Brazilian TV star, 29, dies after botched knee liposuction

Luana Andrade died after a knee liposuction gone wrong (Image credit: luandradel/Instagram)

Brazilian reality TV star Luana Andrade has died after suffering a cardiac arrest during an operation to remove fat from her knees. She was 29.

According to local reports, Andrade had gone to a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil to undergo knee liposuction on Monday. The procedure was performed by a private surgeon and anesthesiologist hired by her family.

However, two and a half hours into the surgery, the Brazilian TV star and influencer experienced a “respiratory event” and went into cardiac arrest, reported Globo 1.

The liposuction was halted immediately and tests carried out to determine what caused the complications. Tests revealed that Andrade had suffered massive thrombosis, which is when blood clots block veins or arteries.

She was transferred to an ICU and received hemodynamic treatment. However, Andrade’s condition deteriorated and she died on Tuesday evening. The cause of her death was put down as massive pulmonary embolism.

Deaths during liposuction or fat removal surgery are not unheard of. Dr Sunil Choudhary, head of Plastic & Reconstructive surgery, Max Hospitals, told Hindustan Times that “Most liposuction deaths are from lidocaine (anaesthetic drug) toxicity that can cause cardiac arrest.”

“Liposuction is not a weight-loss surgery, it should be only done to remove stubborn fat and fatty deposits that don't respond to dieting and exercise,” Dr Choudhary told the publication in 2015.