14-year-old dies after secret breast surgery and butt lift in Durango; surgeon under investigation

A 14-year-old girl died days after secretly undergoing a breast augmentation and a butt lift in Durango, Mexico, in a procedure reportedly performed without her father's knowledge. The operation was arranged by the girl's mother, and the plastic surgeon who performed it is her mother's partner. The Durango prosecutor's office said the doctor is under investigation for neglect of care and negligent homicide, and the medical association that oversees plastic surgeons has provisionally suspended him while the inquiry continues.

Paloma Nicole Arellano Escobedo died Saturday in a hospital after being in a coma with brain swelling and heart and lung problems following the surgery, which took place about a week earlier, according to the local daily El Siglo de Durango. The report indicates the girl fell into a coma with cerebral edema and respiratory complications, and that the body had been treated by a funeral home, complicating the final autopsy timeline. The final pathology report could take 10 to 20 days, the outlet noted, because some tissue changes may be harder to assess after embalming.

The girl's father, Carlos Arellano, said he was told she had died from Covid-19 complications and did not learn the truth until his daughter's funeral. According to prosecutors, he confronted relatives at the service, where, as he later recounted, relatives questioned the size of her breasts and whether the surgery had occurred. He told prosecutors that he discovered implants and surgical scars when examining his daughter's body with relatives after the funeral. “We have photographs of the implants and the scars,” he said in the complaint. “We immediately requested an autopsy.” He described the situation as a cover-up and said his ex-wife agreed to the operation, which was conducted by her current partner, a 45-year-old plastic surgeon identified in reports only as Víctor “N.” The surgeon owns the clinic where the procedure was performed and has since been suspended.

The Durango Prosecutor's Office confirmed it is investigating the doctor for neglect of care and negligent homicide, with further charges pending upon the final autopsy results. A preliminary examination indicated the patient suffered cerebral edema and lung damage, but officials cautioned that the final pathology could change as more results become available. The body had already been processed by the funeral home, which can delay some aspects of the pathological review. The investigation remains active, and prosecutors have not announced any charges against the doctor.

The Mexican Association of Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgeons (AMCPER) announced a provisional suspension of the doctor as the case proceeds, underscoring ongoing concerns about cosmetic procedures performed on minors and the oversight accompanying such surgeries. Authorities have stressed that details could evolve as autopsy findings are finalized and evidence is reviewed, and they urged the public to await official disclosures rather than speculation.

This case highlights the broader issues surrounding cosmetic procedures involving minors and parental consent, as well as the need for rigorous oversight of practitioners who operate outside established safety and disclosure norms. Health officials and law enforcement said they would release additional information as it becomes available and as the autopsy and investigations proceed.

The case continues to unfold as authorities seek to determine responsibility for the teen's death and to assess whether proper medical safeguards were followed in this confidential procedure. Further updates will depend on the progression of the autopsy findings and the official investigations by both the prosecutor's office and the medical-surgical oversight body.