Dancer's 'life ended' after going in for uterus surgery and waking up with her arm amputated
A samba dancer endured the horror of having her arm amputated after undergoing a procedure to treat uterine fibroids in a Brazilian hospital.
Alessandra dos Santos Silva, 35, woke up to discover her left arm had been removed from below the elbow.
During the surgery, it became necrotic - which the NHS explains is a 'flesh eating disease that develops over a few hours or days - due to a haemorrhage and doctors were unable to save it.
She was admitted to Hospital da Mulher Heloneida Studart in Rio de Janeiro in February after scans last August found growths in her uterus.
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Silva, a passista at the Academicos do Grande Rio school, had complications during that surgery meant she needed a total hysterectomy.
Visiting relatives after her morning operation in February noticed that Silva's bandaged hands and legs were cold and that her fingers seemed darker.
Three days later she was transferred to the State Institute of Cardiology Aloysio de Castro in Botafogo after her arm had turned almost completely black due to necrosis from the first surgery's complications.
As Silva's kidneys and liver began to fail on February 10, doctors decided to remove the limb after initially trying to save it.
The dancer only found out about the amputation when she woke up, before being discharged on February 15.
Within weeks doctors raised concerns about the condition of her stitches during follow-up care, leading to another month-long stay in hospital from March 4.
She was forced to approach a number of hospitals before being admitted for further treatment.
The Rio de Janeiro Health Department and the Civil Police are investigating the catalogue of errors and an inquiry will be held into what happened at the hospital.
“I want those responsible to pay, for the hospital to take responsibility," she said. "They managed to end my life. They destroyed my work, my career, my dream... everything."
Silva has been engaged for 11 years and said she dreamed of having biological children.
The skilled dancer and beauty therapist doesn't know how she is going to be able to make a living, either dancing or working in beauty salons with one hand.
Her family claim she's only alive thanks to the tireless help of friends, who fought to get her back into hospital after the alleged medical negligence.
This comes after, on the flip side of the coin, a 23-year-old US woman who asked her doctor to 'tie her tubes' because she never wants children claims they refused on the grounds that she might change her mind when she meets 'Mr. Right.'
Olivia Downs claims she was denied when she asked for the permanent contraceptive procedure to prevent having children in the future.
Amelia Jones