Rebecca De Paula, a 31-year-old NYPD officer and mother of three, died early Sunday after undergoing breast-implant removal surgery in Santo Domingo, leaving her family demanding answers about what happened inside the clinic. Relatives say she developed a bacterial infection after the procedure and are asking authorities to investigate possible malpractice or negligence. De Paula had served on the department for about 18 months and was named Officer of the Month at the Bronx 46th Precinct in March.
According to the New York Post, De Paula's mother rushed to a health center after learning her daughter was in serious condition, only to discover that she had already died. Her remains were being held at the Dominican Republic's National Institute of Forensic Sciences and are expected to be returned to the United States for burial.
Family Wants A Medical Investigation
The family's request is still just that: a request, not a public finding that the surgeon or clinic acted negligently. The circumstances surrounding the death, including the reported infection, will need to be weighed against medical records, autopsy findings and any investigation by Dominican authorities.
Patrick Hendry of the NYPD's Police Benevolent Association said the union was mourning De Paula and asked New Yorkers to keep her family, friends and coworkers in their prayers, as reported by the New York Post. Her death has now left three children without their mother while relatives wait for a clearer account of what happened after the operation.
Breast Implant Removal Has Its Own Surgical Risks
Breast-implant removal is not risk-free, even when it is performed as a standalone procedure. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists possible complications including anesthesia problems, bleeding, blood clots, cardiac and pulmonary complications, fluid accumulation, hematoma, infection and poor wound healing.
Those risks do not establish what caused De Paula's death, and no public medical finding has connected the reported infection to malpractice. The family's requested investigation will be important in determining whether the procedure, the clinic's infection-control practices or the response to her deterioration played a role.
Dominican Republic Has A Documented Cosmetic Surgery Death Toll
The case also arrives against a troubling backdrop. A CDC report found that 93 U.S. citizens died after cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic between 2009 and 2022, with the annual average rising sharply during the final years studied.
The federal report focused largely on patients who underwent multiple procedures, including liposuction and gluteal fat transfer, so its findings are not a direct explanation for De Paula's death. But a separate 2026 CDC study reviewed 21 investigations involving roughly 145 U.S. residents who traveled for cosmetic procedures and found postsurgical infections in 20 consultations and four reported deaths, according to CDC's 2026 study.
Local coverage of those federal findings has highlighted the practical risks for medical tourists, including arranging follow-up care at home and obtaining complete operative records before leaving a foreign clinic. Recent CDC findings also underscore how infections linked to cosmetic procedures can require prolonged treatment after patients return to the United States.
Malpractice Questions May Be Difficult To Pursue Abroad
The U.S. State Department warns that many Americans have suffered serious complications or died during or after cosmetic or other elective surgery in the Dominican Republic. Its travel guidance advises patients to verify a surgeon's qualifications and facility credentials, while noting that legal options in malpractice cases are very limited in the country.
For De Paula's family, the immediate priority is likely to be learning the official cause of death and securing the medical records needed to evaluate the procedure. Until authorities complete that review, the questions surrounding the clinic remain unanswered, while her NYPD colleagues and three children mourn a sudden loss.
