New details have emerged regarding influencer Rachel Tussey’s death after alleged complications from a tummy tuck procedure.
“Last night, my wife Rachel lost her battle while in hospice care,” her husband, Jeremy, wrote in an update via the family’s GoFundMe page in March. “Rachel was an amazing wife, mother, and person who touched so many lives. We will carry her memory with us always.”
The Ohio-based mother of three, who had more than 70,000 followers, was 47. She allegedly
“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 one month prior.
“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.
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How Did Rachel Tussey’s Doctor React to Her Death?
In the wake of Rachel Tussey’s death, a rep for Dr. Shahryar Tork told Us Weekly, “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, 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 doctor noted that Rachel 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.”
Why Did Rachel Tussey’s Doctor File a Lawsuit?
Dr. Shahryar Tork alleged the surgery center where Rachel Tussey’s procedure took place administered an “overdose” of opioids that led to her death.
According to court documents obtained by Us, Tork and his practice filed a lawsuit against JourneyLite of Cincinnati and Associated Anesthesiologists of Springfield for “breach of contract, promissory estoppel, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent hiring/retention/supervision and spoliation of evidence.” Tork is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Tork accused JourneyLite’s surgery center of “gross negligence and safety failures” that caused Tussey’s death. He claimed that Tussey “was alert and stable immediately after” he performed a “successful nine-hour abdominoplasty.”
“JourneyLite’s nursing staff allegedly administered a rapid overdose of opioids (far exceeding what she received during the entire nine-hour surgery), causing respiratory failure, anoxic brain injury and her death two weeks later in hospice,” the docs alleged.
The doctor claimed that the surgery center has “chronic safety deficiencies,” alleging that there is “inadequate staffing, lack of required monitoring equipment, anesthesia providers leaving the facility shortly after surgery and prior whistleblower warnings ignored.”
Tork also alleged that he was “misled about the facility’s capabilities and safety standards” at JourneyLite. He has alleged that the company’s “actions have caused significant reputational and economic harm to his practice.”
Us Weekly reached out for comment at the time.
What Has JourneyLite Said About Her Death?
JourneyLite’s attorney, Judd Uhl, spoke with Local 12 after Dr. Shahryar Tork held a press conference on April 7. “We’ve had this case reviewed by anesthesiologists and a forensic pathologist, and they’ve told us that they don’t see any wrongdoing on the part of JourneyLite and that the chart itself is perfectly appropriate and very detailed,” Uhl said, claiming that Rachel Tussey did not show signs of an opioid overdose.
“A patient gradually becomes drowsy. They become sleepy. They become more non-responsive,” Uhl continued. “In this case, Tussey immediately became unresponsive, and why we know it’s probably not related to the opioids is because the administration of Narcan, and it was administered very timely, had absolutely no effect on Tussey.”
JourneyLite also denied Tork’s claim that they attempted to cover up their mistake by changing documents stating how much painkiller Tussey was given. JourneyLite’s attorney shared that they have asked Tussey’s family to conduct an autopsy to discover her official cause of death, but the family has allegedly refused.
In a separate statement sent to ABC13 Wham, an attorney for the surgery center shared, “It is unfortunate and somewhat shocking that Dr. Tork claims to be the victim here due apparently to the loss of his reputation in a case where the Tussey family tragically lost Rachel.”
“JourneyLite had Ms. Tussey’s chart reviewed independently by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist and a Board Certified Forensic Pathologist,” the statement read. “With regards to the medications given in the PACU by the Journey Lite nurses, the doses of Fentanyl and Dilaudid were 100 percent appropriate and administered within the standard of care. Anesthesia experts describe 100 micrograms of Fentanyl as “baby doses” and appropriate for pain relief. Further her sudden unresponsiveness in the PACU was not opioid related as multiple doses of Narcan administered to Ms. Tussey had no effect whatsoever.”
The statement claimed that the Ohio Board of Pharmacy audited Journey Lite’s medication records and Tussey’s chart “and found no evidence of any errors or wrongdoing.”
“JourneyLite made multiple requests to the Tussey family through their family attorney that an autopsy be conducted after Rachel’s passing so that the cause of death could be determined,” the statement read. “The family refused our requests so the true cause of her death will likely never be known. Pathology experts will opine that 50-60 percent of suspicious deaths later turn out to be ‘Sudden Cardiac Death’ which is not a myocardial infarction. Pulmonary embolism or fat embolism cannot be ruled out either as the CPR chest compressions will break up and move any clot to the peripheral vessels. JourneyLite conveyed all of these potential causes to the Tussey family through their attorney but the family again refused to allow an autopsy.”
The statement continued, “Both PACU nurses staffed at JourneyLite had years of experience, were ACLS certified, former ER nurses in local Cincinnati hospital Emergency Rooms and had participated in hundreds of codes. They both undertook heroic measures to try to save Rachel’s life.”
Us Weekly can confirm that JourneyLite has not yet filed a response to Dr. Tork’s lawsuit as of April 9, 2026.
What Have Attorneys for Rachel Tussey’s Family Said About Her Death?
Attorneys for Rachel Tussey’s family shared in a statement to ABC13 Wham that they are “filing temporary restraining orders to enjoin JourneyLite and Associated Anesthesiologists of Springfield Inc. from further destroying, fabricating, or deleting evidence as it pertains to this case.”
“Our firm is prepared to pursue aggressive legal action to seek appropriate remedies on behalf of the family,” the statement read.
What Did Rachel Tussey Say About Her ‘Mommy Makeover’?
Influencer Rachel Tussey’s “mommy makeover” procedure took place on February 25. She 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.
“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.”
What Has Rachel Tussey’s Husband Said About Her Death?
In a video posted by husband Jeremy on Rachel Tussey’s 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.
Jeremy “faced the unimaginable and heartbreaking decision to remove her from life support” on March 5, noting her brain was “in a vegetative state resulting in an unfortunate likelihood of slowly passing away.”
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