The wife of the former Scotland football captain Colin Hendry died today after a seven-year battle against complications from botched cosmetic surgery.

Denise Hendry, 43, had never fully recovered from a liposuction procedure that went wrong in 2002.

Her family today turned off her life-support machine at Salford Royal Hospital, where she had been in intensive care for several weeks following an operation to repair the original damage.

The operation was meant to be the last in a line of procedures to correct the original liposuction, but instead she caught an infection that killed her.

Mr Hendry, 43, had been at her bedside. The couple have four children aged between 9 and 19.

Mr Hendry said that “words cannot describe the desolation we feel”.

“Denise was the shining light in our lives and today that light has gone out,” he said. “She had battled bravely after her liposuction procedure had gone appallingly wrong.

“I cannot begin to imagine life without her, but we are a strong and devoted family and somehow, if only for Denise’s sake, we will get through.”

Mrs Hendry had undergone cosmetic surgery at Broughton Park Hospital in April 2002 to try to regain her figure after the birth of her youngest child. Her heart stopped for four minutes after the operation by a Swedish cosmetic surgeon, Gustav Aniansson.

She suffered nine punctures to her bowel and colon, causing blood poisoning and multiple organ failure, and needed a 16-hour operation in May as part of the recovery process.

It is understood that she suffered a meningitis-type infection as a result of the latest operation. Previous corrective surgery in Preston Infirmary had also been unsuccessful.

Mr Hendry played 51 times for Scotland and captained his country at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Gordon Smith, the Scottish Football Association chief executive, Smith said: “This is devastating news for Colin and his family. The thoughts of everyone at the Scottish FA and, I am sure, everyone associated with the game here in Scotland are with them at this tragic time.”

In May, Mr Hendry, of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, spoke about his wife’s health, saying she was a “real fighter” and was making progress, but adding: “There is still a long way to go.”

Lawyers secured six-figure damages over the botched surgery in 2006 and Dr Aniansson applied to be removed from the General Medical Council’s register. The family will take further legal advice about Mrs Hendry’s treatment.

Mr Hendry began his professional career with Dundee in 1983, and played for Glasgow Rangers, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers.

Tom Finn, Blackburn Rovers managing director, said: “Everyone connected with the club is deeply saddened by the news of Denise’s passing.Our thoughts are very much with Colin and his family at this deeply distressing time.” At Mr Hendry’s first football club, his home-town side of Keith FC, staff spoke of their shock.

Alex Rutherford, honorary president of the Highland League club, said: “This will come as a great shock to everyone at the club.”

Mr Rutherford said that when he recently spoke to Mr Hendry’s mother, it had looked as if Denise was improving.

“This is just very sad,” he said. “I was here at the club when Colin was a youngster, and he is still very well thought of by a lot of people here. I know that, like me, they will want to pass on their condolences to the family.”

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Alex Rider exclusive: Incident in Nice
• Green & confused: do energy-saving bulbs work?
• Let’s skip lunch, say the hungry generation