A chocolate entrepreneur has died during a liposuction operation.
Ariene Rodrigues went into cardiorespiratory arrest during the surgery at a private clinic.
Without informing her family, she travelled to the clinic alone and hoped to surprise them with the results.
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But she fell seriously ill during the op.
The medical team reportedly attempted to resuscitate the patient for around 90 minutes using medication and defibrillation.
The clinic said all their surgeons, anesthesiologists, and cardiologists were present in the room as they battled to keep her alive.
The surgeon responsible, who maintains they followed all safety protocols, stated that the victim’s death was caused by a sudden pulmonary embolism due to a blood clot.
Relatives said Ariene had hypothyroidism and was on medication for the hormone condition.
The 37-year-old, who owned the Cacau Show franchise, travelled from her home in Pinheiro to the city of São Luís in northern Brazil to undergo the op.
She passed away on Tuesday evening (20 Jan).
News spread quickly to her hometown where she was a well-known figure thanks to her chocolate chain and fundraising work in the community, as reported by Need To Know.
The surgeon’s lawyer Lymark Kamaroff said: “We deeply regret what happened, but there is no causal link between the fatality suffered by the patient and the actions of the doctor.
“She was the victim of a massive pulmonary embolism as stated in the autopsy report, which is already public knowledge.
“The procedure, and all stages of the surgery, were carefully planned and executed, following the most rigorous safety and quality standards.”
The case into Ariene’s death is ongoing.
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