Brazilian Instagram influencer Luana Andrade died while undergoing a liposuction procedure in São Paulo. The 29-year-old, who recently shared a photo smiling at her favorite gym, suffered cardiac arrest during the surgery. According to reports, Andrade suffered four cardiac arrests in the span of a few minutes and died after some time.
Andrade, who was one of the most popular influencers in Brazil, underwent the procedure with a private doctor and anesthetist hired by her family, as stated by São Luiz Hospital. Among those in a state of disbelief was soccer superstar Neymar, who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Brazil national team.
Shocking Death
Andrade went into cardiac arrest about two and a half hours following the surgery. "The surgery was interrupted and the patient underwent tests that revealed massive thrombosis," the hospital said.
"She was transferred to the ICU where she underwent medication and hemodynamic treatment."
She was pronounced dead around 5:30 am on Tuesday, with the cause of death identified as a pulmonary embolism. As of Wednesday morning, the operating doctor and anesthesiologist, whose names were not disclosed, had not provided any comments.
"I am torn apart and living my biggest nightmare. A part of me left," Joao Hadad, her boyfriend of two years, wrote on Instagram.
"We built a beautiful story and lived our dreams intensely," he added.
"In addition to being a girlfriend, you are and will always be a partner beyond life, my love. ... You are my light, princess. I ask that you continue to watch over me and all of us from above. I will always love you, from now until eternity!"
Brazilian soccer sensation Neymar expressed sorrow over Andrade's unexpected death, following a day when intruders invaded the home of his girlfriend, who is also the mother of his one-month-old daughter, holding her parents captive.
"Sad day with two very bad news. First it was the attack that bru's (Bruna Bincardi's) parents suffered, but thank God everyone is fine!" he wrote in Portuguese. "Secondly, the death of a friend. My condolences to the whole family, may God receive Luana with open arms."
Tributes Pour In
Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina voiced criticism regarding the surgery undergone by his friend, Andrade, blaming social media and the press for continually showcasing content that encourages women to pursue body perfection.
"Today I lost a friend due to 'simple' aesthetic procedures. The world is surreal, people... especially you women," he wrote. "This standard of 'perfect' bodies that are impossible to achieve displayed on Instagram and in the media needs to end urgently.
"Why risk your life for nothing? Can not understand," Medina added. "We are young, we have several other ways of feeling good, healthy and beautiful. This fake world will end up killing more and more young people."
Dr. Eduardo Teixeira, representing the Brazilian College of Plastic Surgery, informed the Brazilian news outlet Metropoles that the procedure undergone by Andrade was considered 'like any other' typical procedure in the field.
"There is no risk-free surgery, nor any medical procedure that does not involve some type of risk, especially when it is a surgical procedure," Teixeira said. "This necessarily involves an invasive technique that requires anesthesia, whether local or general."
Andrade was born and raised in Sao Paulo but relocated to the nearby state of Espírito Santo four months ago where she was living with Hadad.
She had been working as a stage assistant since April for Domingo Legal, a program broadcasted on SBT network on Sundays.
Celso Portiolli, one of the presenters on the program, paid his respects at Andrade's wake on Wednesday morning and reminisced that she was in good spirits during the show's filming last Sunday.
"It was an unexpected loss. She was a work companion who was going through a very special moment," Portiolli told Revista Quem. "When I received the news, I was shocked. All the team was quite shocked."
Andrade was known for her participation alongside Hadad in the reality show, Power Couple Brasil 6, which was televised in 2022. She was also the owner of her own clothing brand, Lukand.
