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Brazilian-Mozambican influencer Ana Barbara Buhr Buldrini died following a cosmetic procedure in Istanbul, where she had traveled with her husband, renowned Mozambican artist Elgar Sueia.
The couple had arrived in Türkiye for a mix of personal and professional reasons, including a planned honeymoon and a promotional agreement with a local private hospital.
According to Ekol TV's reports, the procedure took place at a clinic located in the Tuzla district of Istanbul.
The hospital, which had previously faced scrutiny over other surgery-related deaths and had recently changed its name, had entered a commercial agreement with Buldrini. In return for promoting the clinic, she was to receive a complimentary fat removal operation.
In statements to reporters, Sueia alleged that his wife was taken into surgery earlier than scheduled, just two days after an initial consultation, and without any urgent medical indication.
He also claimed that she was not appropriately prepared for the operation. The surgery, he said, required fasting, but she was operated on after having eaten.
Following the procedure, Sueia was informed by medical personnel that Ana Barbara's heart had slowed down. In an emotional account of what happened next, Sueia stated, “I lost control. I cried, shouted, and punched the walls. I saw her in the morgue. She is looking beautiful, but she was dead.”
The hospital, identified in reports as Tusa Hospital, issued a written statement outlining its version of events. According to their account, Buldrini had been referred to as a dental surgery patient.
They stated that she had been given full legal and medical information and had signed all necessary consent forms.
The surgery, reportedly conducted under standard operating conditions, resulted in “an unexpected complication” during the recovery phase. The statement explained that she experienced ventricular fibrillation, a serious heart rhythm disturbance, and suffered cardiac arrest.
Medical staff attempted to revive her for over 90 minutes but were ultimately unsuccessful. “Despite all efforts by our expert anesthesiology team, the patient could not be resuscitated,” the statement read.
The hospital noted that legal procedures had been initiated to determine the definitive cause of death and that they were cooperating fully with authorities.
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