Social worker who died after secret liposuction in Turkey struggled to communicate with doctors after surgery, inquest hears

Abimbola Bamgbose

Credit: PA

A social worker who died after having secret liposuction in Turkey struggled to communicate with doctors due to the language barrier, an inquest has heard.

Abimbola Bamgbose, 38, left the UK on Aug 16 for what her husband believed was a week-long holiday with some friends in the coastal city of Izmir.

However, the mother of three underwent the fat-removal procedure at a private medical centre the day after she arrived.

She died 15 days later after developing peritonitis and multi-organ failure. Her bowel had been perforated during surgery.

At an inquest into her death yesterday (Thur), it emerged that Ms Bamgbose had struggled to communicate with doctors after she started to feel unwell following the operation.

Her husband of eight years, Moyosore Olowo, told the coroner that he had urged her to explain to doctors that she was experiencing severe stomach pains.

But, he said she told him they didn’t speak English and she was struggling to make clear how serious her symptoms were.

Describing his reaction to finding out his wife had travelled to Turkey for surgery rather than just a holiday, Mr Olowo said: "Initially I was upset. She had talked about surgery before like liposuction. She had been to a clinic in the UK but found it was too expensive.

"I wasn’t really happy but I told her ‘okay, you’ve had it now. When you get back home we will discuss the rest.’

"I think she was tired of people asking ‘are you pregnant?’ and ‘why is your tummy so big?’. I think it got to her head."

Mr Olowo, a rail safety officer, said he was aware that she had been researching slimming procedures online before going on the trip.

She had visited a surgery in south east London but found the operations were too expensive, the inquest heard.

The day after having the £5,000 operation in Izmir, Ms Bamgbose called her husband to tell him.

Mr Olowo was growing increasingly concerned for his wife’s health after her stomach pains worsened, and he flew to Turkey on Aug 25.

By now, Ms Bamgbose had been admitted to intensive care. Her surgeon informed Mr Olowo through a video call that she had died on Aug 31.

A post-mortem carried out in the UK found that she had puncture marks on her stomach where the liposuction device had been inserted during surgery.

The consultant pathologist said she had suffered one of the worst cases of peritonitis he had ever seen.

Coroner Alan Blunsdon, sitting at County Hall in Maidstone, Kent, yesterday (Thur) recorded a narrative conclusion that Ms Bamgbose died after her bowel was perforated during surgery.

He told Mr Olowo: "Can I lastly extend to you my deepest condolences and to the family and friends of Ms Bamgbose in what has been a very, very sad case."

A fundraising page was set up to finance a funeral for Ms Bamgbose, who worked as a hospital social worker for Thurrock Council. It raised more than £3,500.

Set up by her colleagues, it described her as a "popular, funny, lively and caring" woman who "balanced a demanding job as a newly qualified social worker alongside caring for her children", who are aged between seven and 12.

The page read: "Abi had a bright future, she worked so hard to get her qualification and was just beginning to get the rewards she deserved. We are struggling to believe she is gone."

Almost 20 per cent of plastic surgery patients in Turkey came from abroad in 2019, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. It remains one of the most popular destinations for cosmetic surgery health tourism.