Sophie, a chef who enjoyed cooking and music, traveled to Turkey in March 2022 for the surgeries but never returned home. She died at Avrupa Safak Hospital in Istanbul on March 9, just two days after undergoing the procedures at the private Nisantasi Hospital.
An inquest revealed that Sophie suffered multiple organ failure and experienced cardiac arrest three times. Her mother, Sandra Hunt, told the court that Sophie lost consciousness after the surgery and displayed swelling in her hands. Hospital records indicated abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) readings, raising concerns about her fitness for surgery.
“We believe she was not fit for the surgery,” Ms Hunt stated. The family also expressed fears that complications from the BBL procedure may have arisen if excessive fat was injected or removed.
The assistant coroner, Sophie Lomas, highlighted that, due to the death occurring abroad, UK authorities do not have full jurisdiction to investigate the hospital in Turkey. “I have to reach the findings on the information I do have,” she said.
A report from Turkey’s Council of Forensic Medicine confirmed Sophie had no known medical conditions and sought the procedures due to dissatisfaction with her abdomen and buttocks. Following the surgeries on March 7, Sophie experienced sudden loss of consciousness. She was resuscitated but suffered a second cardiac arrest en route to a specialist cardiac intensive care unit, where she later died from respiratory and organ failure.
The Turkish investigation concluded that Sophie died as a result of complications from the abdominoplasty and liposuction procedures. A UK post-mortem by consultant histopathologist Professor Kevin West also determined her death was linked to surgical complications, though the exact cause of cardiopulmonary arrest remained unclear.
The coroner delivered a narrative conclusion stating: “Sophie Hunt died due to complications of a surgical procedure carried out whilst abroad.”
In a statement, Ms Hunt remembered her daughter: “Sophie was outgoing, bubbly and very kind. She worked as a chef and enjoyed cooking and music.”
