Leah Cambridge inquest: Mum of three 'may not have been aware' of 'bum lift' risks

A woman who died during a Brazilian butt lift operation may not have been aware of the risks associated with the procedure, an inquest has heard.

Leah Cambridge had saved up thousands of pounds to travel to Turkey and have the operation last August, as she was said to have been feeling "paranoid about her body".

Giving evidence at the inquest into her death, her mother Theresa Hall said she believed the 29-year-old was pressured into reading and signing papers outlining some of the risks as quickly as possible.

Ms Hall told the hearing at Wakefield Coroner's Court that she and her daughter had flown to Turkey together on the night of 26 August last year, and then been taken to the Izmir Private Can Hospital.

She said Miss Cambridge, a beautician who had three young sons, had documents and forms thrust in front of her and that from her arrival onward it had "all felt like such a rush".

Miss Cambridge, who had booked the procedure through Elite Aftercare, which links patients to surgeons in Turkey, died during the surgery, which sees fat transferred from certain areas of the body to the buttocks.

Many of those who seek it out are said to be keen to emulate the figures of celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

The potential dangers involved have led to some UK surgeons agreeing to a temporary halt to the surgery, following a US report that it could be about 10 times as dangerous as the next riskiest cosmetic procedure.

Simon Withey, a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital in London, told the inquest more needed to be done to ensure "young, potentially vulnerable" patients are fully informed.

Mr Withey, who was not directly involved in Miss Cambridge's case, said: "One of the things which anyone undertaking surgery in this area is aware of is the enthusiasm of 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."

He added that she may not have been fully aware of how dangerous the procedure is.

"She was a willing participant, but as to whether she was informed appropriately, I have my doubts that she was," he said.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) advised its members last October to not perform the surgery until more information could be obtained.

Mr Withey said that the operation is still being performed in the UK by some surgeons, including those who are not members of the BAAPS and are not subject to the advisory halt.

The inquest, which is expected to conclude on Friday morning, continues.