Pensioner ‘scarred for life’ after botched £8,000 facelift: Operated on by Italian seagull surgeon who made flying visit to UK for procedure Pearl developed necrosis after facelift performed by an Italian surgeon Condition, where cells die, left her in agony and her face scarred Was awarded more than £43,000 in compensation in court Has yet to receive a penny as her doctor has returned to Italy It is much more expensive and difficult to enforce a judgement abroad Pearl wants to warn others about so-called seagull surgeons By KATY WINTER FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 12:01 GMT, 17 September 2014 | UPDATED: 12:15 GMT, 17 September 2014 15 shares 11 View comments A Warwickshire pensioner has been left scarred for life following a botched facelift. Pearl Richman was awarded more than £43,000 in compensation after her life was almost ruined by a procedure carried out in 2010. After the operation, the 69-year-old developed necrosis - a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of skin cells - and was left with open flesh wounds. Pearl Richman developed necrosis after her facelift performed by an Italian surgeon in 2010 +3 Pearl Richman developed necrosis after her facelift performed by an Italian surgeon in 2010 But despite a court finding in favour of Mrs Richman and awarding compensation, she says she still hasnt received a penny and the surgeon, from Italy, is still believed to be operating in the UK. Mrs Richman, from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, took her civil case to a county court hearing in April, where a judge awarded costs against the surgeon for negligence. Now she is calling for the government to take action over seagull surgeons - foreign doctors who fly into the UK and undertake procedures before returning home. Should problems arise following surgery, it is often difficult and expensive to pursue restitution for patients. More... Would YOU marry at first sight? Channel 4 reality show left waiting at the altar due to lack of singles willing to get hitched to strangers I feel like I can be me again: Woman whose skin was covered in white patches due to skin condition is transformed by pioneering make-up technique Pensioner who spent £40k on plastic surgery looks so young that people wont give her a seat on the bus: 75-year-old has gone under knife 18 times to be wrinkle-free This might sound dramatic to people, but this has almost ruined my life, said Mrs Richman. I always took pride in my appearance and over the years I went from having lots of photos of myself around the house, to having none. I had talked about having a facelift but they are expensive and we didnt have the money. My kids had always talked about buying one for me and one year my daughter Jo, who has her own business, was able to do just that. Despite being awarded £43,000 in compensation Pearl has yet to received any of the money +3 Despite being awarded £43,000 in compensation Pearl has yet to received any of the money The company which organised the £8,000 facelift has now gone into administration. The centre introduced Mrs Richman to an Italian surgeon before she underwent the procedure at a hospital in London. What is necrosis? Necrosis is literally the bodys cells dying prematurely. This tissue death can occur anywhere on the body and is usually caused by an external factor such as injury, infection, or chemicals. If a substantial area of tissue dies completely the condition is know as gangrene. Treatment involves the removal of the dead tissue, keeping the area clean, and antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy where suitable. She added: He never talked about necrosis at all. It wasnt mentioned. He talked about the normal risks but at no point at all did he mention necrosis. I just remember him saying that he would make me happy. When they took the drains out of my face it hurt so much, I screamed and it started to go purple. It went from a large purple bruise to a huge black scab that had the feel and look of leather. The company contacted the surgeon in Italy and he arranged an emergency appointment with Mrs Richman. She said: When he saw me he took me straight into a treatment room and said it had to be treated like first degree burns. He told me he was so sorry and that it did not happen very often. He offered laser treatment which I had and he said he would do everything he could to make it better and put it right. That is the last we have ever heard from him. Clinical negligence lawyer Jeanette Whyman, of law firm Wright Hassall, is now pursuing the case. She said: I am aware of seagull surgeons but have not come across the issue to such a horrific degree. He does have insurers but because he has not notified them of the incident, they will not cover him. Pearl, pictured here with Wright Hassall clinical negligence lawyer Jeanette Whyman (left) wants to warn others about seagull surgeons +3 Pearl, pictured here with Wright Hassall clinical negligence lawyer Jeanette Whyman (left) wants to warn others about seagull surgeons His residency outside of the UK shouldnt, in theory, make a difference. What it means is we can get a judgement here but it has to be enforced abroad which can be expensive. If there are no assets in the UK, you cannot enforce here and it has to be pursued abroad. Mrs Richman is now urging anyone contemplating surgery to undertake extensive checks. She added: Surgeons should not be limited to their country but the government should make sure there is a level of accountability through qualifications and insurances. Clinics should also be responsible for the actions of the surgeons they use. I would not want (this) to happen to another single person. Read more: dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2759226/Pensioner-scarred-life-botched-8-000-facelift.html#ixzz3DfHOB8vk Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 11:14:08 +0000
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