The OC Register Blog posts on the tragic death of Solange Magnano, a former beauty queen in Argentina. The details are scant at present, but reports indicate that she had a procedure that she felt was low risk as a friend said, ‘She only underwent the procedure because she thought it was no big deal.’” A day later she had a pulmonary embolus and passed away.

Reports indicate that the woman was injected with polymethylmethacrylate microspheres (PMMA) with the purpose of enhancing her rear end. PMMA is a particulate substance (like small glass beads) that can embolize (travel to other areas of the body) if inadvertently injected into blood vessels. The US supplier of PMMA is based in San Diego. Artes Medical interestingly enough filed for bankruptcy last year. PMMA was originally approved for use in making facial wrinkles less apparent. Like most soft tissue fillers, it was designed to be used in small amounts. This patient had injections for buttock enhancement presumably in much larger amounts which is probably where the potential for embolism became realized.

We have discussed other injection stories like this before; one quite recently. Bigger surgery can also lead to pulmonary emboli however. The facts are just coming out for this case. I am not sure I would even call this a plastic surgery death as we are unsure as to whether the practitioner was a plastic surgeon and we know that this was injection therapy as opposed to “real” surgery. Suffice it to say we have discussed the danger of some injection therapies before and those who frequent this blog know to ask questions before an injection procedure.

You need to educate yourself before having any cosmetic procedure performed and have it done by the most qualified practitioner you can have.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD