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Celebrity cosmetic surgeon in Brazil vanishes after patient dies
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 18, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A Brazilian celebrity butt-
enhancement surgeon called Dr. Bumbum has gone on the run following the death
of a patient just hours after undergoing cosmetic surgery at his home in Rio
de Janeiro.
Denis Furtado was considered capable of performing magic on women’s bodies,
in particular their bottoms, and became known throughout the country for his
expertise.
The 45-year-old’s Instagram account reflects his popularity with 650,000
followers.
But now he is wanted by police after Lilian Quezia Calixto died just hours
after a butt enlargement procedure at his home in the swanky Barra de Tijuca
neighborhood.
Calixto had travelled 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) from her home in
Cuiaba to see the surgeon to the stars.
But following the controversial injection of acrylic glass filler, Calixto
started feeling ill.
Upon arriving at hospital on Sunday, she was suffering from a racing heart-
beat and hypertension, and after four heart attacks she died.
Soon after, Furtado disappeared and is now wanted for homicide and criminal
association, while his girlfriend, who some media claim was also his
assistant, has been detained.
The news has caused shock waves throughout the industry — Brazil is second
only to the United States for the number of plastic surgeries carried out.
The Brazilian Plastic Surgery Society (SBPC) was quick to denounce Furtado,
saying “the growing invasion of non-specialists in the specialty has provoked
more and more fatalities like this one.”
“You cannot perform plastic surgery inside an apartment. Many people are
selling a dream, a fantasy to patients in an unethical way and people,
weakened, are often attracted to low prices, without considering whether or
not the conditions are adequate,” SBPC president Niveo Steffen told AFP.
Steffen said the injection of synthetic biopolymers or polymers, like
acrylic glass, is very dangerous and has caused dozens of deaths among women
in Latin America, especially in Venezuela.
He said Furtado’s case demonstrates the “trivialization of cosmetic
procedures by unspecialized professionals, who often aren’t doctors and are
putting people at risk.”
According to the G1 internet site, Furtado has been charged by police four
times for illegally practicing medicine and crimes against consumers.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1220 hrs