Ex-football star's wife dies after botched plastic surgery

The wife of the former Scotland footballer Colin Hendry has died in hospital, seven years after a botched plastic surgery operation from which she never fully recovered.

Denise Hendry, 42, developed a severe meningitis-type infection 11 weeks ago at Salford Royal Hospital after an operation to correct the plastic surgery which had left her health badly damaged.

She went into a coma and died on Thursday, surrounded by her husband and their four children, after a decision was made to switch off her life support machine. Sources close to the family announced Mrs Hendry's death yesterday and said that her illness was directly linked to a botched cosmetic surgery operation in 2002.

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"There is no doubt that the terrible tragedy the Hendry family has been forced to endure was caused by the catastrophic botched surgery in 2002," the source said.

"It is quite possible she would never have set foot in hospital had she not had the original cosmetic surgery. Her family are devastated."

Mrs Hendry's medical problems began after a botched liposuction operation at a private hospital left her with severe blood poisoning.

She had been trying to regain her figure after giving birth but was left with nine punctures to her bowel and colon which caused multiple organ failure. Further corrective surgery at Preston Royal Infirmary failed to repair the damage and the family decided to seek treatment in Salford, where she underwent 16 hours of reconstructive surgery on her abdomen.

In 2006, the family was awarded £300,000 in compensation, the largest recorded payout for botched plastic surgery. Gustav Aniansson, the doctor who carried out the original operation, also volunteered to be taken off the General Medical Council's register.

Shortly after his wife was taken ill with the latest infection, Hendry, a former Rangers and Blackburn defender, said: "It's easy to look back now and say how we wish she hadn't gone to Aniansson, but she did and we're having to live with the awful consequences of that man's negligence."

The family have since campaigned vigorously to raise awareness about the potential dangers of plastic surgery.

The couple's eldest daughter Rheagan, who works as a model, said last year: "It hurts me when I hear about people who've had cosmetic surgery and it's been fine so they think it's brilliant. They are having operations willy-nilly. My mum wasn't like the footballers' wives of today. She just lived for her kids."

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