A mum who travelled to Turkey for a £2,000 weight loss operation died after “complications” on the operating table, an inquest heard. Leanne Michelle Leary, from Hollinwood, Greater Manchester, suffered a fall on the stairs at work and complained of leg pains after a trip to Istanbul in June last year. On her return to the UK, the 38-year-old underwent tests for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) but they were inconclusive, Rochdale Coroners’ Court heard. The mother of three had booked a gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey for October, but brought it forward to July while she was off work sick. She told neither her family nor her GP of her plans and, on the table, suffered a heart attack. Once she had been resuscitated she was rushed to intensive care but suffered a fatal cardiac arrest the next day. Ms Leary’s final text messages to her dad, Paul Dermody, sent as she was about to go into surgery on the morning of July 1, were read out in court. She had written: “I didn’t want people to try put me off. I need this for me and my health.” Mr Dermody told the court: “I said I fully support what you are doing, but I want to know where you are every step of the way before and after surgery.” Her mum, Kathleen Scott, added: “I would have 100% talked her out of it. You have to think of the kids. She felt like there was nothing to worry about because she so desperately needed and wanted this operation.” Her parents caught the first flight to Istanbul, where they were met by an interpreter. On their arrival at the hospital they were told their daughter had died. A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as a pulmonary embolism due to deep vein thrombosis. Pathologist Dr Sami Titi said it was likely the DVT was present before Ms Leary left the UK. Mr Dermody said he had concerns about the speed with which the operation had been arranged and the risks of people travelling abroad to undergo surgery. He also said it appeared the hospital hadn’t taken any next of kin details in case of an emergency. Coroner Catherine McKenna recorded a conclusion Ms Leary died of “recognised complications of an elective surgical procedure combined with underlying medical conditions”. Ms McKenna said: “This case underlines the importance of transparency when it comes to surgical procedures. It is imperative to anyone considering a procedure, irrespective of how straightforward it may seem, all surgery carries risk. It’s so important to discuss any surgery with one’s GP and surgeons carrying out the procedure are aware of one’s medical history.”
This content was originally published here.
