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Alleged botched medical treatment leaves Qld women with infections, pain

Two Queensland women claim procedures at the hands of a facility run by the same former plastic surgeon left them with severe infections and pain.

Ms Gray underwent six months of treatment following her surgery. Photo: contributed.
Ms Gray underwent six months of treatment following her surgery. Photo: contributed.

Two women claim a medical centre run by a former Sunshine Coast plastic surgeon allegedly left them in “severe pain” and “with PTSD” after surgeries that meant one woman suffered “weeping wounds”.

Brooke Grey had a breast reduction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) in November 2022 and was in and out of the clinic for multiple weeks with a staph infection in her abdominal area.

She spent more than $50,000 on her surgery and recovery.

Another patient, Jodie Wherrett, said they sat her in a chair after her breast reduction surgery and refused pain relief, leaving her with “burning” pain in her breasts after her April 2022 surgery.

Both women said they had to return to the hospital after their incisions failed to heal.

Ms Grey said she developed a significant infection following her surgery.

“I was on antibiotics for about six courses, so that was about six months,” she said.

“It kept opening, and I went back in and requested another debridement, which he then did in pieces, so I’ve got a pretty bad botchy scar.”

Ms Gray said she has spent over $50,000 on her surgery and recovery.
Ms Gray said she has spent over $50,000 on her surgery and recovery.

She developed sepsis, which affected her brain and stomach.

Ms Wherret also experienced “terrible aftercare” following her surgery.

She said she was not given appropriate care or medication.

“Once I’d finished surgery, I was woken up, and I was put into a recovery room with about a dozen seniors who had just had their eye operations done,” she said.

“I was set up in a chair, and my breasts were on absolute fire.

“I was screaming in agony.

“All of these 12 seniors who were less than 10m away from me were looking at me like ‘You stupid girl. You’ve just had your breasts done’, but they didn’t know I’d had a reduction.”

She said she was given fentanyl, which “calmed her brain, but not her body”.

Nurses allegedly told her she was “off her head” and would not give her anything for pain.

Ms Wherrett and Ms Grey said they were unsatisfied with their results, but were not given a revision after asking the clinic.

Ms Gray visited the surgery clinic up to twice a week, into 2023, following her November 2022 surgery.
Ms Gray visited the surgery clinic up to twice a week, into 2023, following her November 2022 surgery.

Ms Gray said she was devastated at the outcome.

“I had body image issues my whole entire life, and over $38,000 to rectify what I could ended up in just a complete nightmare,” she said.

Ms Wherrett said her result has left her more comfortable than she was before, but she did not receive the results she was promised.

Originally published as Alleged botched medical treatment leaves Qld women with infections, pain

Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/queensland/alleged-botched-medical-treatment-leaves-qld-women-with-infections-pain/news-story/ba27e5472acacdba818339f48f7f0ade