Flesh-eating infection sees woman lose 'half her bum cheek' after routine operation
14.08.2022 - 16:39
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A woman ended up 'losing half her left bum cheek' after contracting a flesh-eating infection following a routine operation. Lesley Mangnall was taken into hospital with pain she thought was being caused by an abscess.
The 45-year-old, from Alvaston, Derbyshire, underwent surgery over the Easter weekend before being transferred to a recovery unit. However, she later spotted a red lump near the abscess.
After realising that it had moved positions overnight, Lesley informed her doctor who told her she would have to be taken back into theatre immediately. It was only after the anaesthesia wore off that she realised how serious a situation she had been in, Hull Live reports.
She was informed that a large portion of her left buttock had been removed due to necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating infection. Lesley added: "I was told by the nurse not to Google it, but of course that makes you want to, I realised how lucky I had been."
Despite the best treatment, necrotising fasciitis is so severe that the death rate is still around 30 to 50%, according to the Lee Sparks Foundation. Survivors of the infection may need amputation because of extensive areas of tissue being destroyed.
"It is not common, and that is why people haven't heard about it as much as they should. People have had chunks of their legs removed, or even had limbs amputated because of this infection," Lesley said.
The bacteria which causes necrotising fasciitis usually enters the host's system via an injury. She said: "I was still on morphine from the first operation so I didn't feel the pain of the infection as much but it is meant to be really, really painful."
Despite the surgery to remove the infected area taking place at the end of April, Lesley has only