Obesity is a growing medical problem in Europe and the USA. Plastic surgery is increasing in popularity as a treatment option for correcting skin surplus after dieting. This is often done in private clinics, and is not without risk. In this case, the early symptoms of disproportionate pain and swelling were not followed by immediate inspection in a hospital. The patient died within 48 hours due to clostridium infection. We advocate a 24/7 postoperative care facility, and recommend a sequence of diagnostic and therapeutic measures.