Irish woman who nearly died after cheap Turkish operation warns she is now ‘a walking timebomb’

She said she “hopped on the bandwagon” of a cheap gastric sleeve operation, booking it in Turkey where it was nearly €10,000 cheaper than in Ireland.

Leanne has now warned listeners of Lunchtime Live on Newstalk that the surgery almost killed her.

The woman confessed she first knew something was wrong when she work up from the operation and was instructed to put on a surgical gown.

Other patients had been able to put on pyjamas, she said, while “in the meantime, I was vomiting blood.”

"The surgeon came up to me and said, ‘That can be normal, some blood can go into your stomach after us cutting your stomach.”

Leanne came home to Ireland, but collapsed from dizziness the day before she was due to return to work.

She had been fine, but suddenly was being rushed to hospital by an ambulance.

Leanne learned she had a serious infection and internal bleeding from her spleen.

”They had to ring my partner as my next of kin to come and say goodbye to me because I was dying.

“They told him I was in septic shock… and they gave him a room because if I died, he would identify me.

“They were saying, ‘It’s touch and go, we don’t know whether she’s going to make it - we’re just praying that she will.”

Despite having her spleen removed, Leanne has not fully recovered and her health has been permanently impacts.

She is vulnerable to infection, finds it painful to stand for too long and is constantly fatigued, she admitted to listeners.

Dr Michael Crotty told listeners that Leanne’s story should serve as a warning for those thinking of going abroad for healthcare or cutting corners when it comes to cost and quality.

"It’s very difficult to know the quality of the hospital,” he said.

“Some clinics might be very reputable centres but others are not.

“We’re seeing in acute hospitals around the country, people being admitted with complications.

“Some of the clinics, for what they’re charging for the procedure, they couldn’t possibly be able to afford the equipment and number staplers and devices that are required - that’s why people are having leaks and complications.”