Laura Avila, Dallas woman has been left on life support after traveling to Mexico for cut rate plastic nose surgery only for things to go very wrong. In search of perfection at any price.
### November 24-Update: Laura Avila- the Dallas realtor who ended up in a coma after a botched nose job procedure in Mexico, has died according to TMZ.
Laura’s death comes days after her family made the decision to move her to hospice care, following deliberations with her medical team.
Laura had slipped into a coma after surgeons in Ciudad Juarez botched her nose job by incorrectly administering anesthesia. She had gone south of the border for the procedure to save some money … and was stuck there for 8 days before her family was able to transfer her back to Texas.
Told Laura’s attorney, Larry Friedman via TMZ, ‘She had the best of life in front of her until this tragic, unfortunate and senseless death. So that her death is not in vain, people should think of Laura before they look for cross border discount surgery. They should do their homework and investigate the experience, training and track record of anyone before they sign up.’
Adding, ‘Always LOOK before you leap!’
### Original report: A Dallas real estate agent is on life support after flying to Mexico in search of a cut rate nose job which went horribly wrong.
Laura Avila, 36, booked an appointment for the rhinoplasty procedure, estimated to be less than a third of the average US cost, October 30 at the Rino Center in Juarez, Mexico.
The average price of the plastic surgery procedure in the US is $7,500, according to RealSelf.
What was supposed to be a straightforward procedure turned out to be anything but- beginning with Avilla being administered anesthesia via her spine.
The anesthesia instead of being dispersed downward throughout her body- traveled to her brain.
Within moments, Avilla went into cardiac arrest, with hospital officials forced to place her into a medically induced coma to prevent further brain damage.
Avilla has since been left brain dead.
Laura Avila held hostage after refusing (unable) to pay medical expenses:
The woman’s fiancé who had traveled with Avilla for the process has been left dumbfounded.
‘I was really concerned… I got upset because they wouldn’t let me see her,’ Enrique Cruz explained via WFAA.
He said doctors initially told him her blood pressure dropped, and that they could not move forward with the surgery.
The patient’s sister, Angie Avila said her sister was motivated into traveling to Mexico for the procedure because ‘the price, compared to those in US, was less than a third.’
The real estate agent, who is also a singer and dancer, was under care at the Mexico clinic for four days before she was finally transported to a university hospital in El Paso, Texas.
Avila has been refused care by three Dallas hospitals because she is not insured.
Her family said officials at the Rino Center gave them a hard time about leaving because they did not pay the bill.
‘The hospital in Mexico basically held us hostage because we wouldn’t pay the full amount,’ explained Avila’s sister.
Laura Avila GoFundme: Looking for a miracle.
Avila’s condition has family members fearing for her rehabilitation. If any.
Avila’s family were told she would never be able to walk or eat for herself again or speak.
Cruz, who has been in a relationship with Avila for 10 years, told ABC 7: ‘We got married by God… no matter what happens, I want her to know [she] has a special place in my heart.’
The fiancee captioned a Facebook profile photo of the two in happier times: ‘I love you so much, I’m so lost with out you..’
Adding, ‘Right now we are praying for a miracle. Really we want a second opinion’.
A GoFundMe page set up for Avila had nearly $70,000 of its $150,000 goal as of late Tuesday.
Noted the crowdfunding page: ‘Any assistance you provide will go to her medical bills, which have quickly accrued in the last six days. Approximately $25,000 was incurred in Juarez plus transferring costs which are yet to be determined.
‘In El Paso, the costs began accumulating from the minute EMS picked her up at the border. She does not have medical insurance, so everything will come out of pocket.
‘Any remaining funds will go to our parents who have missed work to be with Laura; her fiancé Cruz who is also missing days at work and buying plane tickets to fly back and forth between El Paso and Dallas, TX, where he resides; and myself, a current law student at SMU, for flight expenses from traveling between Dallas and El Paso to go to school and also be with Laura and ensure her legal case proceeds in Mexico.’
Avila’s family must now decide whether to move forward with two high-risk surgeries or strip her from life support.
The family has since hired an attorney, Larry Friedman, who plans to sue the Rino Center and those responsible for the tragedy.
The dangers of cheap plastic surgery overseas: At what price perfection?
Avila’s crises comes as more and more doctors are warning people about the dangers of getting plastic surgeries abroad.
Noted a recent report via time: ‘About 750,000 Americans travel abroad to receive medical care and plastic surgery every year, usually in hopes of cheaper rates. But a new report from U.S. health officials reveals that some Americans have contracted severe infections from getting plastic surgery—in foreign countries, highlighting the possible risks of medical tourism.
Complications which often come at a much higher risk for serious post-surgery complications, include infections, blood clots, and long-term damage.
Janelle Edwards Bronx mom dead after botched plastic surgery in Dominican Republic
