Barbara Laura Souza Felix, 27, died during a Brazilian butt lift operation at a private facility in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, after her heart stopped. Police have opened an investigation into the suspected medical incident.Lee Bullen08:30, 31 May 2026A woman died while undergoing a Brazilian butt lift procedure.‌Barbara Laura Souza Félix checked into a private clinic on Tuesday to have fat removed from her stomach and back and transferred to her buttocks. During the grafting stage of the surgery, medical staff detected a sudden decline in her pulmonary ventilation levels before her heart gave out entirely.‌Surgeons fought to revive the 27-year-old for more than an hour, but she was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:20pm. Doctors believe the most likely cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, possibly triggered by fat.‌Police attended the scene and launched an inquiry into the young woman's death, while her body was transferred to the André Roquette Legal Medical Institute for a post-mortem examination.A sales worker from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Barbara was single with no children and had no known underlying health conditions. Raised by her grandmother, she leaves behind a brother. Her father had died, while her mother lives in Spain.‌Relatives remembered her as an outgoing, responsible woman who embraced life to the full. Her cousin and childhood friend Ingrid Ester Martins Picoreli, whose son Barbara was godmother to, revealed the pair had last seen each other at the child's birthday party on the previous Sunday."She was super upbeat, extroverted and always happy," she said. "Barbara worked as a saleswoman and was very excited about her plans to live abroad."‌Ingrid also revealed that her cousin was "very determined and went after what she wanted". The bereaved family have raised serious concerns regarding the procedure itself and the response times following the incident.The surgeon's defence lawyer previously noted that pre-operative assessments were carried out and all clinical measures were followed.‌The tragic case has thrust the risks of gluteal fat grafting procedures, commonly known as Brazilian butt lifts, into the spotlight, with the operations facing increasing scrutiny worldwide due to elevated complication rates.The clinic is now under intense pressure following revelations that a 39-year-old mother died from a similar pulmonary embolism at the very same site back in 2021.Article continues belowBarbara's death is currently being treated as a suspected medical incident and remains under active police investigation in Minas Gerais.