Odalis Santos Mena, a well-known Mexican fitness influencer died last week after undergoing a botched procedure to have her sweat glands removed.
Mena, 23, died on July 7 after undergoing the MiraDry treatment, which is advertised as a quick procedure that permanently reduces sweat and odor, at an allegedly unlicensed medical clinic.
Mena Died of Cardiac Arrest After Receiving Anesthesia
The social media influencer has more than 147,000 followers on Instagram, where she regularly posts photos of her toned physique and frequently participated in bodybuilding competitions.
Mena had the procedure done at the SkinPiel clinic in Guadalajara, Mexico, after she was recruited by the clinic to promote it on social media. She suffered a cardiac arrest after receiving anesthesia and died shortly afterwards. SkinPiel employees performed CPR on Mena but were unable to revive her.
Police launched an investigation following Mena's death. Preliminary reports attributed her death due to a negligent anesthesiologist who allegedly had not been trained to administer anesthetic drugs. The coroner's report indicates that Mena's death was likely a result of the combination of anesthesia and a steroid she had been taking to maintain and increase her muscle mass.
Mena Blogged About Procedure on Instagram Before Surgery
In a statement issued to People en Español, the clinic claimed Mena's doctor "immediately proceeded to do everything medically possible" to save her life including calling for an ambulance and bringing in medical experts to determine if she had been using any substances.
SkinPiel alleges that Mena had clenbuterol, creatine and oxandrolone in her system, which they claim they were unaware of before starting the procedure. "Upon delivering the signed form to the doctor, he asked [her] again about substance use and [she] verbally reiterated that [she] had not," the clinic said. Before her surgery, Mena spoke about the procedure on Instagram, assuring her fans that it was perfectly safe and effective.
MiraDry Treatment
MiraDry is billed as a treatment that eliminates sweat and odor glands in the underarm and has also been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the website. The treatment utilizes heat energy to remove sweat glands which allegedly reduces perspiration by 82-percent and body odor by 89-percent. Some patients also see a reduction in armpit hair growth.
Mena's Boyfriend, BFF Post Tributes on Instagram
In the wake of Mena's death, her boyfriend and personal trainer, Victor Gomez Carreno, posted a heartfelt tribute on his private Instagram account reading, "Your actions in life, echo in eternity. I will take you with me forever short, it makes no sense to write here what I feel in my heart @odalis_sm, I love you."
This is not the first time an influencer has died due to a botched procedure. In December, Instagram model Joselyn Cano died after suffering complication during a butt-lift surgery in Columbia, as previously reported.
