Anita Roehsl, who lost her right breast and part of her left one after having cosmetic surgery, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the hospital and is now on the slow road to recovery.

She is glad that she can put the legal battle behind her but still has a long way to go to become the woman she was before the surgery in September 2012.

She now hopes that by sharing her story, as painful as it was, other women who suffered similar experiences will not shy away from seeking justice.

“I am still in contact with other victims and it’s the Maltese way of life that makes them not take legal action or talk about it to their own family, they want it to be secret and they are ashamed of themselves...

“I have friends who didn’t have the strength to fight and are now suffering to pay the upcoming reconstruction,” she told Times of Malta.

The most painful moments are the days when you have to live without a breast

Last year, Ms Roehsl shared her story with this newspaper to encourage other women to speak up and raise awareness about the risks of cosmetic surgery.

The 54-year-old Australian has visited Malta regularly for the past 20 years and has worked here.

In September 2012, she decided to have a breast lift and implants because she wanted to “give it a go to look great”.

But after surgery, her right nipple went black and she later learnt her breast tissue was rotting away.

She had necrosis – the irreversible death of body tissue following an inadequate blood supply.

Two months after surgery she had a life-saving operation to remove the dead tissue, which was all her right breast and some of her left.

The legal process started against the hospital (which she did not want to name) and an out-of-court settlement was reached.

The amount cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.

Since then Ms Roehsl, who is currently in Germany, has had two operations and is expecting to undergo another four.

While aware that she is on the right track she does not try to pretend that all is over. “I’m tired and I still need another year to complete all.

“You can go mental after an operation gone wrong and only a psychiatrist, and some great friends, can help you become the person you were before,” she said.

To those contemplating such surgery she says that the most important thing is to take time to find a professional who guides them all the way and monitors their healing process.

She has one more thing to add: although undergoing reconstruction is tiring, she thinks it’s worthwhile.

“I hope all my friends and all the other silent victims decide to reconstruct because the most painful moments are the days when you have to live without a breast,” she says.