Elena Jessica, the Nigerian socialite, has passed away following severe complications arising from a cosmetic surgery procedure commonly known as a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL).
Her death was announced by her sister Nelli in a TikTok post.
Nelli alleged that the procedure was performed at Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Hospital, located in the Ikoyi area of Lagos, and that unsterilized tools contributed to her sibling’s death.
According to a WhatsApp message circulated by Nelli, Jessica underwent liposuction and fat transfer surgery to her hips, buttocks, and calves on February 6, 2026.
The account stated that two days post-operation, Jessica began experiencing severe pain and significant swelling in the treated areas.
Subsequent blood tests reportedly revealed a dangerously high white blood cell count, indicating a serious infection, as well as critically low blood levels requiring multiple transfusions.
Despite the administration of antibiotics, her condition deteriorated. On February 13, surgeons performed a second procedure — a decompression surgery — to remove a significant portion of the injected fat, suspecting that an excessive amount may have been impeding blood flow.
Nelli stated that her sister remained in “terrible pain” and showed no signs of improvement.
“On February 6th, 2026, my sister had liposuction and fat transfer surgery (to her hips, buttocks, and calves) at Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Ikoyi. Two days later, she started having severe pain and serious swelling in her hips, calves, and buttocks. We complained immediately,” the message reads.
“Blood tests showed her white blood cell count was very high, which meant there was an infection. Her blood level was also very low, and we had to buy 5 pints of blood for transfusion while she was there. Even with antibiotics, her condition kept getting worse. Her white blood cell count continued to rise. Her buttocks, hips and calves became very swollen, tight, red, and inflamed. The doctors assumed that too much fat may have been injected, which might have stopped proper blood flow.
“On February 13th, they did another surgery (decompression) to remove most of the fat and placed drains. She was in terrible pain before and after the surgery. She did not improve.”
The sister revealed that Jessica was then transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on February 19, but was not attended to due to the unavailability of an ICU bed.
She said Jessica was later moved to other hospitals, where doctors eventually diagnosed her with sepsis and carried out another major surgery to remove infected fat from her hips, buttocks and calves.
“On February 19th, they said they arranged for her transfer to LUTH. But 3/7, when we got there, there was no ICU bed and no arrangement made. She was inside the ambulance for 5 hours while she was screaming in severe pain,” the message read.
“I was running about to look for a bed in LUTH. There was no bed or icu unit available. The nurse who came with us from Cynosure did not bring any pain relief injection. We were left on our own. Stranded, she was even confused.
“The nurse made some calls, and she said their MD at Cynosure asked her to take her to Emel Hospital in Festac. After we got there, she left immediately. We paid N1.5 million for one day in ICU at Emel Hospital, Festac, but there was no plastic surgeon to look into her case.
“On February 20th, we quickly moved her again after contacting another doctor. He told us there was a plastic surgeon available at his hospital, At the new hospital, we were given a N6 million naira bill for ICU for a week and surgery for removal of the infected fat, which we had to sell most of our belongings to raise that money so they could start treatment, because the doctor said she has sepsis and her condition was 50/50.
“More tests showed her blood level was critically low again, and I had to urgently put 7 more points of blood. On February 22, she had another major surgery where doctors removed all the infected fat from her hips, buttocks and calves.”
In a TikTok post, Nelli blamed the managing director of Cynosure for her sister’s death, alleging the use of “unsterilized tools” during the initial procedure.
“You are a killer. Silence will never erase what happened to my sister. Using unsterilized tools, killing a lot of innocent gi1 life, and you’re here trying to defend your useless self,” she wrote.
CYNOSURE’S RESPONSE
In a statement released on TikTok, Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Hospital offered its condolences but provided a different account of the events.
The clinic claimed that Jessica had initially undergone a procedure at another facility and came to them specifically for a “corrective procedure”.
The statement stated they performed the surgery and monitored her recovery diligently.
According to the clinic, a decision was made approximately two weeks post-operatively to refer Jessica to a “foremost teaching hospital” for further multidisciplinary care, in line with their standard clinical protocols.
They maintained that this referral was the appropriate action for any responsible medical facility.
“The patient had previously undergone a procedure elsewhere and sought a corrective procedure at our facility. We accepted her care, performed her corrective surgery, and monitored her recovery with the diligence our clients deserve,” the statement reads in part.
“However, at about two weeks post- operatively, a decision was reached to refer her for further care and in strict adherence to our standard clinical protocols, the patient was referred to a foremost teaching hospital for further multidisciplinary evaluation and care. This is what any responsible medical facility would do, and it’s not unusual.
“The patient was subsequently taken to a different facility, a decision made outside of our hospital three weeks ago. We do hereby empathise with the family of the deceased, and we pray for the repose of her soul.”
In 2022, Cynosure was also accused of medical negligence following the death of Crystabel, who reportedly died from excessive bleeding after undergoing butt surgery.
About the Author
