A 35-year-old Brazilian woman remains unable to move, speak, or see nearly a month after undergoing cosmetic surgery at an unlicensed clinic, raising serious questions about medical safety and oversight.
Eliete Regina de Aquino, from Iracemápolis in São Paulo, underwent an abdominoplasty and thigh liposuction at the Plastic Surgery Hospital in Limeira on November 14. The procedures, which reportedly cost R$25,000 (£3,355), began at 8 a.m. following her admission at 6:30 a.m.
While the surgery initially appeared to proceed normally, Ms. Aquino suffered a cardiac arrest around 12:15 p.m. She was briefly clinically dead before medics successfully resuscitated her after approximately five minutes. Despite the life-threatening event, the surgery reportedly continued and concluded by 1:30 p.m. She was subsequently transferred via mobile ICU to a private hospital at 2 p.m.
According to family members, Ms. Aquino was admitted with a risk of brain death and underwent emergency brain surgery. She later experienced pulmonary complications and remained hospitalized until December 25, when she was transferred to Santa Casa de Limeira hospital. Medical evaluations revealed severe neurological damage, leaving her paralyzed, unable to speak, and dependent on ongoing care.
Her sister, Fabiana Aparecida de Aquino, described her condition: “Eliete has no movement in any of her four limbs. She can’t see or speak. She has a tracheostomy tube and can only feel our touch. My mother cares for her around the clock, but she needs constant professional nursing support. The cost of her care is overwhelming.”
Fabiana has claimed that her sister was transferred to the initial hospital without proper intubation and suffered two cardiac arrests, contrasting with the clinic’s report which recorded only one. Local authorities have confirmed that the Plastic Surgery Hospital was unlicensed.
The family is demanding accountability and transparency regarding what occurred during the procedure. “We want to know exactly what happened in the operating room. If there was negligence, we want justice,” Fabiana stated.
The clinic has declined to comment, citing Brazil’s General Data Protection Law. Civil Police are currently investigating the case and are expected to interview the medical professionals involved in Ms. Aquino’s care.
