Mum dies after ‘botched’ liposuction despite docs telling daughter it went well

Liz Brigette Esquivel Palacios, 38, underwent the cosmetic surgery at a private clinic on December 19. Medics initially told her 19-year-old daughter the procedure went well

A mum has died after a “botched” liposuction procedure. Liz Brigette Esquivel Palacios underwent the cosmetic surgery at a private clinic on December 19, accompanied by her 19-year-old daughter.

The teenager was initially told the operation had gone well. But hours later, doctors said complications had developed and she was not yet allowed to see her 38-year-old mother.

More than an hour later, the devastated girl was finally informed that the mother-of-two had died. She, her 17-year-old brother and other relatives then reported the case to authorities in Trujillo, Peru.

The investigation is ongoing. Liz was a Business Administration graduate and worked for BCP, Peru’s largest bank.

The clinic has not issued a statement about the tragedy. Liposuction, while widely performed, carries recognised risks, including infection, excessive bleeding, adverse reactions to anaesthesia and, in rare cases, death.

Medical experts stress the importance of undergoing cosmetic procedures only at fully accredited clinics with qualified, experienced staff.

Last month, the inquest into the death of a British woman following cosmetic surgery in Turkey, was delayed due to a last-minute legal warning. Hayley Dowell, 38, suffered medical complications at a private clinic in Istanbul and died on October 3 2023.

Area coroner Nicholas Walker decided to postpone the inquest on Monday, November 24, after receiving an email from a Turkish solicitor warning about potential prejudice to ongoing criminal and civil cases related to Mrs Dowell’s death. She had reportedly travelled to Turkey for a Brazilian butt-lift (BBL), a tummy tuck, and liposuction with her husband.

Speaking to her grieving family at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Walker stated: “I’m mindful that you will unlikely want a criminal or civil investigation in Turkey to be prejudiced by anything I do here.”

The court heard that an investigation is underway by the Turkish ministry of health, and that Neil Dowell, Mrs Dowell’s husband, has initiated civil proceedings against BHT Clinic in Istanbul.

Mr Walker also voiced his “concerns” about Britons seeking cosmetic surgery abroad, saying: “I’m concerned for those people in this country who are making decisions with respect to elected procedures that take place in another country and I’m also concerned to consider how informed they are as to those procedures.”

He added: “I am concerned that people have their eyes open when they commit to surgeries abroad.” Foreign Office data shows that at least six British people died in Turkey in 2023 alone after travelling abroad for medical procedures.

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