Social Media ‘Doctor’ Indicted Over Botched BBL That Nearly Killed Brooklyn Woman

BROOKLYN, NY — A woman prosecutors say posed as a doctor on social media and performed an illegal Brazilian butt lift at a Brooklyn beauty salon left a 46-year-old woman fighting for her life after the procedure triggered a severe infection, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office stated.

Nargiza Shukurova, 39, of Uzbekistan, faces charges including assault, unauthorized practice of a profession, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment, according to court records released by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Shukurova advertised cosmetic procedures online using the names “Dr. Nargiza” and “Dr. Nargis,” promoting services such as butt enlargement, buttocks shape correction and so-called Barbie lips. She was not licensed to practice medicine in New York State and was not authorized to perform surgery, officials said.

“In all plastic surgery, the Brazilian butt lift must be performed with the greatest of care, as it has the highest mortality rate of any cosmetic surgery procedure,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

According to investigators, Shukurova performed the procedure in May 2023 inside a beauty salon in Sheepshead Bay rather than in a licensed surgical facility. She did not obtain a medical history or conduct a basic physical examination before the surgery, prosecutors said.

In the days that followed, the victim’s condition deteriorated. Court documents say she developed a serious infection that became life-threatening. Instead of urging medical care, Shukurova allegedly discouraged the woman from seeking treatment and attempted to manage the complications herself.
Nearly three weeks after the procedure, the woman lost consciousness at her home. Family members rushed her to a hospital, where doctors discovered a severe infection. She underwent 12 surgeries over two months to save her life, according to court records.

The DA's office stated that while the victim remained hospitalized, Shukurova sent messages to the woman’s phone urging her to lie to medical staff and conceal who performed the procedure.

Authorities later arrested Shukurova at Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 9 on a Kings County warrant. During her arraignment, a judge set bail and ordered her to return to court on March 25, according to court records.

Prosecutors said the case underscores the dangers of unlicensed cosmetic procedures promoted through social media and performed outside regulated medical settings.