In early February, Tameka Foster, the 38-year-old wife of R&B singer Usher flew to Brazil for liposuction.
But when she was given anesthesia, she went into cardiac arrest. While doctors revived her, word flashed to America where Usher cancelled his concerts and caught a plane for Brazil to be at his wife’s side. A top Beverly Hills neurologist was summoned and flown to South America to tend to Tameka.
Part of the problem was having surgery too soon after childbirth. Judging by Hollywood’s examples – with new mom celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears and Elizabeth Hurly – having rejuvenation surgery too quickly after childbirth seems to be a fad.
According to news reports, Brazillian physicians stopped the tummy tuck procedure, massaged Tameka’s heart back to life, put her into a medically induced coma and then sent her to the intensive care ward of a hospital where she remained for 11 days.
Between them, Doctors Face and Body have about a half century of experience working with anesthesia and anesthesiologists and wonder what the public has not heared about Tameka’s case.
Dr. Body: Well, the first misstep I see is leaving Beverly Hills – the world capital of plastic surgery — and traveling to Brazil for a liposuction. Tameka had given birth only two months before her plastic surgery so it may have been too soon for her to be having surgery. Most plastic surgeons want a woman to wait three to six months after childbirth before having rejuvenation surgery. The idea is to let her body return to normal from swelling and see where her normal contours are. It’s also possible she was turned down by a U.S. surgeon and decided to go abroad for surgery.
Dr. Face: We’ve already discussed how and why Hollywood celebrities and their plastic surgery often goes wrong — because they embrace the current trends and fads while failing to do their homework to choose the proper procedures and the most specialized surgeons.
Dr. Body: It would appear that one trend that is pretty well established is celebrities having mommy makeovers – usually consisting of breast lift and tummy tuck — very soon and perhaps too soon after childbirth. It seems like the public sees a picture of the celebrity du jour with a newborn and then, a week later, she is suddenly trim, fit and shapely.
Dr. Face: Actually, a similar case happened some years ago when Olivia Goldsmith, author of “The First Wives Club” went into cardiac arrest in the operating room while being anesthetized for chin tuck surgery. She stopped breathing and went into a coma within four minutes after anesthesia was given. She died eight days later while on life support. The investigation revealed Goldsmith died because the anesthetic medications she improperly received caused respiratory depression that was not recognized promptly. That lead to the coma.
Dr. Body: Speaking of drugs, disclose to your plastic surgeon all the drugs, vitamins, herbs and any other substance you routinely take. It doesn’t mean you can not go ahead with your plastic surgery, it just means that we – the plastic surgeon and the anesthesiologist — must know what we are dealing with.
Dr. Face: We do not know what medications Tameka may have been taking that might have caused the problem with the anesthetic. Likewise, we don’t know if she had been plagued by some medical condition such as high blood pressure that might have played a role.
Dr. Body: Plastic surgeons want women to hold off on surgery for at least three months so the patient’s tissues return to more-or-less normal and because there could still be some inflammation of the stomach after childbirth.
Dr. Face: Any other reasons, doctor?
Dr. Body: For breast augmentations, we are very concerned that the woman is totally finished with lactation. While mother’s milk may be excellent for newborns, the milk may still contain some dangerous germs that can cause a terrible infection when dripped into an open surgical incision. I would also ask for a clearance from the woman’s obstetrician before going ahead with a breast augmentation or a breast lift.
Dr. Face: Reasons against leaving the United States for cosmetic plastic surgery are many, including language. Travelers often forget that they may not speak the language of the destination country. Thus, communication – never easy, even in one’s own tongue, when discussing often complex medical issues with doctors – can try one’s patience. Plus, you need to know the local customs and where to go if you have a complication after surgery. All this is easier in America.