'Butt lift' inquest: Victim 'may not have known risks'

Leah Cambridge saved up thousands of pounds for the surgery after feeling "paranoid about her body"

A beautician who died after having a "Brazilian butt lift" may not have been appropriately informed about the risks involved, an inquest has heard.

Leah Cambridge, 29, from Leeds, died at a private hospital in Turkey in 2018.

Surgeon Simon Withey, who was not involved in her case, said she was a "willing participant" but doubted how informed she had been of the dangers.

He said it was important medical professionals and patients spent time talking about the surgery.

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Wakefield Coroner's Court previously heard the mother of three died from a fat clot caused by the procedure.

'Frenzy of excitement'

Giving evidence, Mr Withey, a consultant and reconstructive surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital in London, said: "One of the things which anyone undertaking surgery in this area is aware of is the enthusiasm of the patients, which is almost a frenzy of excitement.

"It's important that they spend time talking about their wishes with the surgeon, and seeing whether they are going to be met, and then talking about the risks of the surgery."

Discussing the risks associated with the procedure, he said it was "not entirely clear" why "surgeons who know what they are doing and are doing things safely will still have deaths".

He told the court the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) had temporarily banned the procedure for members in the UK last October until more information on the dangers were known.

Asked whether Miss Cambridge's death had played in role in the decision making, he said: "We had discussed a moratorium but it just so happened that the death was reported shortly before a meeting, and it focused everybody's minds."

Earlier the inquest heard from Miss Cambridge's mother, Theresa Hall, who had travelled with her daughter to Turkey and recalled documents being thrust in front of her at the Izmir Private Can Hospital.

She said she believed her daughter was pressured into reading and signing the papers outlining the risks so that surgery could start.

The inquest continues.