Another American Dies During Plastic Surgery in Mexico

Another awful tale of a Southern Californian who died as a result of a botch job from a disreputable Mexican plastic surgeon.  From 10news.com...

Lourdes Trinidad Died After Liposuction Procedure Performed By Dr. Louis May Villanueva

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- A local doctor who may have overstated his credentials is being held responsible for the death of a Chula Vista woman he operated on recently.

 

According to family members, 48-year-old Lourdes Trinidad underwent a liposuction procedure performed by Dr. Louis May Villanueva of Bonita.

 

Family members said Trinidad was a healthy and active pharmacy technician who opted for liposuction and went to May's Millennium Cosmetic and Laser Institute in Tijuana for the procedure.

 

"The doctor assured her it was real simple, it was a real simple procedure," said Trinidad's brother, Sergio Salazar.

 

It ended up becoming a deadly procedure, although Trinidad's family has yet to receive a good explanation as to why it turned out that way.

 

"We're just shocked and we're amazed that a doctor like that could just leave, could leave her there by herself," said Trinidad's brother, Bernard.

 

Trinidad's mother is warning others, not just because of her daughter's death, but what happened after. The family said May disappeared.

 

"He was nowhere to be found ... The doctor was gone," said Salazar.

 

The family said after Trinidad's accounts were frozen when she died Saturday, May still wanted his $2,000.

 

"On Monday, we get a call from the bank that said he tried to cash it. He had the nerve to try to cash the check that killed her," said Bernard Trinidad.

 

10News visited May's Bonita home for his version of events, but he was not there.

 

May said he is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, but 10News learned from academy officials that he is not a member.

 

Additionally, May also claims membership in the American College of Phlebology, but any member of the public who wants to learn about leg veins is allowed to join.

 

"We don't want any money from him. We want to stop him from doing this again to someone else," said Bernard Trinidad.

 

Trinidad's family will bury her Thursday, and they continue to question whether it was a complication or incompetence that led to her death.

 

10News contacted May's clinic and they said they did not have any information right now.

 

10news also contacted the Ministry of Health in Tijuana to determine if May is fully licensed, but there has been no response.

Please beware of plastic surgery in Mexico.  While there are many excellent physicians south of the border, it can be very difficult for an American to vet the qualifications of her Mexican doctor.  Even when tragedy doesn't strike, standard "botch jobs" end up costing the patient much more than she would have saved had she seen a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in the USA.  Make wise choices.

Comments

[Carin]

It is not true that you cannot check credentials in Mexico. You can get up to date information through the Mexican Board of Plastic Surgery http://www.cmcper.org.mx/site/index.php?lang=us

[Michael Pickart]

Thank you for that link, Carin. Certainly, it is helpful to know whether a Mexicansurgeon has been certified by the Mexican Board of Plastic Surgery.

And, yet, the vetting process should be even more rigorous than just board certification. What about...?

complaints
malpractice litigation
sub-specialty certification, such asnasal surgery, breast enhancement, or body contouring

All of these questions are difficult to answer when an English-speaker is maneuvering in Spanish, when she is outside of her culture, and when the laws and regulations are drastically different relative to what she is accustomed in the USA.

But there is an even more important reason thatI am against medical tourism:follow-up care. A surgeons role does not end when he leaves the operating room. The doctor needs to assess a patients healing, trouble shoot concerns, address complications, re-operate as necessary, etc.--occasionally in the middle of the night. Frankly, emergencies and problems do occur after surgery! When a patient returns north across the border, it can be difficult, if not impossible, for her to see her surgeon at 2 am, 3 days after surgery,when she needs him the most.

For safety, staying close to home is best.

P.S. For the same reason, its not a good idea for a patient in my home county of Ventura to travel to San Francisco or Los Angeles for her cosmetic surgery. When emergencies do occur, she is just too far from her doctor for best care.

Michael C. Pickart, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Pickart Plastic Surgery, Inc.

428 Poli St.,#2C, Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 648-4567 | fax (805) 641-0811

To: info@pickartplasticsurgery.com

[San Diego Plastic Surgery]

I remember in March there was an article circulating about the Foreign Ministry in China urging citizens not to go abroad to South Korea for plastic surgery. The issue, again, isn't that there are no good surgeons outside one's home country. It is (as you point out) about language barriers, lack of appropriate aftercare, and the inability to really investigate a surgeon's credentials in another country/culture.

Then, there is the problem of settling a legal dispute. I can only imagine the enormous difficulty the Trinidad family will have in pursuing a wrongful death claim against a surgeon in another country.

Daisy McCarty

[christian louboutin]

A recent report of the death of yet another American seeking cheap cosmetic surgery south of the border illustrates the ultimate price that people are imprudently willing to pay in order to potentially save money.

[tummy tuck]

It's really sad when I hear people die because of mere vanity. Lesson learned, always always make sure about the plastic surgeon's credentials.

[San Diego Plastic Surgery]

Tummy tuck, it's pretty harsh to say this young woman died because of "mere vanity". There's a lot of pressure on women to conform to a specific body image in this culture. Her decision to go to Mexico for this particular procedure probably had a lot more to do with limited financial resources and a trusting attitude toward someone who claimed to be a competent medical professional than anything else.

While it is definitely true that people need to fully vet the credentials of any plastic surgeon they plan to do business with, blaming vanity on the part of a patient instead of the allegedly unethical and irresponsible behavior on the part of the surgeon for this type of tragedy isn't very helpful. After all, huge numbers of patients have liposuction done every year without dying from complications - it isn't unreasonable to expect to survive the procedure.

Daisy McCarty

[Sweat Away surgery]

The total price for a cosmetic surgical procedure is calculated from multiple, often individually for different positions, so the detailed examination and consultation can be determined. Therefore we can not "table prizes" offer.

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Thanks for everything, I'm so glad that I spoke to you and found such a wonderful Liposuction Treatment. If you need to visit this hospital then feel free here: 1.303.578.0719, info@placidway.com

[abdominoplasty philippines]

Cosmetic Surgeries should be done and practiced by a professional and licensed surgeon only. If proper documentations were presented and credentials were screened thoroughly, none of this must have happened. what a loss not only for the family of the patient but for the industry as well.

[anonymous]

My brother went to Cancun to Clinica Victoria to have a total body lift by Dr. Rafael Velasco Marin. The surgery was on Oct. 25th 2011. The next day we received a phone call that he had died from a pulmonary embolism. We have found inconsistancies in their stories, but hopefully some day we will find the truth. This is a horrible thing to go through and I hope by telling my story, another family does not have to go through this.

[Michael C. Pickart, M.D., F.A.C.S.]

My heart goes out to you and your family. I am so sorry for your loss.

Sincerely,
Mike Pickart, M.D.