West Midlands woman left with 12cm “shark attack-like” hole in her leg after “nightmare” £3.5k surgery abroad

A woman who spent more than £20k on cosmetic surgeries was "horrified" after she was left with a 12cm hole in her leg.

Harleigh Kamal, 31, wanted a "refresh" of her upper thighs after years of feeling insecure about the appearance of her legs.

She considers herself "no stranger" to aesthetic surgery, having spent around £17k on procedures such as a BBL, rhinoplasty, boob augmentation and liposuction.

Harleigh booked herself in for a thighplasty to "slim down" her thighs at a clinic in Turkey for £3,500, and flew out on August 3 2024. 

The procedure removes excess skin and fat from the thighs to create a more toned and shaped appearance.

After spending three hours under the knife, Harleigh woke up in "total agony" from the surgery. 

She claimed the stitches in her left thigh appeared "loose" and that the wound was "leaking fluid". 

Despite being reassured by medics that it was "totally normal", Harleigh remained in the clinic for three extra days where she was given painkillers. 

Arriving back in the UK on August 7 2024, she went straight to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, to have the wound - which had developed into a 12cm hole - and smelt "like rotten egg" - cleaned and bandaged.

Despite multiple attempts to reach out to the clinic, Harleigh claims she hasn't heard from them since, and they have not admitted to any wrongdoing.

Harleigh, a writer, from Kidderminster, said: "I was just after a little bit of a refresh because I'd always felt insecure about my thighs.

"I'm no stranger to surgery- I've had a lot of work done abroad and I love it.

"I found the clinic on social media and the reviews looked great I thought I knew a good clinic when I saw one.

"I never go back to the same clinic for cosmetics. 

"But when I woke up, I was in total agony.

"The inside of my upper thighs were throbbing, and I saw liquid leaking out of them.

"Despite the medics telling me it was normal I knew right then something wasn't right.

"It looked like I had been bitten by a shark because the wound was so deep - I could see a black hole inside my leg.

"As soon as I got back to the UK, I went straight to A&E, I was terrified that I would get sepsis and die.

"Luckily they treated me in the nick of time else who knows where I'd be.

"My story goes to show botched surgery can happen to anyone - no matter how much work you've had done.

"But it doesn't stop me from wanting to get more work done in the future. I'll just make sure to really scope out the clinic."

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