Aesthetic and dermatology physician, Dr. Mobola Savage, has cautioned that non-surgical penis enlargement using injectable fillers carries serious risks, following the death of Nigerian-British businessman and social media personality, Igho Ubiribo.
Reacting to reports of Ubiribo’s death in a post on X shared on Tuesday, Savage said the procedure is still an invasive medical treatment and “non-surgical does not mean risk-free.”
“And perhaps the biggest lesson from this tragedy is that non-surgical does not mean risk-free. Penile filler is still an invasive medical procedure involving highly vascular anatomy,” she wrote.
Ubiribo, 43, died after undergoing a penile filler procedure while on holiday in Bangkok, Thailand.
According to evidence presented at an inquest at the Inner West London Coroner’s Court, 40ml of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine was injected into his penis at an unnamed clinic.
A UK coroner ruled the cosmetic procedure caused a fatal pulmonary embolism. A postmortem examination reportedly found material in Ubiribo’s lungs consistent with the hyaluronic acid used in the procedure.
The businessman, also known as “Tiny”, “Denisi” and “Ego”, had travelled to Thailand with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen. After the procedure, they returned to their hotel. During a massage, Ubiribo complained of chest pain and fainted twice. He was rushed to Sukhumvit Hospital, where he spoke to doctors and told them about the recent injections.
Doctors suspected a pulmonary embolism and recommended a CT scan, but he reportedly lost consciousness before it was done. He was moved to ICU where CPR was performed for over 100 minutes. He died in the early hours of March 6.
Pathologist John du Parcq told the inquest the material found in Ubiribo’s lungs matched the filler substance and was consistent with a pulmonary embolism — a blockage in a lung blood vessel that puts severe strain on the heart.
Ubiribo had a history of joint surgery and was described as pre-diabetic with gout, but his GP reportedly said he had no other major health conditions.
*Doctor’s warning on safety*
Savage explained that the procedure Ubiribo had was not conventional surgery but non-surgical penile augmentation with hyaluronic acid filler, mainly used to increase girth, not length.
“What immediately stood out to me was the reported 40ml administered in one treatment,” she said. “Penile augmentation does require larger volumes than facial aesthetics, but this raises an important conversation about how we approach volume.”
She advised that augmentation should be staged rather than done all at once, and tailored to a patient’s anatomy, tissue capacity and goals.
“There is a tendency for patients seeking penile enhancements to focus on ‘How many mLs am I getting?’, as though more filler automatically means a better result. It doesn’t work that way,” she said.
Savage also noted that many HA fillers contain lidocaine. While she said there was not enough evidence to link lidocaine toxicity to Ubiribo’s death, she said total anaesthetic exposure must be considered in large-volume procedures.
She further warned that medical tourism can create pressure to complete treatment in one visit.
“When someone has travelled internationally for treatment, there can be pressure to achieve the entire desired result in one visit because returning for staged treatment may be difficult. But travel schedules, convenience and even patient demand should never override clinical judgement,” she said.
According to her, the safety of penile filler depends on patient selection, anatomy, product choice, injection technique, appropriate volume, and the ability to manage complications.
“Patient selection, anatomy, product choice, injection plane and technique, appropriate volume, total local-anaesthetic exposure and the ability to recognise and manage complications all matter. More is not always better. And faster is not always safer,” she said.
Penile fillers with hyaluronic acid are marketed as a less invasive way to increase girth, but Savage stressed they still carry potentially serious complications.
Her warning comes as Ubiribo’s death draws fresh attention to the risks of cosmetic procedures done abroad.