Doctor breaks silence after TikTok star mom is left brain dead at 47 following tummy tuck complications

The doctor who performed a tummy tuck on a TikTok star before she suffered medical complications, allegedly resulting in brain death, is speaking out.

Rachel Tussey, 47, had shared her cosmetic surgery journey with more than 25,000 fans on TikTok, posting videos in the days leading up to the operation on February 25, but her husband Jeremy Tussey later revealed that the routine cosmetic procedure — which was performed by Dr. Shahryar Tork — quickly turned into a nightmare, allegedly leaving the mother of his children with no hope of recovery.

Tussey was initially reported to have died, but TMZ reported that she was still alive as of Wednesday, though she has allegedly been moved to hospice care after life support measures were ended.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Dr. Tork and the Tussey family's attorney for comment. 

Dr. Tork, a double board-certified plastic surgeon based in Cincinnati, Ohio, who performed Tussey's surgery, said in a statement to TMZ on Wednesday: 'I am heartbroken for Rachel Tussey and her family. My thoughts remain with her loved ones during this devastating time. 

'Like them, I am struggling to understand how this could have occurred,' he continued.

'Rachel’s surgery was completed successfully and without complications,' Tork said. '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. Out of respect for Rachel and her family, and due to patient privacy laws, I will not comment further.' 

Bernard Layne III, a personal injury attorney representing the family, also shared a statement with the publication describing Tussey's alleged injuries.

'On February 25th, Rachel Tussey suffered a permanent anoxic brain injury, from which she will never recover, after undergoing a surgical procedure at a private surgical center in Cincinnati, Ohio,' he said. 'I have been retained to represent the Tussey family and to conduct a full and thorough investigation surrounding the facts and circumstances of this tragedy. 

'At this time, we will not comment on any aspect of culpability or liability in this matter, but we will instead focus on providing full support to Rachel Tussey’s family, which is deeply grieving their wife and mother in the wake of this tragedy,' he continued. 'We ask that the Tussey family be given grace during Rachel’s remaining days in hospice care and the space to mourn this sudden loss.'

In one clip filmed shortly before the procedure, the mom of three appeared upbeat as she prepared for surgery.

‘Please pray. I know it’s gonna be great. I’ve waited a really long time for this,’ Tussey told viewers. ‘I'm in good hands. I know God's got my back. Let's do this.’

The video showed her sitting in a hospital bed wearing a medical gown, alongside the caption '#midlifeglowup #mommymakeover.'

But according to her husband Jeremy Tussey, the video documented one of the last times his wife would ever be conscious again.

In an emotional update posted to TikTok on March 3, Jeremy said he had been waiting for his wife in the recovery area when he received a call around 5:45 p.m. asking him to come back to the room. 

He recalled briefly speaking with Rachel's doctor, who was leaving for the day and allegedly reassured him that the operation had gone well.

Moments later, Jeremy said he heard Rachel calling out for him.

A nurse soon entered the room and began asking Rachel how she felt after receiving medication for pain, he said.

Jeremy then noticed something was wrong.

‘Next thing you know, I look down and her face is off color,’ he recalled. ‘I assumed it was from the surgery, you know, from a lack of blood.’

When Rachel stopped responding, medical staff began to perform CPR.

‘I'm just a dumb construction worker, but I could tell something was wrong,’ Jeremy said in the video. ‘But there was no sense of urgency.’ 

According to Jeremy, staff eventually contacted Tussey's plastic surgeon, who evaluated the situation before instructing them to call emergency services. 

Tussey was transported by ambulance to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital, where she was placed on life support.

Her husband Jeremy later revealed that doctors told him she had gone more than six minutes without oxygen.

‘...I was told last night that she's brain dead,’ he said in the heartbreaking update.

Brain death is an irreversible state that occurs when the brain is seriously and permanently damaged, often as the result of major trauma or conditions that can deprive the brain of the flow of oxygen-rich blood, including a stroke, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

People suffering brain death have damage to their brain affecting not just areas of higher cognition, but also the brain stem, which controls physical functions including breathing and the heart's ability to pump blood.

Because of the profound damage to the brain, individuals who are brain dead can no longer breathe on their own, and they are considered legally dead once the diagnosis has been made. 

A GoFundMe page created for the family confirmed that Jeremy ultimately faced the ‘heartbreaking decision’ to remove Rachel from life support days later.

The fundraiser described Tussey as a vibrant and caring woman who loved adventure and always stepped up to help others in need.

‘Rachel was truly full of life. She loved adventure, cherished her family deeply, and lived as an example of what community and compassion should look like,’ the page reads. ‘When someone needed help, Rachel was always the first person to step forward.’

Family members told local outlet WXIX-TV they have since hired an attorney, though no lawsuit has been filed against the surgeon.

Jeremy said he is determined to understand how the procedure ended in tragedy.

‘To me, it looks like incompetence. Somebody dropped the ball here,’ he said.

Rachel leaves behind her husband Jeremy and their three children: Tristan, Alec and Livi.