'90 Day Fiancé' star Larissa Dos Santos Lima says her belly button was 'removed and disposed of without my consent' in 'botched' abdominoplasty

Erin Donnelly
·Yahoo Life Senior Editor
Updated ·2 min read
142
Television personality Larissa Dos Santos Lima (pictured in 2019) is speaking out about a surgery she says was
Television personality Larissa Dos Santos Lima (pictured in 2019) is speaking out about a surgery she says was "botched." (Photo: Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Crazy Horse 3)

Larissa Dos Santos Lima, a reality star best known for appearing on 90 Day Fiancé, says she lost her belly button as a result of an abdominoplasty she says was "botched." Also known as a "tummy tuck," an abdominoplasty involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the abdominal area.

The TV personality took to Instagram this weekend to share graphic photos of her navel following the cosmetic procedure. According to Lima, three "very painful" attempts to fix the damage to her belly button — which she says was "removed and disposed without my consent" during her abdominoplasty about a year ago — have been unsuccessful.

"When I got abdominoplasty, my belly button was removed and disposed without my consent," she wrote. I did three very painful revisions to create a belly button. Unfortunately, it was never fixed. My friend tried many times [to] improve the appearance through treatments, like fibroblast. It worked [but] a belly button isn't possible to be made."

In a separate post, which shows the reality star's arm hooked up to an IV, she shared that supermodel Linda Evangelista had inspired her to open up about the surgery complications. Last year Evangelista spoke publicly about being left "brutally disfigured" and "permanently disfigured" after undergoing CoolSculpting treatments, in which fat cells are frozen and broken down.

"Today, I would like to take the first step in slowly opening up about a plastic surgery procedure I received that is botched," Lima shared. "Like so many other people in this situation, I've been scared and embarrassed to speak out. It's been over a year now since I've been botched. I did not want to speak of this before, but I'm tired of being silent in my sadness with nowhere to go to fix the problem. My inspiration to open up is @lindaevangelista . Now, I have the courage."

The reality star said Linda Evangelista's story had inspired her to open up about losing her belly button. (Photo: Instagram/Larissa Dos Santos Lima)
The reality star said Linda Evangelista's story had inspired her to open up about losing her belly button. (Photo: Instagram/Larissa Dos Santos Lima)

In an Instagram Story, the Brazilian-born Lima, who has had extensive cosmetic work, acknowledged that her story may "shock many people" given that she is "someone that in the past supported plastic surgery."

Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Life’s newsletter.