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An operating room equipped with surgical equipment

Source: Vicky Kumar / Getty

A Black woman who died following cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic is the latest person to lose their life in a troubling trend that is showing no signs of slowing.

Sucretta Tolliver, of Chicago, traveled to the Caribbean nation for an unspecified surgical procedure earlier this month and died while recovering two days later, according to NBC 5. While it was not immediately clear what cosmetic surgery procedure Tolliver underwent, her death comes as women have been dying following so-called Brazilian butt lift surgery.

Tolliver’s Dominican-administered death certificate lists the cause of death as internal bleeding, but the family wants to know more.

Tolliver’s daughter Mariah Price described the family’s ordeal to NBC 5:

Price says her mom had traveled to the Dominican Republic for a cosmetic procedure that was performed on Dec. 12. She died two days later at a recovery home.

“I got on the phone with her that night, the night before she passed, and she just sounded like she was in so much pain,” Price said. “She was like ‘I wouldn’t wish this on nobody. It hurts so bad.’”

Tolliver’s daughter says she felt completely helpless, thousands of miles from her mom and unable to care for her.

Now, the family, including Price’s uncle William Tolliver, is fighting to get more answers on what went wrong.

They are seeking to have the FBI and other U.S. agencies investigate Tolliver’s death.

Tolliver’s death came about a week before it was reported that another Black American woman died last year following cosmetic surgery in Florida.

Jaynisha “Jayla” Williams died in October 2021. Her death was only reported last week.

In Williams’ case, NBC Miami reported that “an OB-GYN who is restricted from practicing that specialty for an unrelated complaint” was involved in the procedure.

The Brazilian Butt Lift procedure has proven to be especially lethal, but death isn’t always the end result following the cosmetic surgery.

Back in October, a woman who traveled to the Dominican Republic for a Brazilian Butt Lift ended up losing a kidney after the procedure was botched.

Madame Noire reported:

According to a July 2017 report by the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation in Aesthetic Surgery Journal, two out of every 6,000 BBLs result in death.

Even more shocking, three percent of the 692 surgeons surveyed in the report admitted that they had experienced a patient’s death following a BBL. Researchers concluded that “significantly higher mortality rates” seem to be linked with BBLs and similar cosmetic procedures. Some women are paying a lot of money to undergo the risky procedure, too. A BBL can cost anywhere between $3,000 and $30,000, according to The New York Times.

There are too many other instances of people dying from not just elective cosmetic surgery but Brazilian Butt Lifts, in particular.

Earlier this month, superstar rapper Cardi B warned against getting Brazilian Butt Lifts. She admitted to undergoing the procedure in a basement apartment in New York City for $800. She said the person who performed the surgery was not a doctor and ended up going to jail over the death of one of her patients.

What is a Brazilian Butt Lift?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, people who elect to undergo Brazilian Butt Lift surgery should “have realistic expectations.”

From the Cleveland Clinic:

During a Brazilian butt lift, a doctor called a plastic surgeon will remove fat deposits from other parts of your body and insert them into areas around your butt. After you’ve recovered, your butt will be bigger, stick out more and have an even shape (symmetrical). The areas of your body that had fat removed will have smoother body contours (shapes).

SEE ALSO:

Another Woman Dies During Brazilian Butt Lift Procedure At South Florida Surgical Center

Family Takes Legal Action After Brooklyn Woman Dies During Discount Butt Lift Surgery

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Joseph Marley
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