An influencer has suffered a fatal complication after undergoing a genital enlargement procedure in Thailand.
Igho “Tiny” Ubiribo, a 43-year-old British-Nigerian creator, died in March after a cosmetic penile filler procedure, a coronoer confirmed to TMZ.
The influencer, who is commonly known as Denisi or Ego, had been on holiday with his wife, Daniella Simba Allen, when he received the treatment.
Ms Allen, a fashion designer and socialite, tied the knot at a ceremony in Zimbabwe in 2022.
She has not yet addressed his death publicly.
Her most recent post is from a luxurious vacation captioned: “The drafts be piling up. These deserved a spotlight.”
Forty millilitres of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine were found to have been injected into Mr Ubiribo’s penis, which entered his bloodstream.
Following the injections, he attended a couples massage with Ms Allen at their Bangkok hotel, where he began to experience chest pain and fainted twice.
After he was transported to Sukhumvit Hospital, he was alert but unable to answer questions coherently.
After two hours of CPR, he was pronounced dead and diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, which is a sudden blockage of blood vessels in a person’s lungs.
He was laid to rest in a gold coffin costing upwards of $1 million at a funeral in the UK in May.
Mr Ubiribo had a strong social media following, amassing more than 185,000 followers on Instagram.
Many offered words of condolence when the news broke about his passing.
“Rest easy, brother. Even in death, the lifestyle was kept 100 for you,” a friend wrote.
Meanwhile, many have taken to his wife’s social profiles to share their well wishes.
“May God console you, pretty woman on the loss of your soulmate,” wrote one user.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, beautiful. Sending my condolences,” another said.
The creator boasted a strong property portfolio with a $1.5 million home in Los Angeles and a $833,000 apartment in London.
In Australia, the procedure is considered to be an “off-label” medical procedure, which doctors are legally permitted to perform provided they take full clinical responsibility.
There are strict bans on publicly advertising substances like dermal fillers or downplaying inherent risks.
Experts commonly warn of risks including embolism, which is the most severe risk where the needle pierces a vein or artery, but loss of sensation, erectile dysfunction and infection are also potentially devastating consequences.
Medical tourism warnings
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs warns travellers through its Smartraveller website to always research the destination, doctor, hospital and procedure, and that basic travel insurance policies rarely cover medical tourism.
DFAT advises preparing for if things don’t go to plan, getting a specialised policy that covers the costs of your specific procedure and being open about your plans, as “you may void your policy if you don’t tell them everything”.
“There are always risks with medical procedures. You could suffer from complications, or you could die. Even if you’re young, fit and healthy,” DFAT says.
“Take someone with you. You’ll need their support if things go wrong. They may need to make decisions for you. Make sure your will is up to date.
“If your procedure goes wrong, you may end up with a new or worse problem. It could cost more to fix it. Make sure your travel insurance covers complications and medical evacuation.”
DFAT warns it can’t pay your medical expenses, evacuation, or legal costs, get you out of trouble or jail if you can’t pay your bill, represent you in legal cases or intervene in local legal processes, or recommend local hospitals or surgeons for your procedure.