A DENTIST accused of causing horrific Frankenstein-like injuries to patients during illegal cosmetic operations has been arrested.
Hellen Kacia Matias da Silva, 30, was seized by Brazilian cops after allegations she gouged eyes and slit the throats of alleged victims during banned cut-price surgeries.
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Police seized da Silva – dubbed the “world’s worst surgeon” – on January 30 after dozens of victims came forward to describe the horrors they endured during her botched surgeries that left their faces mutilated.
Hideous photographs show one patient with an inch-wide infected wound under her eye.
Another is seen with massive uneven Frankenstein-style stitches under their jaw after he neck was cut open.
Other evidence shows a woman’s cheek that appears to be rotting from an infection following a botched face-lift.
Police and prosecutors say that da Silva and three other dentists had been selling cosmetic procedures that can only legally be performed by qualified surgeons.
On Facebook and Instagram, police claimed that da Silva openly advertised her aesthetic surgery offering face-lifts, nose shaping and eye-lifts at bargain prices.
Prosecutors say she has at least 40 victims and they are expecting more to come forward.
Footage of her arrest in Goiania, central Brazil, showed blonde-haired da Silva being led away in handcuffs before she was put in a cage in the back of a patrol truck.
Goias Civil Police said in a statement: “The investigation indicated that the dentist and three other dentists performed procedures that were expressly prohibited by the Federal Council of Dentistry.
They added: “Plastic surgeries were offered on dentists’ social media for below-market values, reaching a wide range of people.
“The investigation also found that the dentist openly sold the surgeries on her Instagram, which has more than 650,000 followers.
“In addition, she offered courses for other health professionals to perform such surgeries under her ‘supervision’.”
Police spokeswoman Debora Melo said da Silva’s mobile phone records revealed dozens of complaints from horrified patients.
One told of a massive scar around an unhealed hole in her nose, another said she was “desperate” over agonising pain in her eyes.
In each case da Silva dismissed the complaints saying the patient had failed to follow post-surgery care plans, cops said.
Melo told how despite having no surgery qualifications herself, she happily trained even less qualified people in how to do the same bungled procedures.
She said: “In other words, in addition to promoting procedures that are not authorised, they have also taught other professionals how to perform the same procedures.”
Police have collected statements from 13 victims as well as statements from former employees at the surgery, reports local media.
The other three dentists under investigation by police were named as Humberto Lino de Andrade, Ana Clara Franco, and Igor Leonardo Soares Nascimento.
All four dentists have been temporarily suspended and their licences to practise revoked.
The investigation is ongoing.
HIDDEN DANGERS
THE President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England has warned that patients flying abroad for surgery could face “complications”.
Professor Neil Mortensen said: “Some countries are now positioning themselves as destinations for healthcare.
“They offer competitive prices and attractive packages to encourage this type of tourism.
“Due to the ongoing pressure in the NHS, a growing number of patients are choosing to go abroad to avoid long waiting lists.
“We strongly urge patients thinking about having surgery outside of the UK to thoroughly research the surgeon and hospital they are planning to use before committing to the procedure.
“Having treatment in other countries means that if there are complications following surgery, you will not have access to the same healthcare professionals, so there will be no continuity of care once you fly back home.
“Such complications from surgery can also be difficult to resolve due to differences in equipment and techniques.”
Advice over choosing who could perform your cosmetic procedure can be found on the NHS website here.
Further help is listed by the Royal College of Surgeons of England here.
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