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 firm found that 93 Americans died after undergoing such procedures in the Caribbean country between 2009 and 2022.
Autopsy reports were to be obtained from 20 cases, and in each of them, the patients suffered headaches or after surgery, the CDC said in a report released Thursday.
A fat embolism, a condition in which fatty debris in the bloodstream blocks blood vessels, was the cause of death in 11 of the cases, according to the CDC.
The firm said patients whose deaths were due to fat embolism underwent liposuction and “buttock fat transfer,” known as a Brazilian butt lift.
“Fat embolism is a recognized risk associated with fat injections, particularly as used in gluteal augmentation,” the CDC said.
In seven other cases, the cause of death was a condition known as pulmonary venous thromboembolism, which is a sudden blockage of a pulmonary artery. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, after primary surgery is one of the times when other people are most at risk of developing this condition.
The CDC said risk factors like obesity and multiple procedures being performed during the same operation could have been mitigated or prevented with improved surgical protocols and postoperative care.
The firm noted that so-called medical tourism is not unusual among Americans temporarily seeking less expensive procedures.
“US. ” Citizens seeking elective outdoor cosmetic surgery in the United States consult their health care professionals about the risk of adverse effects,” the CDC said.
Last year, 4 Americans were kidnapped in Mexico during a vacation that a member of the organization was seeking to undergo cosmetic surgery; Two of the Americans died in the ordeal.