A Surrey businesswoman was the victim of medical negligence when she received a botched facelift from a doctor who "played God" with her life.
Penny Johnson, a financial and IT consultant, was awarded over £6.1million compensation after Dr Le Roux Fourie admitted liability.
Mrs Johnson initially wanted Dr Fourie to conduct some minor surgery to her nose and to reduce the dark circles beneath her eyes. But Dr Fourie convinced her to have a full facelift, further work done on her forehead and eyes and also a replacement of her existing breast implants.
But the surgery went horribly wrong, leaving Mrs Johnson with nerve damage in her face and "uncontrollable facial movement, pain around the right eye and grimacing". It is thought that these symptoms will remain for the rest of her life.
Dr Fourie also made a mess of the breast implants so that now Mrs Johnson has constant pain in her left breast.
Mrs Johnson said these injuries have made working in her financial and IT consultancy impossible, and have destroyed her personal relationships.
She said: "My face is constantly contracting.
"I don't sleep and I have a permanent buzzing around my eye which can be so intense that I can't think about anything.
"I don't want to do anything anymore.
"My husband has a separate life with my son which I'm not included in. I can't be a wife anymore."
The High Court judge awarded Mrs Johnson £6,190,884.92. Of that amount, £80,000 was for the disfigurement, pain and subsequent psychological problems, since the incident has left Mrs Johnson anxious and depressed.
The remaining amount was to compensate for loss of earnings.
Mr Justice Owen said: "She was formerly a confident, happy and outstandingly successful woman with a full and rewarding family and social life.
"Unless she makes a full recovery, and unless she recovers some vestige of her former self confidence, the prospect of engagement in business activities that involve face-to-face contact with others is limited."
Related links:
Read more on this story (Daily Record)
Read about what to do if you suffer a medical accident (FindLaw)
Find local personal injury solicitors throughout the UK (FindLaw)
