A 48-year-old Texas woman died after undergoing a 10-hour-long plastic surgery at the Memorial Plastic Surgery in Houston. Now her widower, Peter Ginnegar, is fighting a legal battle to bring awareness to the dangers of plastic surgery. He knows it won’t bring his wife back, but it may help change the surgery center’s approach during emergencies after surgeries.
Joy Barbera lost a lot of weight using GLP-1 medication. She had shed the excessive weight; however, she had lost skin on her body after a significant weight loss.
She resorted to going under the knife to remove the extra skin in an attempt to get a perfect body. Barbera got procedures including breast augmentation, Brazilian butt lift (BBL), and brachioplasty (arm lift). She wanted to get all the procedures in one session. Several doctors turned down her request, considering the risks of the operations.
Woman, 48, Dies After 10-Hour Plastic Surgery. Now, Her Husband Warns of the 'Dangers' of Outpatient Facilities (Exclusive) https://t.co/I26R5IqlKN
— People (@people) May 7, 2026
Her husband, Peter Ginnegar, added, “They said it was too dangerous.” She had a meeting with Dr. Kendall Roehl, who agreed to do six procedures in one day. The surgery was done on Aug. 13, 2025, while Ginnegar went on a motorcycle trip in Colorado.
Barbera was supposed to go in for surgery later. But another patient canceled, so the doctors called her in early. So when the duo was supposed to go on a trip together, Barbera went in for surgery. Ginnegar told PEOPLE, “I had already invested a lot of money, and Joy was adamant that I still go on the trip.”
He was riding on the motorcycle when he got a call from the hospital after the surgery. They informed him that Barbera stopped breathing and was brain-dead after the plastic surgery. The doctors required her husband’s permission to stop the CPR.
At that time, Ginnegar recalled being a wreck but had to make it back to his dead wife. Earlier, he had planned to fly back from his trip. A nurse was supposed to care for Barbera until he arrived.
Now, Ginnegar has filed a petition explaining the discrepancies in the anesthesia records. The petition includes records of doctors using vasoactive agents. These drugs were used to raise and maintain her blood pressure artificially.
The 48-year-old mother of two died after several hours and six plastic surgeries. https://t.co/GVVDn4P3pd
— The Looker (@TheLookerTDB) May 7, 2026
They started at 9:30 a.m. and were never discontinued. Barbera’s blood pressure, which was low earlier, was maintained using the vasopressors. The same day, around 4 p.m., she had moderate hypothermia as her body temperature was at 90.32F.
The petition argues that she needed a blood transfusion but was not given one. Before passing away, Barbera had called her husband, telling him there was something wrong with her stomach. That was their last conversation.
She died the next day due to complications after surgery. Meanwhile, the doctors tried to blame the anesthesiologist for her death. Ginnegar filed a lawsuit against both doctors in March 2026. He also aims to bring awareness around these surgeries and outpatient care.
