Woman, 37, left with ‘arms like twigs’ and covered in excruciating purple scars after botched ‘bingo wing’ op
A WOMAN was left with “arms like twigs” and covered in purple scars following botched surgery to remove her “bingo wings”.
Apinan Duendao says she felt self-conscious because of the saggy skin after losing a lot of weight.
The 37-year-old visited a surgeon she had used before in Bangkok, Thailand.
But after the operation, she noticed her right arm was an unusual shade of violet and it appeared to be missing a chunk.
She planned to return to the doctor for a follow-up procedure, but her wounds failed to heal so she filed a formal legal complaint.
Apinan, a beauty salon owner, said: “I used to weigh 17st 5lbs (110kg) and was proud of myself for my weight loss.
“I wanted to remove the excess bingo wings and make myself more beautiful, but I could not believe what happened to me.
“My arms were like twigs and I had ugly wounds that would not heal.”
Apinan added that the surgeon instructed her to return five days after the operation to assess the wound, but she never received confirmation of an appointment.
“I was so scared,” she said.
“The surgeon did not even offer to compensate me for what happened and only referred me to another doctor.”
Apinan claims she was told to pay the second medic £44,000 (two million Thai baht) to “fix” her problems, but she negotiated them down to £6,500 (300,000 Thai baht).
She filed a complaint with the Medical Council of Thailand, seeking disciplinary action against the surgeon.
She also lodged a complaint with the Committee on Public Health at the National Legislative Assembly.
“I incurred travel expenses for treatment in Bangkok and required four doses of sleeping pills along with medication for depression,” Apinan said.
“It has impacted my physical and mental health.”
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
My arms were like twigs and I had ugly wounds that would not heal
Apinan Duendao
‘Bingo wings‘ is a slang term for the loose skin that hangs down on the upper arms.
Other names include ‘bat wings’, ‘dinner lady arms’ and ‘nan flaps’.
Surgery to remove this excess skin, often left after significant weight loss, is officially called brachioplasty, or an arm lift.
This is usually performed under general aesthetic and takes 90 to 120 minutes, according to Nuffield Health.
A private upper arm reduction in the UK costs between £3,000 and £12,000 depending on the clinic, and will have a similar price in many other Western countries.
But cosmetic surgery is significantly cheaper in Thailand, due to lower labour costs, less expensive medical supplies and a competitive market.
No matter where operations are carried out, there is always a risk of pain, bleeding, infection, blood clots, asymmetry and scarring.
But experts warn the risk is higher in countries where standards and regulations aren’t as strict.
A surgeon's warning
SURGERY is offered in a number of European and Eastern countries at a fraction of the cost of going private in the UK.
Procedures often include gastric bands, sleeves or bypasses – for which there are long waiting lists in Britain.
But when aftercare goes horribly wrong, the NHS is often forced to take over.
Professor Omar Khan, consultant bariatric surgeon at Ashtead Hospital in Surrey, fears people are risking their lives just to shed some pounds.
He told WalesOnline: “The key issue with any form of surgery is safety.
“For patients travelling abroad for weight loss surgery, there may be real question marks over the quality of pre-operative assessment and the lack of follow-up care offered to these patients.
“Rare, but serious complications can occur and tend to make themselves known one to two weeks after surgery.”
Risks include blood clots and the gut becoming blocked or narrowed.
“Anyone post-surgery must be able to be reviewed and treated by their surgeon, especially in the event of complications,” Prof Khan added.
“Not only this, but these patients do require long-term follow-up, and someone to coordinate their care in the longer term – all things that are absent in patients undergoing surgery abroad.
“When asked about the risks posed with cutting costs and having weight loss surgery abroad, I like to use the analogy about car insurance: buying a car without insurance might be cheaper, but it’s not safe.”