Patricia Sucacahua Valencia: Mother dies after alleged allergic reaction during liposuction

Madeline Cove
The Nightly
A mother has died after a liposuction procedure went horribly wrong.
A mother has died after a liposuction procedure went horribly wrong. Credit: Spotmatik/spotmatikphoto - stock.adobe.com

A mother has tragically died after suffering a fatal allergic reaction during a liposuction procedure.

Patricia Sucacahua Valencia, 32, went into distress shortly after the surgery and was rushed to another medical facility by ambulance, but doctors were unable to revive her.

Her death was confirmed on Monday, October 20.

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An autopsy revealed the cause as cerebral oedema and pulmonary oedema — a dangerous build-up of fluid in the brain and lungs that can lead to severe complications and respiratory failure.

The Sun revealed that the medical report concluded Valencia suffered a sudden anaphylactic shock either near the end of the operation or immediately afterwards.

Although investigators have ruled out traumatic injury, the surgeon, anaesthetist and technical assistant involved in the procedure remain under investigation.

Authorities said the surgeon was a general practitioner rather than a qualified plastic surgeon, despite previously performing multiple cosmetic procedures and sharing the results online before deleting his social media accounts.

Local media in Arequipa, Peru, report the doctor is married to one of the victim’s relatives and had been renting an operating room at Hospital Municipal Arequipa, an arrangement officials described as unusual.

Investigators also claim Valencia did not complete her pre-operative tests at that hospital, instead undergoing them at a private clinic where the same doctor worked.

He is now wanted by authorities on suspicion of manslaughter, and his current whereabouts are unknown.

Originally from Juliaca, Valencia had travelled to Arequipa with her husband for the procedure. She leaves behind her husband and their five-year-old daughter.

Her death adds to a growing list of cosmetic surgeries gone wrong.

In March, a mother revealed she was told her daughter had only minutes to live following a botched Brazilian butt lift, while British hairdresser Louise Taylor, 28, said she became dangerously ill after paying £1,500 ($A3,065) for filler injections.

Likewise, Manchester influencer Sofia Lips, who has spent more than £500,000 on treatments, including £200,000 for the biggest lips in the UK, said her obsession with surgery almost killed her.

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