A 31-year-old businesswoman, Paloma Alves, died after undergoing a hydrolipo procedure—a form of liposuction—at a clinic in São Paulo, Brazil.
Alves experienced difficulty breathing and went into cardiac arrest at Maná Day, a beauty clinic in São Paulo. She was transported to Dr. Cármino Caricchio Municipal Hospital but died in the emergency room despite doctors' efforts to save her life.
"I realized that something was strange by the expressions on the employees' faces," said Everton Silveira, Alves' husband. "So I opened the door to the room where she would be, but she was no longer there."
Silveira recounted seeing a doctor performing chest compressions on Alves in the lobby area. According to Brazilian news outlet G1, Alves had contracted Dr. Josias dos Santos through social media and paid him 10,000 Brazilian reais (approximately $1,700), money she had saved over two years.
The couple left their home in Vargem Grande Paulista early for an appointment scheduled at 9 am. After completing the procedure, staff did not allow Silveira to see his wife.
Dr. Josias dos Santos told TV Globo that Alves experienced respiratory distress shortly after being moved to recovery: "The patient's respiratory distress worsened and she became unconscious... We started performing cardiac massage."
The São Paulo Municipal Health Department stated that Maná Day did not have a license to provide health services and has since been fined and closed for operating without proper authorization.
"No Health License was identified with municipal health surveillance or even a request for health licensing filed," said the department's statement.
Dr. Dos Santos has faced accusations of malpractice from other patients 21 times previously; however, his lawyer Lairon Joe claims all cases were dismissed without criminal conviction against Dos Santos.
"Dr. Josias has no criminal conviction for medical malpractice," Joe stated. "And all police investigations have been dismissed."
Understanding Hydrolipo
A hydrolipo is an alternative form of liposuction requiring local anesthesia and typically lasts between one to two and a half hours. The procedure involves injecting saline solution with adrenaline and anesthetic into targeted areas.
"It was conceived as this liposuction... made with anesthesia in the doctor's office while the patient is awake," explained Dr. Wendell Ugueto during an interview with G1 in 2021.