A 35-year-old woman has been left with catastrophic, life-altering injuries after what were meant to be routine cosmetic surgeries spiralled into a medical nightmare, leaving her unable to move, see, or speak.
A Dream Procedure Turns to Tragedy
Eliete Regina de Aquino from Iracemápolis, Brazil, entered the Plastic Surgery Hospital in Limeira on 14 November for two elective operations: an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and thigh liposuction. The procedures, costing R$25,000 (approximately £3,355), began at 8am. According to her sister, Fabiana Aparecida de Aquino, Eliete had sought the surgery as she did not feel "good about her body", describing it as her "dream".
Initially, the surgery reportedly proceeded as planned. However, several hours in, at around 12:15pm, Eliete suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff resuscitated her, with her heartbeat returning roughly five minutes later. Astonishingly, the surgical procedures were continued after this critical event, concluding by 1:30pm.
Severe Neurological Damage and Family's Anguish
Eliete was rushed via a mobile ICU to a private hospital by 2pm. Her family alleges she was transferred without being intubated. She was at risk of brain death and required brain surgery, later developing pulmonary complications. After more than a month in hospital, she was transferred to Santa Casa de Limeira hospital on 25 December, where she was diagnosed with severe neurological sequelae.
The damage is profound. "Eliete, today, has no movement in any of her four limbs, neither legs nor arms. She can't see or speak," Fabiana stated. Eliete now has a tracheostomy tube in her neck, suffers from neurological spasms, and can only perceive her family's touch. She requires round-the-clock care, which her elderly mother currently provides alone.
Investigation into Unlicensed Hospital and Negligence Claims
The case has sparked a police investigation and serious allegations of negligence. Limeira City Hall confirmed the plastic surgery hospital was operating without a licence. Fabiana has told Civil Police her sister suffered two cardiac arrests, contradicting the clinic's report which states there was only one.
"We really want to know what happened inside the operating room. If there was negligence, we want justice," Fabiana demanded. The hospital has declined to comment, citing data protection laws. Authorities are now expected to interview the doctors involved.
For Eliete's devastated family, a dream of self-improvement has become an unending nightmare. Fabiana lamented the impact on their lives, noting that children in the family "can't even be near her" due to her condition. The dream, she said, has well and truly turned into a harrowing reality.
