Social media is buzzing with reactions following the death of Nigerian socialite Elena Jessica after complications from a second Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure.
Jessica’s sister, Nelli, confirmed the development in a post on her TikTok page on Monday, revealing that the surgery was carried out at Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Hospital in Lagos.
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Nelli also accused the hospital of wrongdoing in the surgery performed on her sister, stressing that the late Jessica deserved proper care, professionalism and safety.
She wrote: “My sister went into Cynosure trusting them with her life. Today, she is gone, and instead of accountability, all we are seeing are statements trying to protect an image. If they were so sure about the information they came out to say, why would they shut off their comment section? They turned off their comment section rather than address people’s questions. Actions speak louder than words.
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“If nothing went wrong, then there should be no problem with transparency, investigations, and answering the questions people are asking. Silence and denial will never erase what families are going through. Instead, we are left with pain, unanswered questions, and a lifetime of grief.”
Nelli added that the world deserved to know what truly happened to her sister, stressing that her life mattered and that her story would not be buried.
“Until the truth comes out, we will keep speaking. No amount of PR statements will silence the voices of people who lost someone they love”, said Nelli.
Leaked WhatsApp
Although Nelli did not disclose the date Jessica underwent the surgery, a viral WhatsApp message purportedly from another of Jessica’s sisters claimed that she underwent liposuction and fat transfer to her hips, buttocks and calves at the facility on 6 February.
In the WhatsApp chats obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Jessica’s sister stated that she began experiencing severe pain in the operated areas two days after the procedures.
She added that medical tests later revealed Jessica had a very high white blood cell count and low blood levels, prompting doctors to administer a transfusion of five pints of blood.
“Even with antibiotics, her condition kept getting worse. Her white blood cell count continued to rise. Her buttocks, hips and calves became very swollen, tight, red, and inflamed. The doctors assumed that too much fat had been injected, which might have disrupted proper blood flow.
On February 13th, they did another surgery (decompression) to remove most of the fat and placed drains. She was in terrible pain before and after the surgery. She did not improve.
“On February 19th, they said they arranged for her transfer to LUTH. But when we got there, there was no ICU bed, and no arrangements had been made. She was inside the ambulance for 5 hours while she was screaming in severe pain. I was running around looking for a bed at LUTH, but there was none available. The nurse who came with us from Cynosure did not bring any pain-relief injection.
We were left on our own. Stranded, she was even confused. The nurse made some calls, and she said their MD at Cynosure asked her to take her to Emel Hospital in Festac. After we got there, she left immediately. We paid N1.5 million for one day in ICU at Emel Hospital in Festac,” said Jessica’s sister.
No help
Furthermore, Jessica’s sister revealed that after they made the payment, no plastic surgeon attended to her case.
She said this development forced the family to move Jessica again on 20 February after they contacted another doctor, who informed them that a plastic surgeon was available at his hospital.
According to her, upon arrival at the new hospital, the medical team presented them with a bill of N6 million to cover one week in the intensive care unit (ICU) and the cost of surgery to remove the infected fat.
“We had to sell most of our belongings to raise that money so they could start treatment, because the doctor also said she has sepsis (a serious infection in the blood) and her condition was 50/50. More tests showed her blood level was critically low again, and I had to buy 7 more pints of blood urgently. On February 22nd, she had another major surgery where doctors removed all the infected fat from her hips, buttocks, and calves.
“We almost lost her, but by God’s grace, she survived. She is still in the ICU. Doctors are cleaning her open wounds every day and treating her for sepsis. She will need another surgery in a few weeks to close the large open wounds. Until then, she has to be in intensive care because her wounds are open. We have used up all our money. We have sold personal belongings.
My father is retired, and my sister has always been the one taking care of the family. No one from Cynosure has called or asked if she’s still breathing”, she narrated further.
The sister further stated that the hospital had demanded N4.5 million, along with additional fees, to keep her in the ICU, an amount they could not afford.
She added that throughout this ordeal, Cynosure abandoned them, leaving them to manage the situation entirely on their own.
“We’ve been told that if we don’t make payment, they may discharge her or refer her to a government hospital and that really scares me because she isn’t strong enough and the fact that she is in pain and have an open wound won’t make it easy for her, plus the fact that government hospitals are known for their negligence even tho they re good doctors there. This hospital manages her pain well and takes care of her well.”
Cynosure Aesthetic speaks
In response to the allegations, the hospital issued a statement on Tuesday, signed by its management and posted on its TikTok page, denying that the video showed Jessica screaming during a surgical procedure.
The hospital, however, offered its deepest condolences to Jessica’s family, describing the period as “a difficult time.”
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“Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Hospital is aware of a video circulating on social media showing a patient screaming during a surgical procedure, which is being falsely attributed to our facility.
“We state clearly: this video was not recorded at our clinic, and we do not know the location or facility where it occurred. The circulation of this content adds additional distress to the grieving family, and we appeal to the public to handle it with compassion and sensitivity,” the hospital statement partly read.
Reactions
Meanwhile, Jessica’s death sparked widespread reactions among netizens, with many raising concerns about the growing trend of cosmetic procedures.
Below are some of the comments.
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