Man dies under anesthesia, Woman dies from novacaine shot for tattoos
- Mar 24
- 2 min read
There has been a disturbing rise in this trend of getting tattooed while under general anesthesia. Unfortunately, there are significant and severely dangerous health risks involved in procedures like this. Here are a couple of recent stories:
Ricardo Godoi, a 45-year-old Brazilian influencer known for luxury car content, died on January 20, 2025, after going into cardiac arrest while under general anesthesia for a full back tattoo procedure in a private hospital in Brazil.
The tattoo studio hired a private hospital with all the necessary staff, equipment, and anesthetic drugs for the safety of the procedure, and also hired a doctor with a specialization in anesthesiology and experience in intubation.
Despite these precautions, Godoi went into cardiac arrest before the tattooing began, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
A 24-year-old woman named Leya Chernova from St. Petersburg, Russia, died after an allergic reaction to a Novocaine injection administered by her friend, a tattoo artist, who had no medical training.
The tattoo artist, identified only as Svetlana, illegally gave Chernova the anesthetic to numb the pain during a "blackwork" tattoo session intended to cover an entire leg in black ink. Svetlana was sentenced to a four-year suspended prison term for the incident
Is it worth the risk? I wouldn't think so, lol... Getting a tattoo is a painful process at times, but none of my tattoos hurt now, I like to point out to those nervous about the process. It's about getting through it, is all. If it was that painful, it wouldn't be so popular, that's for sure.
The very best way that you can prepare for a tattoo session is to eat a large meal about an hour or so ahead of time, have a good night's sleep, and be hydrated. That will give your body the fuel to really help endure the process.
We tend to use Bactine here when we're taking breaks, which contains a small amount of topical lidocaine, which actually really helps take the edge off of a longer session.
Please feel free to hit any of us up if you have any questions or concerns about your upcoming tattoo appointment!
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