María José Torres Osorio, a 21-year-old from Ciénaga, died on December 20 following complications from breast reduction and abdominoplasty surgeries at Clínica Alejandría in Neiva. Her father, Félix José Torres Mora, reported to the prosecutor's office the lack of updates on her deteriorating post-operative health. Despite urgent care, her vital organs failed due to severe blood loss.
María José Torres Osorio, affectionately called 'Majito' by loved ones, traveled from Ciénaga in Magdalena department to Neiva, Huila, on December 10 with her mother, Liliana del Pilar Osorio Fernández, to undergo two cosmetic procedures: breast reduction and abdominoplasty. The surgery occurred on December 11 at Clínica Alejandría. Initially, her mother told her father, Félix José Torres Mora, that the young woman had emerged well from the operating room, though with expected pain.
Complications arose swiftly, however. On December 12, María José was discharged and stayed at a cousin's home in Neiva, where she experienced severe dizziness, pain, and speech difficulties. The next day, during a phone call, she told her father she felt unwell. The family first blamed these symptoms on post-operative medications, with medical staff visiting the home for drainages and monitoring.
The condition deteriorated over the weekend. On December 15, tests showed critically low hemoglobin at 3.5, signaling massive blood loss. She was moved to a hospital, suffering cardiac arrest that night; doctors revived her after 16 minutes and intubated her, identifying damage to heart, kidneys, and liver from oxygen deprivation. On December 16, she needed an ECMO device for cardiopulmonary support, available at Clínica Medilaser, to which she was transferred.
Despite interventions, brain death was suspected on December 19 and confirmed the next day. 'The doctors confirm to me that my daughter had brain death, that there was nothing more to do… to proceed with disconnecting the ECMO machine,' Torres Mora told prosecutors. He accused the clinic of failing to disclose her precarious state from the start. 'They never informed us of the precarious health state my daughter was in,' he added.
María José's body was laid to rest in Ciénaga, where friends remembered her warmth and kindness. 'Majito was a young woman full of virtues: studious, dedicated, loving, and noble,' posted Kevin Racedo on Facebook. The clinic did not respond to LA NACIÓN's inquiries. This incident underscores risks in cosmetic procedures and the importance of medical transparency.
