A 24-year-old mother-of-two has died after undergoing a "dream" double cosmetic surgery procedure in Brazil. Lurdes Padilha became unwell during breast implant surgery and liposculpture on Friday 16 October and suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest that medical staff could not reverse.
Procedure halted after sudden complication
The operation took place at the General Hospital and Maternity Hospital in Cuiabá, Brazil. According to an initial statement from one of the doctor's legal team, surgeons detected a sudden complication during the procedure and immediately stopped it. Resuscitation attempts reportedly continued for around two hours but were unsuccessful.
Police registered Lurdes's death as a case requiring further investigation and ordered a post-mortem examination. The results have not yet been released.
Doctor's background and family tribute
Dr Preza, the surgeon involved, has more than 20 years of medical experience, during which he has reportedly carried out thousands of procedures and faced a relatively small number of civil lawsuits, according to his legal team. His defence team has also said he had never lost a patient before Friday's operation.
Lurdes, whose full name is Lurdes Maria de Lima Pessoa Padilha, leaves behind two young children. Her mother, Jatir Ramos, returned to Brazil from Portugal, where she lives, to attend her daughter's funeral.
Lurdes's husband, Juan Pablo Padilha, paid tribute to her online, revealing that undergoing the surgery had been her dream. He wrote: "My love, this surgery had always been your dream. I was never in favour of it, but I knew you were going to go ahead with it because you've always fought for what you wanted and done the things you dreamed of. I admire you so much for that."
He added: "We had so many dreams we still wanted to make come true, my love. I don't know what to do without you here. I'll never be able to look after the children the way you did. This is so hard."
Investigation opened into death
While liposuction removes unwanted fat from specific areas of the body, liposculpture focuses on reshaping and defining the body's contours for a more sculpted appearance. The terms are often used interchangeably, although liposculpture places greater emphasis on achieving a particular body shape.
The Mato Grosso Regional Medical Council has opened an investigation into the circumstances of Lurdes's death.
