Ankara intervenes to save woman who lost teeth in botched operation

ANKARA

Turkey’s Health Ministry has intervened to save a woman who mulled putting an end to her life with an assisted suicide in Europe after she lost all of her teeth in a botched cosmetic operation. 

Sunay Öztürk from the southern province of Antalya was transferred to Gülhane Research Hospital in Ankara last week, Demirören News Agency reported July 9.

“Medical treatment has begun and we are awaiting suitable conditions to conduct an operation,” the agency noted.

The 41-year-old tourism expert’s tragedy reportedly started after she underwent a teeth whitening operation at a private dental clinic in the southern province of Antalya on Jan. 25.

Twenty of the women’s teeth were cut by the dentist and despite her warning of a toothache, her teeth were covered with zirconia crowns.

After the pain became unbearable a few days later, the mother of two went back to the dentist, who pulled out the three teeth after receiving written approval from Öztürk.

The pain did not stop in the following days and the woman kept going back to the dentist, resulting in a loss of 32 teeth.

However, even after losing all her teeth, Öztürk told the agency “the unbearable pain” continued.

In the end, a brain and neurology surgeon diagnosed the woman with trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain disorder that affects the nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as biting and chewing.

Öztürk underwent another operation, this time at Akdeniz University, in which her trigeminal nerve was removed, but the pain still continued, she said.

“I have tried 10 different medications prescribed by doctors. I cannot speak or move my mouth. I cannot eat properly, except soup and other liquids. I have lost 34 kilograms,” Öztürk reportedly said, adding that she is now considering going to a European country that allows assisted suicide if the latest medication she is taking cannot stop the pain either.

“Holland and Belgium have euthanasia rights. I want to die instead of enduring this pain,” she told the agency.