“They left him to die like a dog,” says partner of patient who died after surgery by Dr. Aníbal Lotocki

Romina Sicoli recounted the horrific final hours of her partner, Cristián Zárate, who died following a surgical procedure performed by Dr. Aníbal Lotocki. "They opened him twice, he lost a lot of blood. He suffered greatly during the night and they left him to die like a dog," Sicoli stated, testifying in the trial against Lotocki.

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They opened him twice, he lost a lot of blood. He suffered greatly during the night and they left him to die like a dog.

Lotocki is facing charges of simple homicide with eventual intent before Oral Criminal Court No. 17. Sicoli testified that Zárate, who had no prior health issues, drug use, or alcohol consumption, sought the procedure because he felt overweight and wanted his abdomen "marked." He was also reportedly scheduled for a hernia operation.

According to information from the Public Prosecutor's Office website (fiscales.gob.ar), Zárate underwent liposuction and a dermolipectomy on April 15, 2021, at the Centro Médico Conde (Cemeco) in Buenos Aires. Sicoli recalled accompanying him to the clinic, expecting an overnight stay, as he had packed accordingly.

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He had the first operation in the afternoon and after a complication, they operated on him a second time. That's when all the horror began.

"He had the first operation in the afternoon and after a complication, they operated on him a second time. That's when all the horror began," Sicoli said. A friend who accompanied Zárate also testified, describing the patient as not being neat after the first surgery, with bloodstains visible. Lotocki allegedly told the friend that Zárate would be operated on again because he was "very restless" and "some stitches had come undone."

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You can be anesthetized, but he wasn't neat after the first operation; there were bloodstains everywhere.

The friend further stated that Zárate complained of pain every half hour and only fell asleep around 4 a.m. after receiving multiple sedatives. "I touched him and he was cold," the friend added. The Public Ministry is represented in the trial by prosecutor María Luz Castany. Lotocki has been in pretrial detention since October 2023.

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My friend complained of pain every half hour.