Miss Argentina Plastic Surgery Tragedy - Experts Speak on What Happened
Doctors explain the possible dangers of gluteoplasty. Photo: Getty Images
For one, reports that Magnano was injected with a liquid that went straight to her lungs and brain make no sense to me – that sounds made up by someone unfamiliar with the surgery. "In a gluteoplasty, you insert implants into the butt area," says Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Parham Ganchi, who performs this procedure in Wayne, NJ.
Now I believe that knowing the facts and safest options available is the key to protecting yourself from becoming one of these terrible tragedies if you do decide to look into cosmetic surgery.
I've written a patient advocate eBook on plastic surgery, The Boob Job Bible: 10 Steps to a Sexy, Safe Breast Augmentation, which details how to get the results you want in the safest way possible. With any kind of surgery – plastic or not – there's always a risk that your body can form a clot. Rarely, some people may be naturally prone to clotting, and if you're under general anesthesia for a long time – considered an hour or more – the risk for clotting increases.
"If you're under sedation, this type of thing doesn't happen. But if you're under general anesthesia, your circulation slows because you're in such a deep sleep state and there's a rare chance that blood can pool in your calf muscles," says Ganchi.
Solange Magnano on the runway in May, 2009. Photo: EPA/ZUMApress.com
He went on to explain, "If you're not treated, that clot can travel and lodge into your lungs like a plug, cutting off your breathing. I use compression boots on all my patients to prevent this, which massage your calves during surgery to keep circulation moving and prevent this from happening."
The key to preventing a scary situation is early detection of a clot, which may not just happen during surgery – it can happen within the first few days of recovery too.
The big warning sign?
Uneven swelling. If one leg looks bigger than the other, a clot may be forming – and you should call your doctor immediately. If in the super rare case that you have difficulty breathing or have a heavy feeling in your chest, you'll want to get to the ER immediately.
"Keep in mind that clots are rare to begin with – but if you do get one, it doesn't have to turn critical. Treatment with blood thinners can resolve the issue, and some people even get clots without ever having known it. They just feel a little weird, and the body takes care of it. That's what our bodies are made to do," adds Ganchi.
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Tom, 12-07-2009, 3:45AM
When I heard that former Miss Argentina Solange Magnano died of a lung blood clot Sunday after three days in critical condition following a butt augmentation, I was afraid of the media circus that would ensue – painting all kinds of scary and untrue pictures out of what is a very tragic death.
For one, reports that Magnano was injected with a liquid that went straight to her lungs and brain make no sense to me – that sounds made up by someone unfamiliar with the surgery. "In a gluteoplasty, you insert implants into the butt area," says Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Parham Ganchi, who performs this procedure in Wayne, NJ.
Now I believe that knowing the facts and safest options available is the key to protecting yourself from becoming one of these terrible tragedies if you do decide to look into cosmetic surgery.
I've written a patient advocate eBook on plastic surgery, The Boob Job Bible: 10 Steps to a Sexy, Safe Breast Augmentation, which details how to get the results you want in the safest way possible. With any kind of surgery – plastic or not – there's always a risk that your body can form a clot. Rarely, some people may be naturally prone to clotting, and if you're under general anesthesia for a long time – considered an hour or more – the risk for clotting increases.
"If you're under sedation, this type of thing doesn't happen. But if you're under general anesthesia, your circulation slows because you're in such a deep sleep state and there's a rare chance that blood can pool in your calf muscles," says Ganchi.
Solange Magnano on the runway in May, 2009. Photo: EPA/ZUMApress.com
He went on to explain, "If you're not treated, that clot can travel and lodge into your lungs like a plug, cutting off your breathing. I use compression boots on all my patients to prevent this, which massage your calves during surgery to keep circulation moving and prevent this from happening."
The key to preventing a scary situation is early detection of a clot, which may not just happen during surgery – it can happen within the first few days of recovery too.
The big warning sign?
Uneven swelling. If one leg looks bigger than the other, a clot may be forming – and you should call your doctor immediately. If in the super rare case that you have difficulty breathing or have a heavy feeling in your chest, you'll want to get to the ER immediately.
"Keep in mind that clots are rare to begin with – but if you do get one, it doesn't have to turn critical. Treatment with blood thinners can resolve the issue, and some people even get clots without ever having known it. They just feel a little weird, and the body takes care of it. That's what our bodies are made to do," adds Ganchi.
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