The husband of a teaching assistant who died after travelling to Hungary for a Brazilian ‘bottom lift’ has warned British women against going abroad for surgery.
Mother-of-two Tryce Harry died after suffering a ‘fat embolism’ despite CPR and advanced life support treatment at a clinic in Budapest on March 19.
Kirk Harry, the 49-year-old’s husband from Hockley, Birmingham, said she paid £4,700 for a tummy tuck and breast lift and was offered the bottom lift as a ‘freebie’.
But things went badly wrong and she died just two hours after the cosmetic surgery.
A two-hour hearing at Birmingham Coroner’s Court was told that Mrs Harry went into cardiac arrest an hour after the end of three procedures, including surgery to her tummy, and liposuction to transfer fat into her buttocks.
Kirk Harry, said he had supported her ‘dream’ of having cosmetic treatment.
Lawyer Isabel Bathurst speaks to the media outside Birmingham Coroner’s Court after an inquest was told Tryce Harry, 49, died in Hungary in March
In a statement issued following the inquest, Mr Harry 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.’
Mr Harry 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.
‘We had been together for more than 27 years and we were looking forward to the rest of our lives together but now I am forced to go on without her love.
‘Tryce was such a wonderful wife and mum, who lived for her family, and her passing has changed all of our lives. We miss her dreadfully. We are learning to live without her but it’s terribly hard.’
The inquest heard that Mr Harry was not informed about his wife’s collapse and death until three hours later.
Coroner Emma Brown said: ‘At 6.35pm her blood pressure deteriorated. CPR is clearly shown on the records.
‘She was re-incubated. In conjuncture with Mr Molnar the death was recorded at 7.30pm.
‘Fat embolism is a higher risk when fat is re-injected. She remained stable at 6pm and then a sudden decline at 6.35pm took place.
‘I accept that if she was continuously observed then the decline would have been spotted earlier. She was monitored every 30 minutes.
‘I will not rule that neglect played a role. Death was a result of a complication of elective surgery on March 19, 2018 at the human reconstructive institute in Hungary.’
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 travelling 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.’
Emma Brown ruled that neglect did not play a part in the death, concluding that Mrs Harry had died from ‘complications of elective surgery’.