Not everyone is eager to go under the knife. The idea of having your body cut open with sharp tools isn’t exactly comforting. Still, most people understand the importance of going to a hospital and seeing a licensed surgeon when surgery is necessary. Unfortunately, not everyone makes that smart choice. Recently, a 31-year-old woman turned to a New York man for a butt implant removal procedure. The catch? Felipe Hoyos-Foronda wasn’t licensed to perform any kind of medical procedure—and, as you can imagine, things didn’t go well during this illegal home surgery.
When undergoing surgery, painkillers are a must—but they need to be administered carefully and correctly. You can’t just inject powerful chemicals at random. Unfortunately, Felipe Hoyos-Foronda didn’t seem to get the memo. He reportedly pumped the woman with a massive dose of the local anesthetic lidocaine, which triggered a cardiac arrest. She was rushed to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital for emergency treatment, but doctors found no signs of brain activity. The cause? Lidocaine toxicity.
While the 31-year-old woman was being treated at the hospital, her friend returned to the site of the illegal home surgery to collect her belongings. There, the landlord explained what had happened—prompting the friend to contact the police. Officers were quickly dispatched and managed to apprehend Felipe Hoyos-Foronda at JFK International Airport, just before he could board a flight.
He now faces charges of second-degree assault, a felony, and unauthorized practice of a profession. Although he pleaded not guilty after his arrest, he is currently being held without bail. The New York City Department of Buildings also issued a vacate order after officers discovered medical equipment at the location where the illegal home surgery took place.
The reason why the unnamed woman agreed to undergo the illegal home surgery remains unclear. One prevailing theory is that she may have been a follower of Felipe Hoyos-Foronda’s TikTok account, where he frequently discusses cosmetic procedures and occasionally refers to himself as a doctor.
This is an incident that could have easily been avoided. Many people have expressed both sympathy and frustration after learning what happened. Some questioned what might have led the 31-year-old victim to place her trust in Felipe Hoyos-Foronda. “I’ve had some surgeries. Never once did it cross my mind to have them in someone’s apartment,” one Redditor commented.
Others questioned just how much medication was injected to cause such a severe outcome. “Good lord, how much lidocaine did he inject?” one user asked. Some speculated that the unlicensed “surgeon” may have administered the anesthetic directly into a vein, which could trigger a cardiac arrest and lead to brain damage.
