A British mother-of-three has died days after undergoing the notoriously dangerous Brazilian butt lift (BBL) procedure in Turkey.
Hours before she was due to return to her hometown of Manchester, 26-year-old Demi Agoglia complained of chest pains and was returned to the clinic in Istanbul for a check-up.
Agoglia suffered a heart attack in the taxi on the way to the hospital, The Sun reports, with her partner desperately administering CPR. She was rushed to intensive care but was pronounced dead on Monday (local time).
According to reports, it's understood the mum-of-three suffered a series of heart attacks due to a fat embolism, which occurs when fat globules are released into the bloodstream. The syndrome is most commonly associated with bodily trauma.
Agoglia had travelled to Turkey to undergo the high-risk procedure, which according to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, involves harvesting excess fat from the hips, abdomen, lower back or thighs with liposuction, before strategically injecting the fat into the buttocks to augment the size and shape.
The aim of the surgery is to improve the proportions of the lower body, enhancing and reshaping the buttocks while reducing fat in areas where the stores can be difficult to shift, such as the belly and hips.
Agoglia had previously had dental work performed in Turkey, a common destination for cosmetic surgery and procedures due to its more affordable price points. However, the dental work was also botched, The Sun reports.
Speaking to The Sun, Agoglia's brother Carl, 37, said her family and partner had attempted to dissuade her from going through with the BBL, but she was determined to undergo the procedure.
Carl said the family has yet to be informed of the "full details" of Agoglia's death, but reiterated his sister had issues breathing in the taxi en route to the hospital and that her partner performed CPR in a bid to resuscitate her.
"We think they both went back to the clinic for a check-up and that she collapsed in the clinic," he told the outlet. "I think there will be a coroner's report over there. Her partner needs a death certificate before she comes home.
"She is only 26, she shouldn't have die. Just don't do it, it's such a high risk. She should never have done it. She has left three young kids."
Carl confirmed her youngest child is just seven months old.
"The doctors had told her the operation was a success and she was recovering for a few days, as you're not allowed to fly home straight away," an unnamed source told The Sun.
"The hospital doctors believe she suffered a fat embolism which impacted her lungs and put stress on her heart, causing the heart attacks. People need to understand how dangerous surgery abroad can be."
In August 2018, plastic surgery societies in the US issued an urgent warning regarding the risks of BBLs, prompting the formation of a task force to provide guidance to surgeons after multiple deaths associated with the procedure were reported.
In 2018, The British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery even advised surgeons in the United Kingdom to stop performing it altogether, although it couldn't be banned outright.
In 2022, former The Bachelor New Zealand and Dancing With The Stars contestant, Nazanin 'Naz' Khanjani, told Newshub how she was left bedridden, in excruciating pain, and even fearing for her life after also undergoing a BBL in Turkey.
Despite being told the surgery went "extremely well", Naz noticed something wasn't right in the hours following the invasive procedure.
"I felt like the nurses were changing the pads on my body too many times and I was constantly laying in a pool of blood. My entire body turned into a pale yellow colour and I was finding it difficult to stay awake," she told Newshub.
"The nurses stood me up at one point and I almost collapsed on the bed, I felt so dizzy and nauseous. They called the surgeon to come back to the clinic as he'd gone home at this point. When he arrived and examined me, straight away he called an ambulance.
"I was crying, thinking I was going to die."
As per the Cleveland Clinic, risks or complications of a BBL include bruising, infection, swelling, poor healing, skin discolouration or changes in skin sensation. If the cannula strikes a blood vessel or nerve during the surgery, it can also lead to injury, a fat embolism or death.
