US for the treatment her medical bill would have been £27,000 ($35,000).
Lyndsay continued:
This infection almost cost me my life – I developed cellulitis and I am still in constant pain at the incision point.
She is now sharing her story because she had read nothing but positive stories about her surgeon ahead of undergoing the treatment, but wants to warn others of the very real dangers involved.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.