The death of a Midtown Toronto real estate agent following a liposuction procedure has led to an investigation by the coroner's office.
Krista Stryland, 32, was in the recovery room at North York's Toronto Cosmetic Clinic when, according to Toronto East regional coroner Dr. Jim Edwards, "her general condition started to deteriorate."
Stryland, who lived and sold homes in the Davisville Village area, was transported to North York General Hospital where she died Thursday.
Edwards said the coroner's office conducted an autopsy Friday, but had not been able to determine a definitive cause of death. The coroner's office is continuing its investigation and will review Stryland's and the clinic's medical records over the next few weeks.
"After we determine a definitive cause of death, we'll call in experts," Edwards said. "None of us (in the coroner's office) are plastic surgeons."
The coroner added the office will examine the qualifications of the surgeon who performed Stryland's procedure to ensure she was certified and that proper practices were followed.
"Once all that is taken into account, we'll determine if there's the need for an inquest," he said.
Edwards added that liposuction procedures have been linked to deaths in the past. The surgery carries the risk of blood clots and clotted fat tissue, which can lead to death.
"There was an inquest into a (liposuction-related) case in the early 1990s and there have been others since then," he said. "Liposuction is a surgery and there's some risk to any surgery. The message is that even in a procedure that by and large is safe, it carries risk."
An employee of the Toronto Cosmetic Clinic said the company would be releasing a statement in the near future, but no one at the clinic would speak on the issue.