A beauty queen has died from health complications after undergoing facial surgery.
Model Wilevis Brito, 24, who competed in Miss Venezuela, died on April 8 after a procedure to fix a “small lump” on her top lip.
Brito, who was also a law student and journalist, underwent an oral and maxillofacial procedure in a hospital in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, where she lived, The Sun reported.
The treatment usually involves reconstructive surgery of the face, mouth, jaw, head and neck due to an abnormality or trauma.
A friend told local media: “She was undergoing jaw surgery due to maxillofacial wear and tear and a small lump that formed at the top of her lip.
“To avoid future complications, she decided to have the surgery. Not for cosmetic or beauty reasons, but for health.
“She was apparently fine after the operation, but then the complications started.”
An investigation into her death is ongoing and her cause of death is not yet known.
Brito, who had tens of thousands of followers on social media, built up her modelling career from an early age and competed in numerous beauty contests.
She joined the Cerynel Fashion Academy in La Guaira, Venezuela, at the age of eight. The young model was crowned Latin Fashion Vargas in 2013 and Great Model of the Pacific the following year.
She took part in Miss Venezuela and won the title of Queen of Sports of La Guaira 2023.
As well as working as a model, Brito studied law at the Central University of Venezuela before moving into media.
She also worked as a TV presenter for América Tucumán and A24 in Argentina for several years.
Meanwhile, last August, another Miss Venezuelan beauty queen died.
Ariana Viera, 26, is feared to have fallen asleep at the wheel while driving through Orlando, Florida, on July 13.
In a tragic twist, Ariana appeared to predict her funeral just months before.
She had posted a video on her Instagram page in May with the caption: “Filming myself for my future funeral because it’s always me in the videos, no one else does it.”
Last month, police arrested a director of a private clinic in Majorca following the death of a Brit patient, Donna Bee, who paid £6000 (A$11,500) for a boob job.
The 69-year-old has been held on suspicion of a gross negligence manslaughter charge after an investigation into the botched op.
It has since emerged that the unnamed director had ignored an order preventing him from working as a medical practitioner to partake in the fatal surgery.
Donna’s family have shared the agonising ordeal the unnamed clinic in Palma put them through.
It is thought that Donna, who had a pre-existing heart condition, had a fatal reaction to the anaesthetic sparking a heart attack.
After being admitted to intensive care for almost two weeks, the Brit died on September 13.
Donna’s family revealed that all the preceding consultations had been conducted by email, and claimed that very little precaution had been taken by the clinic beforehand.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and reproduced with permission