I traveled to Latin America for a discount tummy tuck… I almost died and now need to have my limbs amputated
What began as a long-awaited dream of self-care has turned into a nightmare for Nicole Grigorov, a 52-year-old who is now recovering in a Costa Rican hospital after a cosmetic surgery went catastrophically wrong.
Grigorov, a mother-of-four and owner of the Mattawa River Resort near North Bay in Canada, traveled to Costa Rica last month for a tummy tuck, a procedure she had wanted for years after multiple pregnancies, a hysterectomy and the removal of a 20lb cyst from her abdomen earlier this year.
The procedure costs between $5,000 and $18,000 in Canada and is not covered by provincial health insurance, prompting her to seek a more affordable option abroad.
In Costa Rica, tummy tucks, which are major surgeries involving the removal of excess fat and skin from the abdomen for a firmer and flatter appearance, start as low as $2,500.
While Grigorov’s operation on September 30 went well initially, two days later she developed a severe infection that led to septic shock and heart failure, according to Dr Carlos Wu Chin, an intensive care physician at Clínica Bíblica Hospital in San José, Costa Rica.
The doctor said Grigorov was placed on a ventilator to help her breathe for two weeks and had only a five percent chance of survival.
She has since come off life support, but Wu Chin noted that her limbs have turned black and will ‘most likely’ need to be amputated, as drugs to treat sepsis cut off blood supply to non-vital organs like the hands and feet.
While Grigorov feels fortunate to still be alive, she described her situation as terrifying and painful.
What began as a long-awaited dream of self-care has turned into a nightmare for Nicole Grigorov, a 52-year-old Ontario woman who is now recovering in a Costa Rican hospital after a cosmetic surgery went catastrophically wrong
Days after her tummy tuck, Grigorov found her heart was racing and her red blood count was very low. She then developed sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection that causes the immune system to attack healthy organs and tissues.
This forced doctors to place her on life support in the intensive care unit.
Wu Chin told the Toronto Star he was unsure how Grigorov developed sepsis and that she got ‘very unlucky.’
Sepsis can develop from a tummy tuck if an initial infection from the surgery becomes severe.
This can happen if bacteria from the surgical site enter the bloodstream, triggering a life-threatening systemic inflammatory response.
Grigorov’s husband, Adrian, was informed about the situation and flew out to see her, while her son, Nicholas, set up a GoFundMe to try and help cover the ballooning medical costs, now in excess of $100,000.
He wrote on the fundraising page: ‘[My mom] is now unconscious, intubated, and in critical condition in a Costa Rican ICU.
‘Her kidneys are failing, her red blood cell count is dangerously low, and the doctors describe her condition as “delicate.”‘
However, in his latest update on October 26, Nicholas revealed that Grigorov is now ‘fully awake, alert, and talking.’
While her condition has stabilized, it is likely her hands and feet, which are in bandages, will need amputating.
Poor blood flow from sepsis can cause amputations. This is because nutrients can’t get to your fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, and legs, and the tissues begin to die with gangrene setting in.
At first, the skin may look mottled, bluish purple, and then black. This dead tissue must be removed because it can cause infection to spread.
Grigorov, a mother-of-four and owner of the Mattawa River Resort near North Bay, traveled to Costa Rica last month for a tummy tuck, a procedure she had wanted for years, particularly after multiple pregnancies and abdominal surgeries
While Grigorov’s operation went well initially, two days later she developed a severe infection that led to septic shock and heart failure
For weeks, Grigorov’s family and friends have tried to arrange her transfer to a hospital in Ontario.
However, as she did not purchase travel medical insurance it has proved to be a costly process and all of the medical bills must be settled before she leaves the country.
Staff at the private hospital have reportedly warned they may have to stop treatment unless payment is secured.
Grigorov also requires a medically equipped flight home in case she suffers complications.
A close friend paid $85,000 to hire an air ambulance service, but without a confirmed hospital bed or a doctor to receive her in Canada, the flight cannot proceed.
Fundraising supporters say they have contacted hospitals across Ontario, the Canadian consulate, and politicians, but were repeatedly told that no beds were available.
Her sister, Brenda Johnson, expressed frustration over what she called a lack of government support for Canadians who experience medical emergencies abroad after elective procedures.
‘There’s no safety net for people like her,’ she said.
Friends describe Grigorov as a pillar of her community: someone who has organized charity drives, opened her home to evacuees during natural disasters, and fostered around 50 children over the past 25 years. And after years of helping others, she now needs people to help her.
Following public attention to Grigorov’s case, Niagara Falls Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Wayne Gates confirmed on Monday that a hospital bed had been secured for her at Niagara Health in Ontario.
Gates said he personally contacted the hospital after learning of her situation, adding that it should not require political intervention for someone to receive care in Canada.
Canadian and provincial authorities generally do not cover medical costs or repatriation for citizens who encounter complications from elective procedures overseas. Consular officials can help with logistics but cannot arrange or pay for medical transport.
Once patients return to Canada, they are entitled to care under the public system, though availability depends on medical need and hospital capacity.
For weeks, Grigorov’s family and friends have tried to arrange her transfer to a hospital in Ontario. However, she did not purchase travel medical insurance, making it a costly process
Grigorov said she is grateful to her doctors in Costa Rica, who she described as compassionate and skilled.
She hopes her experience will draw attention to the challenges Canadians face when trying to return home after medical emergencies abroad.
‘It’s heartbreaking,’ she said. ‘I’ve paid taxes my whole life, and now, when I need help the most, I can’t even get a hospital bed in my own country.’
There are no concrete figures on how many cosmetic surgery procedures go wrong overseas, but studies show a high rate of complications.
One UK study found over 50 percent of patients regretted their decision and another study found a rise of 94 percent in UK residents needing hospital treatment for complications from surgeries abroad between 2019 and 2022.
Complications like infections, blood clots, and poor cosmetic results are among the most common complaints.
Between 2009 and 2022, 93 US citizens died from cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic, according to the CDC.
Other reported incidents include four US citizens dying from a fungal meningitis outbreak linked to cosmetic procedures in Mexico in 2023.
