An Ohio mother of three, Rachel Tussey, tragically died following a tummy tuck procedure at a Cincinnati surgery center, with her family now suing for negligence and wrongful death.
Tussey had been documenting her wellness journey on TikTok, sharing her excitement about her upcoming “mommy makeover.” However, her post-surgery care turned fatal, allegedly due to excessive opioid doses administered too rapidly by surgery staff.
A Life Cut Short by Medical Malpractice
Rachel Tussey, 69, had undergone a tummy tuck, liposuction, and umbilical hernia repair at JourneyLite of Cincinnati on February 25, 2023. Her husband claims that following the “uncomplicated surgery,” Tussey was given an excessive amount of fentanyl and Dilaudid during post-surgery recovery, leading to opioid toxicity and ultimately her death.
The lawsuit accuses the surgery center and its anesthesia partner, Associated Anesthesiologists of Springfield, of “horrific medical malpractice.”
In her final TikTok post before the procedure, Tussey expressed optimism and gratitude, saying she was “in good hands” as she prepared for the next chapter of her wellness journey. Unfortunately, what should have been a routine recovery quickly turned tragic.
Lethal Doses of Opioids Administered During Recovery
The complaint filed by Tussey’s husband claims that after the surgery, the post-anesthesia nurse at JourneyLite administered “150 micrograms of fentanyl” and “0.5 milligrams of Dilaudid” within 30 minutes of the procedure.
This, according to the legal complaint, was an excessive and lethal amount, exceeding the total amount of fentanyl Tussey had received during her nine-hour surgery.
About 50 minutes after the surgery, Tussey’s husband noticed that she had stopped speaking and that her lips were blue. Despite his repeated attempts to call her name, Tussey remained unresponsive.
Emergency medical services were called to the center, but Tussey’s condition had already deteriorated to the point of cardiac and respiratory arrest. The complaint alleges that this overdose caused catastrophic brain damage due to prolonged oxygen deprivation.
Alleged Failures in Post-Surgery Care
The lawsuit claims that the nursing staff failed to properly respond when Tussey “coded” (stopped breathing), and that improper ventilation techniques, including the use of a “bag mask,” further contributed to her suffocation.
It is also alleged that the anesthesiologists had already left the center for the day, abandoning Tussey before the post-anesthesia care could be completed, leaving her without the necessary medical support.
In addition to negligence, the lawsuit accuses JourneyLite of altering or destroying crucial medical records and personnel files after the incident, further compounding their failures. The Tussey family seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorney’s fees and other relief under Ohio law.
Legal Action and Call for Accountability
Attorney Bernard E. Layne, representing Tussey’s husband, emphasized the trust patients place in surgical facilities to protect their safety at every stage of care. “The allegations in this case … allege a profound breakdown of those basic responsibilities,” he said. Layne also criticized the destruction of records, accusing the surgery center of attempting to cover up its failures.
Tussey’s family hopes the legal action will hold the surgery center accountable and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
