Joanne Law, a mum of two from Manchester, flew to Turkey to have £5,000 facial surgery after losing seven stone – but it all went reportedly wrong, leaving her in pain more than a year on
A mum’s dream of looking like a ‘snapchat filter’ turned into a nightmare after a botched face surgery in Turkey left her unable to close her eyes.
Joanne Law, who felt ‘wrinkly’ after shedding seven stone with gastric sleeve surgery, was ‘excited’ to return to the same hospital for facial work. She had saved around £5,200 for a face, neck and eyelid lift, plus a fat graft, and went under the knife again in June 2023.
However, the 56 year old was horrified when she saw the operation room in the basement, which resembled a scene from a ‘horror film’, she claims. Post-surgery, Joanne developed blepharitis, causing swollen, blistered eyelids for three months. Now, she can’t fully shut her eyes, leading to dryness and tearing.
Disturbing footage reveals her eyes stay open even while sleeping, and the condition has impaired her night driving due to the glare. Additionally, Joanne endures ‘painful’ scars and a ‘wobbly turkey neck’ following the failed procedure.
The Manchester-based mum-of-two expressed her regret, saying: “When I lost seven stone I just felt wrinkly, so I thought this is my next step, I’ll get my face done. I was chuffed the whole time and that was my downfall. I didn’t research enough because I trusted them.
“The procedure was around the back of the hospital in a basement. It frightened the hell out of me, it was awful, like a horror movie. There was an old-fashioned bed screen separator, someone was being operated on the other side in the same theatre.”
Her ordeal continued as health issues arose post-surgery. “Immediately after I got blepharitis, which is a bacterial infection, and had blisters under my eyes for three months.
“I still can’t fully close my eyes now. I’m struggling to drive at night now because the car lights hurt my eyes and I just can’t close them.”
She added: “When it’s windy out I just can’t see, my eyes fill with tears. My eyes are so dry so they need to tear up to be protected from the elements.”
The physical effects also impact her daily activities. “When I get tired, the bottom of my eye droops. I’ll be driving and will have to pull over at services and shut my eyes because I’ll be driving as if I’ve had no sleep for a week.
“You can see one of my eyeballs more than the other.” Moreover, dissatisfaction with the neck surgery results came across with frankness: “I got a turkey neck, it wobbles, and they didn’t tighten my muscles.”
Not only did the procedures leave visual marks, but they also caused everyday inconveniences. “I have scars on the back of my ear and earlobe so I can’t put earphones in my ear and it is still painful.”
Critiquing the craftsmanship, she said, “It’s like a five-year-old’s done it.” She continued: “I’m really deflated because my sleeve was such a success I thought I was going to look like something straight out of a snapchat filter.”
Joanne has been left so self-conscious that she avoids leaving the house and relies on makeup to conceal her scars. The hospital coordinator had suggested a fat graft, but this procedure only added to her woes, making her feel like a ‘cartoon character’.
Despite being initially told by the hospital that the scarring was normal and would heal in 12 months, Joanne found herself ignored when she reached out after the advised period. She shared her distress, saying: “I’m not rich, I was saving up and gave things up, and I was really excited for the surgery.
“One side of my scars is different from the other, as if two different people were stitching me up for quickness. I’ve practised makeup, without it I feel like a mess.
“I don’t like going out of the house, if anyone sees me without makeup, they straight away say, you look ‘tired’. The fat graft made me look like a cartoon character, it’s changed how I look. It just made my face flat and weird.
“I’ve sent them pictures every month and they kept saying to wait 12 months. Now they’re just ignoring me.” Now, the mum wants to raise awareness of the risks involved with operations abroad.
Joanne said: “What made me suspicious was before I went in is that I couldn’t find any before and after photographs of the surgeon’s work. I remember he fobbed me off to the point that I believed him. I was excited about what I was going to have done and ignored my gut feeling.
“I’ve been so frustrated, I want to scream to other girls and say don’t do it. The recovery was horrendous, there was no aftercare. That hospital is a butcher’s shop.”
