Influencer Rachel Tussey Dead at 47 After Complications From Tummy Tuck: ‘Amazing Wife and Mother’

Rachel Tussey, an Ohio mother of three, has died after complications from a tummy tuck procedure. She was 47.

“Last night, my wife Rachel lost her battle while in hospice care,” her husband, Jeremy Tussey, wrote in an update via the family’s GoFundMe page on Wednesday, March 18. “Rachel was an amazing wife, mother, and person who touched so many lives. We will carry her memory with us always.”

Rachel, a TikToker with more than 70,000 followers on the social media platform, “suffered severe brain damage after extended loss of oxygen and was placed on a ventilator under sedation” following a “mommy makeover” procedure, which took place on February 25.

“Rachel fought bravely with her family by her side, but the extent of the damage left her with very minimal brain activity,” according to the description, which was later updated in the wake of her death. (Jeremy and Rachel share children Tristan, Alec and Livi.)

Jeremy “faced the unimaginable and heartbreaking decision to remove her from life support” on March 5, noting she was still breathing for the time being although her brain was “in a vegetative state resulting in an unfortunate likelihood of slowly passing away.”

Rachel revealed she was feeling a “big range of emotions” but mostly “excitement” in a video shared on the day she went under the knife, showing herself in a surgical gown leading up to the procedure. “My husband’s here, I’ve got a great support team and I’m really looking forward to this next chapter,” she said. “If you’re a praying person, I will absolutely take your prayers.”

In a follow-up video posted by Jeremy on her account, he said that he waited in the parking lot all day and was initially “assured” that her surgery “went great” but noticed the color of her face changed while in recovery.

Jeremy said that after she became unresponsive, Rachel’s plastic surgeon was brought in and “assessed the situation” before calling 911. Rachel was transported to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital via ambulance, where she was placed on life support before things took a fatal turn.

A rep for Dr. Shahryar Tork, who performed the surgery on Rachel, told Us Weekly on March 18, “This is an unimaginable tragedy. I am devastated for Rachel Tussey and her family, and I am sending my deepest condolences and prayers to her loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. My thoughts remain with everyone who loved Rachel. I hope that, in time, the full facts surrounding what happened come to light, bringing clarity and some measure of peace to her family and to everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss.”

In a separate statement provided to People on March 12, Dr. Tork added, “It is important to clarify that the surgery did not take place at my private practice, Tork Plastic Surgery, nor do I own or operate the independently owned ambulatory surgery facility where the procedure occurred.”

The surgeon noted she appeared to be recovering “as expected” post-op. “Because Rachel was scheduled to remain overnight, her post-operative monitoring was overseen by staff contracted by the independent facility, not by my practice,” Dr. Tork continued. “I was later notified that her condition had unexpectedly changed and immediately returned to assist with her care and transfer to Bethesda North Hospital, where I remained with the family and continued to offer support. I have discontinued all procedures at that surgery center. Out of respect for Rachel and her family, and due to patient privacy laws, I will not comment further.”