A British woman who died after travelling to Turkey for weight loss surgery was left with three potentially life-threatening conditions, a coroner has revealed.
Hayley Butler, 40, flew abroad for the gastric sleeve operation in September but died in hospital last month.
A coroner has now described how the dog groomer was allowed to return home just two days after the gruelling procedure and was already ill when she got back to the UK.
Samantha Goward told a preliminary hearing: ‘The circumstances were that she had a sleeve gastrectomy in Turkey. She was deemed fit to fly back to the UK 48 hours later.
‘On arrival, she was suffering from abdominal pain and vomiting and was admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital where a CT scan showed perforation of the oesophagus.
‘She was transferred to Luton and Dunstable Hospital’s bariatric centre on October 11 and was found to have a bowel perforation and anastomotic leak, for which she had a laparotomy [incision into the stomach to diagnose or treat conditions].
Hayley Butler, 40, flew abroad for the gastric sleeve operation in September but died in hospital last month
Ms Butler was allowed to return home just two days after the gruelling procedure and was already ill when she got back to the UK – pictured is Hayley with her mother Gillian Moore
Flowers left in tribute to Hayley Butler outside her dog grooming business
‘She sadly continued to deteriorate and passed away on October 24.’
Mortality rates for oesophageal perforation are 30 per cent after 30 days in England, rising to nearly 40 per cent after 90 days, according to one study.
Death rates caused by bowel perforations are typically 30-50 per cent but can rise to 70 per cent if it causes peritonitis, an infection which can lead to sepsis.
Anastomosis is a connection between two tubular part of the body during gastric bypass surgery – either stomach pouch to intestine or intestine-to-intestine. An anastomotic leak can cause bleeding, infection and sepsis.
Norfolk area coroner Mrs Goward, who was sitting in Norwich yesterday, gave the primary cause of Ms Butler’s death as refractory multiple organ failure.
A full inquest will take place on March 19 next year.
Norfolk area coroner Mrs Goward, who was sitting in Norwich yesterday, gave the primary cause of Ms Butler’s death as refractory multiple organ failure
Flowers left in tribute to Hayley Butler outside her dog grooming business Diva Dogs in Norwich
An announcement which was placed on the dog grooming salon entitled Rest In Peace, Hayley
Hayley Butler’s last Facebook post to her customers which reads ‘I’m now off until the 14th October’
Ms Butler, who lived in Norwich, flew to Turkey for the operation on September 24.
In a tragic final post on her Facebook page, she wrote: ‘Hi!! Just to let everyone know I’m now off until October 14.
‘I won’t have my diary with me when I’m away, so I’ll reply to any message when I return on October 14. See you all soon!’
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline after her death, her mother, Gillian Moore, said: ‘There is a lot I could say – but I want to bury her first. I want to get justice for her.’
In an online tribute, she added: ‘Hayley was the most happy-go-lucky, caring person – she was always worrying about other people.
‘I am heartbroken. She was my soul mate, my friend and my rock. My life will never be the same without her.’
Ms Butler was the owner of Diva Dogs, which opened in 2017 and was named after her chihuahua.
Her friend and colleague, Jessica Carter, said: ‘There’s so much to say about Hayley it’s impossible to fit it all into words.
Ms Butler, who lived in Norwich, flew to Turkey for the operation on September 24
Ms Butler ran the dog grooming business Diva Dogs – she is pictured here with a Chihuahua
‘She was just unapologetically Hayley. She was amazing at her job and so knowledgeable. I’ve been a groomer for ten years and I learned so much from her.
‘But she wasn’t just a dog groomer – she was really funny, she was bright, she was bubbly, she had this contagious laugh and could make anyone laugh.
‘It’s a shock to everyone. She was so young and it just feels so cruel.’
Customers of the grooming salon also paid tribute, with one saying: ‘There are some people in this world that make everything seem better. Hayley was one of them.
‘She always smiles and we would usually have a giggle about something or other. She was lovely to our furry girls and us.
‘I feel lucky that I met Hayley. It’s a privilege to have known such a lovely person.’
A sleeve gastrectomy involves the removal of about 80 per cent of the stomach.
Surgeries in countries such as Turkey are cheaper than private procedures carried out in the UK but experts have warned of health risks of cut-price operations abroad.
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