After undergoing gastric band surgery, a university student sadly died.
Maria Paula Ruiz López, 23, died just hours after the routine treatment in Costa Rica.
Maria chose surgery because she thought she was overweight and wanted to live a better lifestyle, according to her family.
Maria, a biology student at the National University of Costa Rica, underwent the treatment at a private facility in the country’s capital, San José.
Her father, Jorge Ruiz, claimed the surgeon arrived at the clinic more than an hour late and assumed the surgery had already begun.
A staff member at the clinic quickly told him that there was a difficulty, and the patient was then sent to the Hospital San Juan De Dios for emergency care.
He said his daughter fell into shock and died soon after in the hospital.
Jorge stated that the issues began when an ambulance was delayed owing to the building’s inability to accommodate tall cars.
When he arrived at the hospital, a doctor informed him that his daughter had been put in critical condition due to torn blood vessels.
He stated that he was astonished by the gravity of the situation because clinic employees had informed him that everything was under control when she initially became unwell.
According to the father, he was allowed to briefly see his daughter in the hospital before learning of her death less than half an hour later.
On the same day Maria died, her family filed a complaint with the authorities.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department acknowledged that an investigation into Maria’s untimely death has been launched.
A band is put around the stomach during a gastric band treatment so that a person feels fuller faster after eating.
The NHS said it’s a “major procedure” that “in most cases should only be considered after trying to lose weight through a healthy diet and exercise”.
It is different to a gastric bypass, in which the top part of the stomach is joined to the small intestine so that fewer calories are absorbed from food.
The health service said: “Speak to a GP if you think weight loss surgery may be an option for you. If you qualify for NHS treatment, they can refer you for an assessment to check surgery is suitable.
“You can also pay for surgery privately, although this can be expensive.”
