A 23-year-old Portuguese woman who flew from Switzerland to Istanbul for cosmetic surgery has died just days after undergoing liposuction and a bum enlargement procedure.
And shockingly, her devastated family members, who have spoken out after a two-year wait for justice, say they were only told she had passed away in a text message.
The death occurred in the Sisli district of Istanbul, a city in north-west Turkey, after Aida Alexander Oliviera travelled from Switzerland for the operation on 7th March 2024, with an autopsy finding she suffered catastrophic internal bleeding and a pulmonary embolism.
Aida Alexander Oliviera, 23 poses in undated photo. She died after the operation she underwent at the clinic in Sisli, Turkey. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash)
Oliviera, who was of Portuguese origin and living in Switzerland, arrived in Turkey on 1st March 2024 after contacting a doctor through social media.
She met the doctor the same day at a clinic in Sisli and underwent liposuction and a fat injection to her buttocks on 2nd March at the private hospital in the Balat area.
According to her lawyer, she had purchased a package costing CHF 10,000 (GBP 9,530) - including flights and one week of accommodation - for what was described as a minor aesthetic procedure.
The doctor reportedly told her the operation had been successful and she returned to her hotel. But on the fifth day after surgery, she became unwell in her room and alerted reception. An ambulance took her to hospital, where she later died.
An autopsy carried out by the Forensic Medicine Institute determined that she died from internal bleeding caused by a major vascular rupture following the cosmetic procedure, along with a blockage of the pulmonary arteries due to a clot.
Aida Alexander Oliviera, 23 poses in undated photo. She died after the operation she underwent at the clinic in Sisli, Turkey. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash)
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the death. According to reports, a forensic evaluation found the operating doctor at fault, while separate assessments regarding criminal responsibility and the required official permissions are continuing.
Lawyers for the family said the investigation has been ongoing for nearly two years. Because the doctor is a public employee, permission from the Ministry of Health is required before prosecution can begin. A preliminary investigating doctor has recently been appointed and a report is awaited.
The family has also alleged irregularities after her death. They claim that when Oliviera’s cousin travelled to Istanbul to identify the body and give a statement, a translator allegedly directed by the suspect doctor acted instead of a sworn interpreter, and that a statement indicating no complaint was recorded.
Aida Alexander Oliviera, 23 poses in undated photo. She died after the operation she underwent at the clinic in Sisli, Turkey. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash)
Her father, Eduarda Amelia Assuncao De Oliveira, for whom the dead woman was his only child, said: “I trust Turkish justice. Our lawyers will do their best in court to clarify this case and to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
Her mother said their only child had felt very unwell shortly after the operation and had been unable to answer their calls before the family were informed of her death by text message.
The family say they are waiting for judicial proceedings to begin and want those responsible, if any wrongdoing is established, to be held accountable.
(Mike Leidig / Newsflash)