Yahoo News 'I had four surgeries at once in Turkey - it was more painful than giving birth'
A mum who flew 9,000 miles to Turkey to have four surgeries all at once says it was "worth it" despite being "more painful than giving birth".
Brittany Barkway, 26, wanted to have a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), liposuction, tummy tuck and breast lift with implants after feeling "unhappy" with her postpartum body. She decided to fly to Istanbul, Turkey, as the cost for just a BBL in Australia was $30,000 AUD alone.
Brittany was also able to find a surgeon who would do all the procedures she wanted at once for just $18,000 AUD - including flights. She flew out to have the 11-hour surgery on April 30, 2024, and said the recovery was "more painful than giving birth".
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Two months on, Brittany said 60 per cent of the swelling has gone done and she couldn't be happier with the results. Brittany, a dental nurse, said: "I had my daughter and I was so unhappy with my body.
"I had a lot of loose saggy skin. I wanted to get everything done.
"The only thing that really hurt was the tummy tuck. Everything else felt like severe bruising.
"It was an excruciating experience. It felt like what I could only imagine a c-section would feel like. It was more painful than giving birth.
"It was worth it. I have more confidence than before I had her [her daughter]. My shape is better."
Brittany did her research and made sure she wanted the surgeries before flying abroad.
She said: "It was very expensive - it's about $30,000 AUD for a BBL in Australia. I managed to save between $30,000 to $40,000 AUD."
She used a recommendation from a friend and flew out on April 28, 2024, after a consultation process over the phone. Brittany said: "I went by myself. I was very nervous."
She had the operation two days later but was in a lot of pain when she came around. She spent a week recovering before flying back on May 8, 2024.
She said: "I had BBL, liposuction 360 everywhere, a tummy tuck and a breast lift with implants. On the third week it started to die down. It was painful to get up out of bed or get comfortable."
Brittany had to wear compression garments and keep her wounds clean but is now happy with how her body looks. She said: "I started to see the final results a couple of weeks ago.
"A lot of swelling has gone down. I'm happy I got it all done."
Brittany is planning to go back for a further BBL surgery as she had to lay on her back during recovery which she feels has caused a flat spot. She said: "I wanted to do this for myself.
"It makes me want to go out more with my daughter. It was for the better. I'd do it again if I had to."
Brittany was slammed by trolls who asked 'why can't you just be confidence in your other body?' but she feels women should be entitled to change their body if they want to.
She said: "Do what you want. If you want to do something, do it. Just make sure you choose a good plastic surgeon and do your research."
