The case of 52-year-old Yulixa Consuelo Toloza has gripped Colombia. The woman agreed to a cosmetic procedure at a clinic in southern Bogotá that lacked the necessary licenses, and whose owner is under investigation for the woman’s disappearance.
At the Beauty Laser center, she underwent laser lipolysis, also known as laser lipo or laser liposuction. According to various medical websites, this is a body contouring technique that uses laser technology to destroy localized fat in areas such as the abdomen, back, legs, arms, or hips.
According to information provided by Yulixa’s family and friends to national media outlets, the woman paid approximately three million pesos for the surgery. This has reportedly been corroborated by authorities who found accounting records at the clinic showing payments ranging from three to five million pesos for this type of procedure.
Regarding this procedure, the center promoted its treatments on social media with the promise that they were “painless” and low-cost. The package offered to Yulixa, according to their offer, included a full torso procedure, a gluteal lipotransfer (transfer of the extracted fat to the buttocks), pre-operative exams, sedation during surgery, a post-operative compression garment, and post-operative massages.
This was the procedure Yulixa was expecting to have on May 13th when she arrived at the center at 8:00 a.m. However, she was last seen around 4:00 p.m., appearing somewhat disoriented, perhaps due to sedation. That evening, when staff approached to retrieve some personal belongings, they claimed she had left on her own, a version that appears to be false.
This was the procedure Yulixa was expecting to undergo on May 13th when she arrived at the center at 8:00 a.m. However, she was last seen around 4:00 p.m., appearing somewhat disoriented, possibly due to sedation. Based on accounts from those close to the 52-year-old woman and comparing them with her online advertisements, it appears she was sedated. In fact, testimonies indicate that she began to experience pain during the procedure, prompting the staff at the beauty center to increase the sedative dose.
When administering sedation, one of the commonly used agents is lidocaine, an anesthetic that blocks nerve signals to prevent the body from feeling pain. According to the Care Hospitals website, this medication can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours to take effect; however, research indicates that with Yulixa, the effect was taking more than five hours.
