Vanity can be deadly. More specific, a Brazilian butt lift procedure performed last July at Miami's Vanity Cosmetic Center proved to be deadly.
An autopsy report concludes that Maribel Cardona, a 51-year-old mother of five and Walmart cashier from Naples, died from complications from the increasingly popular surgery.
Cardona had saved and put down the $4,000 deposit for the surgery. She had heard from a friend that the center offered the procedure at an affordable price. According to the Miami Herald, one of her sons had talked her out of undergoing the cosmetic surgery after explaining the risks, but when Cardona found out her hefty deposit was not refundable, she decided to go through with it anyway.
Her surgeon was Dr. Anthony Hasan. He's not a licensed cosmetic surgery specialist but a dermatologist. However, under Florida law, any licensed doctor can perform plastic surgery. He claims he's been performing surgeries since 1999 with no prior incidents.
Five minutes after the procedure was completed, Cardona's oxygen level and blood pressure plummeted. She didn't respond to medication and was rushed to Kendall Regional Medical Center, where she later died.
An autopsy report lists the cause of death as a lung embolism.
A Brazilian butt lift involves taking fat from one part of the body and injecting it into the buttocks. However, surgeons risk injecting the fat too far into the buttocks, and the fatty tissue can enter the blood stream and cause complications, such as Cardona's lung embolism.
Hasan had previously settled a malpractice lawsuit out of court. In that same month of July, he had pleaded guilty to distributing Viagra with false labels and was placed on medical probation.
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