Q COSTARICA — For the third time in less than 15 days, private cosmetic surgery centers are once again at the center of controversy.
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) has opened a new investigation after the confirmation of a third death associated with cosmetic procedures.
The most recent case involves a 43-year-old woman who died after being hospitalized in critical condition at Hospital México.
The patient died on Friday, just 24 hours after undergoing multiple cosmetic procedures at a private clinic in San José.
The procedures performed included an abdominoplasty, liposuction of the arms, and a fat transfer. After experiencing a sudden deterioration in her condition, she was rushed to the hospital, where she ultimately died.
That same day, OIJ agents removed the body and ordered its transfer to the Forensic Medical Institute for the corresponding autopsy.
This latest incident adds to two previous deaths linked to cosmetic surgery.
The first occurred on January 15, when a 48-year-old woman died following a procedure at a clinic in Rohrmoser, in San José. The second case involved a 40-year-old patient, surnamed Torres, who died the previous Monday at Calderón Guardia Hospital after suffering complications from an operation performed on January 10 at a private clinic in the Nunciatura area, also in Rohrmoser.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons urges caution
The deaths of three women in recent days while undergoing cosmetic procedures at clinics in the capital have raised alarms in the health sector and prompted an urgent appeal from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Costa Rica to the public to be properly informed before making these types of medical decisions.
According to Elliott Garita Jiménez, president of the College, the institution receives an average of two complaints per month related to cosmetic centers, many of them involving the practice of medicine without the required specialization.
“We have an ethical and legal obligation to act immediately when we become aware of a situation where a violation of the Code of Ethics may have occurred as a result of professional practice,” Garita stated.
The official warned of concerns regarding cases in which general practitioners perform procedures specific to Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery without the required training or certification, which significantly increases the risks for patients.
Given this situation, the College urged the public to verify the professional’s qualifications before undergoing any cosmetic procedure, information that can be easily confirmed on the official website www.medicos.cr.
In Costa Rica, only 55 physicians are duly certified as specialists in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery.