Dozens of Americans have died after undergoing cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic over a 14-year period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency revealed that 93 Americans died after undergoing such procedures in the Caribbean country between 2009 and 2022.
Autopsy reports are available for 20 of the cases, and in all of them, the patients suffered complications during or after surgery, the CDC said. Report published Thursday.
The cause of death in 11 of these patients was fat embolism, when fat particles in the bloodstream clog blood vessels, according to the CDC.
The agency said the patient who died from fat emboli had undergone liposuction and a “buttock fat transfer,” also known as a Brazilian butt lift.
“Fat embolism is a recognized risk specifically associated with fat injections used for buttock augmentation,” the CDC said.
The cause of death in the other seven cases was a condition known as pulmonary venous thromboembolism, which is the sudden occlusion of a pulmonary artery. After major surgery is one of the times when he is at the highest risk of developing this condition. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
The CDC said risk factors such as obesity and multiple surgeries performed during the same procedure could have been reduced or prevented with improved surgical protocols and postoperative care.
The agency is so-called medical tourism It’s becoming more common among Americans looking for cheaper, faster procedures.
“U.S. citizens interested in undergoing elective cosmetic surgery outside the United States should discuss the risks of adverse outcomes with their health care professional,” the CDC said.
Last year, four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico while group members were on a trip to undergo cosmetic surgery. Two of the Americans died in the ordeal.