Woman paralysed after weight loss surgery: Here's what happened

In a last attempt to regain her health and spend time with her newborn grandson, 42-year-old Danielle Peebles went for weight loss surgery in Turkey. She waited seven years for her NHS bariatric surgery, she opted to have a gastric sleeve procedure abroad in June 2023. But what was initially a promising path to a healthier life quickly became a nightmare, leaving her paralysed from the neck down following extreme complications.

The struggle for affordable treatment

Ms Peebles, who weighed 177 kg before the operation, felt initially relieved after the surgery, thinking that it was successful. She lost 95 kg, but her happiness did not last long. On arriving home, she started developing alarming health complications, which eventually led to her collapsing and a diagnosis of nutritional neuropathy - a bad vitamin deficiency that paralyzed her.

She remembered waking up in Salford Royal Hospital, Greater Manchester, in shock. The doctors feared that she would never walk again. She has described the agonizing pain as, "I was paralysed from the neck down apart from the worst pain I've ever felt in my feet that flared up at the slightest touch."

A gruelling road to recovery

Her condition necessitated intensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. For five months, the doctors at Salford Royal Hospital tried to help her nerve function. Through perseverance and professional care, she finally regained mobility in her limbs, slowly learning to walk with the help of crutches.

Looking back at her experience, Ms Peebles voiced her heartfelt appreciation for the doctors who restored her to health. But she also spoke of the heartbreaking cost of her choice, saying, "It was devastating when I was told that I may not walk again - it was a traumatic time for my family and myself. To end up where I am today, being a mum, a wife, and a nanna, it's the best thing - I owe a great deal of thanks to Salford Royal."

The perils of such surgery

Thousands of people make the journey abroad every year, and the reduced costs tend to mask the risks of such procedures. Few patients are aware of the possible complications, such as nutritional deficiencies, infection, and poor post-operative care.

Patients who have had gastric surgery, specifically, are also at an increased risk of becoming malnourished because their stomach capacity has been decreased, and they only have limited capacity to eat. Deficiencies of key vitamins, particularly B vitamins present in raw fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and eggs, result in serious damage to the nerves.

Ms Peebles's experience is a sobering reminder of the temptation of speedier, cheaper treatment. Please seek a specialist's advice, research extensively, and weigh the possible risks before making such extreme choices.