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Doctor who performed tummy tuck surgery on TikTok star mom, 47, who was left brain-dead speaks out
The plastic surgeon who operated on a popular TikTok star before she was left brain dead at 47 has finally spoken out.
Rachel Tussey, 47, suffered a permanent anoxic brain injury which she will never recover from on February 25 after undergoing a cosmetic surgery.
She had been sharing her tummy tuck journey with her 25,000 fans on TikTok, posting videos in the days leading up to the life-changing operation.
In one of the last videos Rachel recorded, she seemed upbeat as she sat on a hospital bed wearing a gown. It was captioned: “#midlifeglowup #mommymakeover.”
Rachel's husband updated her TikTok fans
However, her husband Jeremy Tussey later revealed that the video was likely the last time her followers would see her conscious as the operation turned into a nightmare very quickly.
In a tragic update video on March 3, Jeremy said that while in recovery shortly after the surgery, Rachel stopped responding and medical staff began performing CPR after her face went “off color”.
“I'm just a dumb construction worker, but I could tell something was wrong,” Jeremy said in the video.
Hospital staff in the recovery room contacted Tussey's plastic surgeon, Dr Shahryar Tork, who evaluated the situation and told them to call emergency services.
Rachel was transported by ambulance to hospital, where she was placed on life support and it was revealed that she had gone more than six minutes without oxygen.
Although it was initially reported that she had died, TMZ reported yesterday that she was alive, but receiving care in a hospice after life support measures were ended after being declared brain dead.
Brain death affects cognition but also the brain stem, which controls physical functions including breathing and the heart's ability to pump blood around the body keeping vital organs alive.
As a result of the profound damage to the brain, people who are brain dead can no longer breathe on their own, and are considered legally dead once they are diagnosed.
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The surgeon could not understand how it happened
A GoFundMe page created for the family confirmed that Jeremy had to make the “heartbreaking decision” to remove Rachel from life support days later.
After hearing the news, Dr Tork said: “I am heartbroken for Rachel Tussey and her family. My thoughts remain with her loved ones during this devastating time.
“Rachel’s surgery was completed successfully and without complications.
“When I last saw her in the recovery room as she prepared for her planned overnight stay, she was awake and in excellent condition with her husband by her side.
“Like them, I am struggling to understand how this could have occurred,” he added.