Andrea Sarmonikas, sister of 29-year-old Eva Sarmonikas from Queensland who died during a cosmetic procedure in Mexico last March, says she will not leave the Latin American country until the surgeons responsible are brought to court.
In a statement issued from Mexico City, Sarmonikas said legal procedures had begun against the medical staff who performed liposuction and buttock injections on her sister on March 20, following the results of a second autopsy on the deceased’s body.
“Contrary to what was ruled by the doctor of the Attorney General of the State of Baja California, the second autopsy determined that my sister was perforated on more than four occasions in the right lung, causing a hemorrhage that led to the death. Evita did not die from a pulmonary embolism nonthrombotic as we were first advised,” said Ms Sarmonikas.
She also alleged that the lead surgeon, who poses as an accredited specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery, does not have the expertise to perform cosmetic procedures.
Thanking Australian and Mexican authorities for their support since Eva’s death, Andrea added that she hoped her campaign may prevent similar predicaments occurring in the future.
“There is nothing we can do to make Evita’s life returned to us,” she said.
“I will never be able to fill the huge gap that is left (in our lives), but we can and we will work our hardest to ensure Evita’s death is not in vain.”
The Go Fund Me page set up to cover the expenses of the second autopsy, legal procedures and repatriation of Eva’s body to Australia, has raised over $31,000.
Meanwhile, Australian Medical Association (AMA) vice president Dr Stephen Parnis issued a warning to all Australians planning to undergo medical procedures abroad.
“Our concern is a person will go overseas with the presumption things will be cheaper, but if a complication occurs the ability to manage that is reduced on the other side of the globe,” he said.
“If you can vouch for the standards, the accreditation and the scrutiny that medical systems in Australia have, that’s wonderful, but we can’t vouch for those things overseas.”