There’s always a danger when it comes to cosmetic surgery. A woman from California just made things a little worse with her involuntary manslaughter conviction after she injected silicone oil into a client from Malibu. The worst part was that she was operating without a license.
Libby Adame, 55, had reportedly been performing “butt surgery” up until her 2024 arrest. BBLs and general cosmetic surgery are more popular than they have ever been. During her 2024 arrest, Adame worked with her daughter, Alicia Galaz, and they were both arrested but acquitted of the more serious charge of first-degree murder — and Adame ended up getting a 4-year and 4-month sentence. Alicia served a shorter sentence of 3 years and 8 months.
Adame was actually out on probation when Cindyanna Santangelo, 59, approached her. Adame’s lawyers argued that Santangelo came to see her when she already had scars from an earlier surgery. They opened the door to the possibility that perhaps that could have been the reason Santangelo actually died.
The prosecutors, however, stuck to the pattern being formed by Adame — saying that she already knew the risks that come with such cosmetic work, especially when not done with great care. Adame’s lawyers, however, claimed there was a possibility that Adame ultimately did not inject the silicone oil herself and that it was never proven that she performed the procedure.
Adame maintained until her very last defense that she was not the person who performed the procedure on the late Santangelo. Adame claimed to have done the procedure “a thousand” times and said she immediately noticed Santangelo’s surgery had been done by a rookie because the “buttocks were too high.”
These days, cosmetic surgeons make sure to take their time to create credible social media accounts so they can give their former and future clients a glimpse into what they can do. A doctor like Dr. Kim has gone viral on TikTok countless times just by showing people how much he can achieve with his work. Perhaps Adame should have had a page for herself where she could showcase her work and portray the patterns of her methods she wanted the court to believe.
That being said, the legal system has found Adame responsible for two lives with her cosmetic surgeries. NBC reports Adame is now facing a maximum life sentence. Her sentencing will be read on Nov. 5. In situations where a court has come to its conclusion, the sympathies and thoughts always revert back to the victims. Families were affected by Adame’s actions, and while seeing a semblance of justice is a momentary relief, it doesn’t always end their grief.
Cosmetic surgery is never going anywhere. It’s part of our lives whether you view these enhancements as a moral issue like Meghan McCain or just as the next step in luxury healthcare. But one thing people should always be encouraged to do is their due diligence when picking their doctors.
Taking a moment to ensure a medical practitioner is licensed has never hurt anybody.
