Influencer Ana Bárbara Buhr Buldrini Dies After Cosmetic Surgery in Turkey

24 June 2025

Ana Bárbara Buhr Buldrini. Credit : anabmusic/Instagram

Brazilian-born Mozambican singer and influencer Ana Bárbara Buhr Buldrini, aged 31, tragically lost her life hours after undergoing elective cosmetic surgery at Istanbul’s Tusa Hospital on June 15, 2025. Best known for her Instagram obsession with beauty and wellness, Ana had nearly 800,000 followers when she traveled with her husband Elgar Sueia from Maputo to Turkey for three procedures: liposuction, breast augmentation, and rhinoplasty.

According to her husband, Ana had initially arrived in Istanbul on June 13 and was scheduled for surgery on June 18. However, after an evening spent socializing with the operating surgeon and the medical team on June 14, the procedure was pushed forward to June 15 shortening the essential pre-operative preparation window .

Ana entered surgery late in the evening and reportedly left the operating theatre by 11 p.m. The hospital staff claimed she remained under anesthesia and was recovering well. Her husband received a reassuring text containing a photo showing Ana resting post-operation.

Tragically, complications soon emerged. Around midnight her husband noticed a shift in the doctors’ demeanor, followed by an unnerving hour-and-fifteen-minute wait in the hospital lounge. When he finally confronted the staff, one doctor claimed Ana’s heart was slowing, while another declared her dead.

The hospital later confirmed she suffered unexpected cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation and died despite a ninety-minute resuscitation attempt. Turkish authorities detained several medical staff pending an investigation, though they were subsequently released after giving their statements.

Ana’s husband has voiced deep concerns about medical negligence. He alleged Ana had not fasted properly and lacked adequate pre-operative consideration. Describing the rushed nature of the procedure, he said Ana was taken in "without being prepared," raising alarming questions about pre-surgery protocols .

The influencer’s sudden death has struck a chord across social media and the cosmetic surgery industry, reigniting global concern over medical tourism risks. Turkey is a popular destination for affordable procedures, yet critics emphasize the dangers of underregulated clinics, cross-border oversight, and uneven quality of care. UK health officials have recently issued stern warnings, urging prospective patients to research risks thoroughly and avoid deals that seem 'too good to be true'.

This tragic case echoes earlier high-profile fatalities linked to cosmetic surgery in Latin America and Europe, reinforcing calls for stricter international standards, transparent accreditation, and tougher accountability mechanisms.

Ana was cremated in Maputo on June 21, with tributes pouring in from fans and peers praising her spirit and candour. She was remembered as a radiant presence on and off screen, and her untimely death has touched a global community attuned to influencer wellness and personal branding .

Her passing is a grim reminder of the human risks behind influencer aesthetic narratives. As the investigation proceeds, stakeholders and viewers alike are confronting a sobering question: has the cultural pressure of beauty influencers become a deadly gamble when medical safeguards are neglected?

Ana’s life and death testify to how digital icons can drive conversation about beauty norms and tragically, mortality. Her journey offers a poignant warning for those chasing perfection abroad: the bodies behind the screens are vulnerable, and no follower count can safeguard against clinical recklessness.

This incident may mark a watershed in cosmetic surgery advocacy, prompting tighter regulations, mandatory disclosures for clinics treating foreign patients, and better patient education worldwide. If that outcome emerges, Ana’s death may not be in vain but until then grieving followers and family will seek both accountability and reform.