Igho Ubiribo, a 43-year-old businessman and influencer, died in March following a cosmetic procedure in Thailand, an inquest in London has determined. Ubiribo, who split his time between a $1.1 million home in Los Angeles and a flat in London, passed away after receiving 40 milliliters of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine as part of a penis enlargement surgery.
While on vacation with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen, Ubiribo underwent the procedure at a clinic in Bangkok. After the injections, he complained of chest pain and fainted twice during a subsequent massage with his wife. He was transported to Sukhumvit Hospital, where his condition deteriorated.
Doctors at Sukhumvit Hospital recommended a CT scan, but Ubiribo lost consciousness before it could be performed. His wife informed medical staff about the cosmetic procedure. A cardiologist noted his clinical condition and he was transferred to the intensive care unit. Medics attempted to resuscitate him after he suffered a pulmonary embolism, a blockage in a lung's blood vessel, but he died in the early hours of March 6 after more than 100 minutes of CPR.
Dr. John du Parcq, a pathologist who conducted a postmortem in the UK, found that cellular material in Ubiribo's lungs matched the hyaluronic acid used in the injections, corroborating the Thai autopsy findings of a pulmonary embolism. Assistant Coroner Jean Harkin recorded a narrative conclusion, stating that Ubiribo's death was caused by a pulmonary embolism resulting from the hyaluronic acid injection into the penis.
Ubiribo, known by nicknames 'Tiny' and 'Ego,' was a popular social media figure with 185,000 Instagram followers. He and his wife, an Anglo-Zimbabwean fashion designer, married in 2022 in a lavish ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe. His funeral in London was attended by notable figures, including Nigerian afrobeat star Davido, and he was buried in a gold coffin reportedly costing over $675,000.
The inquest heard that Ubiribo's primary care doctor in London confirmed he had a history of an operation on his joints, was pre-diabetic, and suffered from gout, but had no other significant medical issues. The clinic where the procedure was performed was not identified.
Medical professionals have cautioned against such cosmetic procedures. Ubiribo's death echoes similar incidents, including the 2017 death of a Swedish man from an embolism after fat transfer to his penis and the 2019 fatal heart attack of billionaire Ehud Arye Laniado during a private penis enlargement injection in Paris.
The British Association of Urological Surgeons has issued warnings regarding penis filler procedures, with some specialists reporting severe complications such as skin sloughing. The procedure, which can cost up to $9,000, involves injecting hyaluronic acid and requires post-procedure massage by the patient. The effects, an increase in penis width, typically last between six and nine months.