Medical authorities in Colombia warn about the dangers of plastic surgery after a woman died of complications caused by buttock implants.
The Medellin metropolitan police made the case public on Wednesday after the doctor, who did not have a licence and offered cheap surgery, was arrested and charged with homicide.
The 44-year-old victim died after a visit to a clinic for plastic surgery to enlarge her buttocks by injecting them with “biogel,” newspaper El Tiempo reported. The woman started having respiratory problems caused by oil that entered her lungs, and eventually died from complications.
Medical authorities advise people who want to have plastic surgery in Colombia to check if plastic surgeons have the necessary qualifications and are part of the Colombian Plastic Surgery Society.
Plastic and aesthetic surgery specialists state that substances such as bio-polymers, liquid and industrial silicone should never be used since there is no guarantee these substances won’t move to other body parts and affect vital organs.
Colombia is a growing medical tourism destination, attracting foreigners through its relatively low prices, especially for aesthetic surgery.