The plastic surgeon who performed Rachel Tussey's cosmetic procedures has filed a lawsuit against JourneyLite Surgery Center, alleging the Cincinnati facility's negligence caused the TikTok influencer's death through a post-operative opioid overdose.
Dr. Shahryar Tork claims in legal documents that while the initial nine-hour surgery—which included a tummy tuck, liposuction, and umbilical hernia repair—proceeded without complications, the 47-year-old social media personality received "a lethal amount of opioids" during her recovery at JourneyLite.
"Two of the surgery center's nurses administered more opioids in a period of minutes than Mrs. Tussey had needed during the entire nine-hour surgery," the lawsuit alleges.
According to Dr. Tork, this overdose triggered respiratory failure, leading to an anoxic brain injury—essentially oxygen deprivation to the brain—that proved fatal. Tussey passed away in March.
The surgeon says he's pursuing legal action to "ensure that the truth comes out and that no other patient and no other patient's family suffers the same tragedy." He specifically blames JourneyLite for failing to provide adequate post-anesthesia care and employing what he describes as an unqualified nursing staff during Tussey's recovery.
Tussey, known online as @midlifeunmuted_, had built a following by sharing her journey and experiences with her audience. Her death has sparked conversations about safety protocols in cosmetic surgery facilities and the risks associated with post-operative care.