Surgeon ‘heartbroken’ as Ohio influencer mom Rachel Tussey remains in hospice

Dr. Shahryar Tork, who performed a tummy tuck on Ohio mom Rachel Tussey, only to have Tussey end up in hospice care, spoke to TMZ, expressing he’s “heartbroken” over what happened.

Dr. Tork, from the private JourneyLite Surgery Center in Cincinnati, told the outlet,

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.”

According to Tork, Tussey’s surgery was “completed successfully and without complications.” Tussey shared her “mommy makeover” journey on TikTok, including a popular post just before she went into surgery. “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,” Tork told TMZ.

Tussey “suffered a permanent anoxic brain injury”

Also in a statement to TMZ, Tussey’s family attorney, Bernard Layne III, confirmed that Tussey “suffered a permanent anoxic brain injury” after the procedure and is not expected to recover.

Layne III added,

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.”

Layne III said, “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.”

What happened to Rachel Tussey?

Tussey is a 47-year-old Ohio mother of three who posted under the TikTok account “Midlife Unmuted,” as fans followed along on what she called her “mommy makeover” journey.

Her husband, Jeremy Tussey, later described what happened next in videos posted to her TikTok account. He said he had spoken with the doctor, who assured him the surgery had gone well, and he could hear Rachel talking in the recovery area, asking for him.

Shortly afterward, however, a nurse told him she had given Rachel pain medication — including Dilaudid and fentanyl — and he soon noticed that his wife had become pale and unresponsive. Staff began CPR and attempted to revive her before calling 911.

EMTs transported Tussey to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital, where doctors determined she had been without oxygen for more than six minutes and had suffered a catastrophic anoxic brain injury. Jeremy told followers that doctors declared her brain dead, forcing the family to decide to remove her from life support days later.

He publicly questioned the post-operative care and said he believed “somebody dropped the ball,” adding that the family planned to seek answers about what went wrong. Early reports said Tussey had died, but it was later confirmed she was in hospice care, where she remains as of this report.