An influencer who travelled from Spain to Brazil to have six cosmetic procedures in a single operation died after the op went ahead despite tests in Spain indicating she had been infected with Lyme disease.
Andreia Vieira Gaspar died in Goiania, the capital of Goias state in central Brazil, on 12th August, after travelling from Spain for the surgery.
Andreia, who was also an influencer with more than 20,700 Instagram followers, had lived in Spain for around five years and had reportedly spent two years saving for the procedures.
Her sister Djiane Vieira said: “It was two years that she spent saving. It is not easy to put together BRL 118,000 [GBP 16,830] earning a salary. So it was a dream in her head that she had had for years.”
The family has questioned why Andreia did not have a face-to-face consultation with the surgeon before the operation.
Andreia arrived in Goiania on 3rd August and, according to Djiane, had been due to meet the doctor on 10th August.
The appointment was allegedly cancelled by the doctor's secretary, who reportedly told Andreia that the assessment would instead take place in the operating theatre.
Djiane said: "Until that moment my sister had not seen the doctor and had not had an assessment herself, in person."
The family's lawyer also submitted pre-operative records showing that Andreia had undergone tests in Spain on 18th June, with the results sent to the medical team on 23rd July.
The records reportedly showed IgM antibodies for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium associated with Lyme disease, which the family's legal filing said could indicate a recent or active inflammatory or infectious process.
Andreia had also told the team about medication she was taking, including hormone replacement therapy, and was reportedly instructed to stop the hormones one week before surgery.
She underwent the operation at Hospital Ankar on 11th August under general anaesthetic.
The procedures included a deep facelift, forehead surgery to reduce the forehead, bone chin surgery, upper eyelid surgery, neck liposuction and a fat-grafting procedure using her own tissue.
The surgery began at around 7.45am and ended at 4.20pm, with Andreia reportedly spending about eight hours in the operating theatre.
Djiane said she had initially been told the operation would take around six hours and became increasingly worried as it continued into the afternoon.
When Andreia returned to her room, her tongue was reportedly so swollen that she could not close her mouth, while she later developed neck pain, breathing difficulties and a sensation of choking.
According to the family's account, the surgeon had visited the room at around 8pm, said the operation had been a success and then left the hospital.
The family claims Andreia repeatedly asked for medical help as her condition deteriorated, while her sister said some of her complaints were treated as "nervousness" and "fussiness".
At around 2.15am on 12th August, Andreia suffered a cardiac arrest.
At 2.28am, Djiane sent an audio message to the clinic's WhatsApp group pleading for help, saying: “My sister is dying, for God's sake. None of you are answering, nobody is coming, for God's sake.”
Andreia's death was formally declared at 4.15am.
Djiane said her sister's final words to her were: "Sis, I am dying."
Djiane said: "She was a completely careful person, full of health, super energetic and full of life. Her dream in life was to have this procedure."
A post-mortem examination reportedly found acute coronary thrombosis, pulmonary infarctions and haemorrhagic mucus-like secretions in the airways.
The family has requested an independent forensic examination to establish the immediate cause of death and whether her pre-existing medical findings, the surgery and her post-operative breathing difficulties were connected.
The Goias Public Prosecutor's Office requested that police open an investigation into possible negligent homicide on 20th August.
The family has also questioned the hospital's facilities, including the availability of intensive care and advanced resuscitation support.
Hospital Ankar said Andreia received immediate emergency treatment from medical and nursing staff and that “the necessary measures” were taken in response to her condition.
The hospital said the pre-operative assessment and tests had been carried out externally before Andreia's admission and that all treatment records were documented and could be provided to the authorities.
Surgeon Lessandro Martins said he "deeply regrets" Andreia's death and sympathises with her family, but would not comment on clinical details because of medical confidentiality.
He said he would fully co-operate with the authorities and that the investigation would establish whether the care provided was appropriate.
Andreia's family's lawyer Fabio Ricardo Rodrigues said: "Nobody is accusing anyone. What the family seeks is the right to the truth, with the proper investigation by the Civil Police, the Public Prosecutor's Office and, if necessary, consideration by the courts."
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
