The tragic death of Luana Andrade, 29, after a cosmetic procedure

Brazilian celebrity Luana Andrade died on Nov. 7, her family announced, sending shockwaves across Latin America. She was an influencer, reality TV star, and up-and-coming celebrity who was just 29 years old.

Image: @luandradel / Instagram

Andrade underwent liposuction to remove fat from her legs. “It was during the removal of the fat from her knees that the fatality occurred,” her representative told local media.

Image: @luandradel/Instagram

The hospital said that doctores saw a “massive thrombosis” during the cosmetic procedure. She was rushed to the ICU, where she was treated to no avail. Within a couple of hours, she went into cardiac arrest and eventually died from a pulmonary embolism.

Image: @luandradel/Instagram

Her boyfriend Joao Hadad shared a heartbreaking post, describing what the loss of this vibrant young woman meant to him. “I'm torn apart and living my worst nightmare. A piece of me is gone,” he wrote.

Image: @luandradel/Instagram

“We've built a beautiful story and lived our dreams intensely. As well as a girlfriend, you are and always will be a partner for life, my love,” her boyfriend of two years continued. “ Today, it's hard to understand God's plans, and I don't know when or if I'll ever process how much you'll be missed in my life and in the lives of a legion of people who loved your presence.”

Image: @luandradel/Instagram

The day after the Brazilian football star Neymar had his house broken into and thieves held his girlfriend and parents hostage, he found out about this. 'Sad day with two very bad news... First it was the attack… Secondly, the death of a friend. My condolences to the whole family, may God receive Luana with open arms,” he posted on Instagram.

'Today I lost a friend due to "simple" aesthetic procedures. The world is not real, people, especially women, this standard of "perfect" bodies that are impossible to achieve and are displayed on Instagram and in the media needs to end urgently.”

His scathing commentary on the world of impossible beauty standards continued. 'Why risk your life for nothing? I cannot understand. We are young, we have other ways of feeling good, healthy and beautiful. This fake world will end up killing more and more young people,” he predicted. "We need to show what's real."

Born in São Paulo, Andrade was best known for her role in the 2022 Brazilian reality TV show ‘Power Couple.’ She appeared on the show alongside her boyfriend Joao Hadad.

Image: Power Couple/Record TV via @luandradel/Instagram

Andrade was also an entrepreneur, leveraging her fame to create her clothing line LUKAND. She also was paid to promote other brands on social media.

Image: Lukandstore/Instagram

Days before her death, she posted a video on Instagram reflecting on her great year and looking forward to 2024. “It’s not even over yet, and I have so much gratitude for 2023,” she wrote.

Image: @luandradel/Instagram

In October, she also celebrated her second anniversary with her boyfriend. "Every day by your side made me realize how good it is to live life together… Everything seems possible when we are together,” she wrote.

Image: @luandradel/Instagram

It seemed like Andrade was loving life. This year alone, she had traveled to Chile to go skiing, to beautiful locations in her home country Brazil, and to European destinations like Paris, Bari, and Rome.

Image: @luandradel/Instagram

Her representative told local media that she already had her abdomen operated on in a previous procedure. Apparently, she thought this second liposuction would be a breeze.

Image: @luandradel

The day before she died, she uploaded her final post to Instagram. In it, she was wearing workout clothes in a gym and said she was at her “favorite place.” And while she may have done a lot to keep fit, her tragic death also demonstrates that many of these influencers with "perfect bodies" do more than workout and eat well.

Image: @luandradel

In 2022, it emerged that country singer Hank Williams Jr’s wife died after her lung was punctured during a liposuction procedure. As with any surgery, there is a risk of complications and death. Indeed, the most frequent major complication is pulmonary thromboembolism, which represents more than 23% of deaths, according to a study in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.