A 31-year-old mother has died during cosmetic surgery in Colombia after spending her family’s life savings on the procedure. Sara Milena Echeverría Alcendra had been preparing for liposuction and breast augmentation for around five months, having lost 4st 8lbs to qualify for the operation. She suffered a fatal medical emergency just hours after entering the operating theatre at the Diamanti Aesthetic Clinic in Barranquilla.
Her husband, Carlos Hernández, said the couple had saved for years to pay for the surgery, which cost more than £15,000 (65.3 million Colombian pesos). He described the money as “almost half a lifetime” of savings. According to Mr Hernández, his wife had originally weighed around 15st 7lbs and was told by her surgeon to lose weight before undergoing the procedure. She then followed a strict five-month programme with a nutritionist, diet and exercise, losing more than 30 kilos.
The family said Sara had passed extensive pre-operative tests and was prescribed treatment to increase her haemoglobin levels before being cleared for surgery. The couple arrived at the clinic at around 7.30am, and Mr Hernández was told shortly before 11am that his wife was being taken into theatre. The operation was expected to last around seven hours, but just over two hours after it began, he received devastating news.
Mr Hernández said he has not been given a clear explanation for what happened. “They haven't told me anything,” he said. “I asked the doctor when I went in to see her and he just opened his hands as if he didn't know what had happened.” Sara’s father, Roicer Echeverría, questioned the circumstances, noting that the family had initially been told the procedure had not yet begun when she suffered cardiac arrest. However, after seeing her body, he believed surgery had already taken place.
Authorities in Barranquilla have launched an investigation into her death to determine whether it was the result of an unforeseeable medical complication or negligence. The clinic has reportedly published documents showing permits issued by Colombia’s health authorities, but has not released a public statement on the circumstances of her death. Sara leaves behind her husband and their two children, aged 12 and eight. Her body has been transferred for a post-mortem examination.
