Morgan Ribeiro, a young tiktoker barely 20 years old, lost her life after undergoing a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey, as the procedure was poorly performed, and when she was on a flight back home, she suffered septic shock and died.
The young woman, originally from London, England, had traveled to Turkey because the cost of surgery there was much lower, and she would not have to go on a waiting list for the British health system.
Morgan, who had been bullied for years for her weight, shared her last post on TikTok days before the operation, in which she was enthusiastic and positive about the procedure she was about to undergo. “My last post before (weight loss surgery). See you on the other side,” shared Morgan, along with the “fingers crossed” emoji.
How the Tiktoker’s Death Occurred
After undergoing gastric sleeve surgery on 5 January, Turkish doctors told her that everything was fine and she was discharged, so Morgan returned home immediately to continue her recovery. However, on the flight back to London, she began to feel very ill, and the flight had to be diverted to Belgrade, Serbia, where she was rushed to hospital. There, she had to undergo emergency surgery again because doctors found that her small intestine had been accidentally severed.
As a result, 10 centimeters of her intestine had to be removed, as it was already infected; despite the doctors’ efforts to keep her safe, on 13 January she suffered septic shock from the infection that caused the perforation of the organ and lost her life.
Her mother, who had only learned of the operation a few days before Morgan traveled to Turkey, told London media that she and her sister tried to dissuade her from having the operation, but in her determination to lose weight and “fit in,” she did not mind putting herself at risk to have surgery abroad.
“As a child, she was bullied a lot, she always struggled with her weight and she was a bigger girl and had a very difficult time with that,” she said. ‘I told her she was beautiful inside and out, that she really was a beautiful girl,” Morgan’s mum said.
Morgan’s family is devastated by their loss and is seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding the operation, and are considering a second autopsy in the UK to learn more about the tragedy that took the life of this promising young woman.
What Does a Gastric Sleeve Surgery Involve?
A gastric sleeve is a surgical procedure that involves removing part of the stomach. The surgeon constructs a narrow tube or “sleeve” with the rest of the stomach to make it smaller, reducing the amount of hormones that control appetite and insulin so that you feel fuller and eat less food.
With this, weight loss begins to be gradual and helps those suffering from morbid obesity to reach their ideal weight without decompensation, as approximately 3 to 4 kilos are lost per month, according to experts.
However, although you might think that it is a minor surgery, it could become complicated and carry postoperative risks, such as:
- Risks of gallstones in some people if the weight loss is too drastic.
- Problems in the assimilation of some chemical compounds, especially vitamins.
- Some patients report intestinal obstruction after their gastric banding operation. This obstruction is serious if it affects the small intestine, specifically the tube of the device.
- Finally, among the various postoperative complications, perhaps the most important is related to leaks in the stomach suture.
- Occurrence of so-called acid reflux or gastro-oesophageal reflux, which is stomach acid backing up into the tube that connects the throat to the stomach (esophagus).
- Dilation of the esophagus and inability to eat certain foods.
- Risks associated with the procedure, especially infections and also risks related to anesthesia.
This is why any decision to undergo this type of surgery should always be made by a doctor trained in the subject and always under their constant observation, not only before or during the surgery, but also afterward, to avoid any risk to our health.
This story was written in Spanish by Lizbeth García in Cultura Colectiva News
