Miss Austria 2024 Lucia Sisic has died at the age of 22 following a series of cardiac procedures, the pageant's organizing committee confirmed on Monday.
Before her death, the model had undergone seven heart surgeries to address an existing medical condition. She underwent her seventh heart procedure in September 2025, just two weeks after undergoing her sixth major operation.
In a social media post published last year, Sisic stated that she was stepping away from her professional activities and would remain away to focus on her health.
According to People magazine, Sisic suffered from a congenital heart valve defect from birth and underwent multiple surgeries throughout her life. In a 2024 post, she expressed her gratitude to her pediatric cardiology team and stated that she was beginning a new phase in adult cardiology.
The specific cause of the model's death has not been disclosed. A farewell ceremony for Sisic will be conducted exclusively for family and close friends, according to a statement released by people close to the pageant winner.
Understanding heart valve defects
A heart valve defect is a medical condition affecting the internal mechanisms of the human heart, which relies on four main valves to direct blood circulation throughout the body.
Cardiologist and physician Carlo Bonasso Filho explained that the term refers to alterations in the functioning of one of the heart's four primary structures, which are the mitral, aortic, tricuspid, and pulmonary valves.
Bonasso Filho explained that heart valves function like doors, opening to allow blood to pass through and closing properly to prevent reflux. He noted that valve dysfunction typically manifests in two main forms. Stenosis occurs when a valve narrows and hinders blood flow, whereas insufficiency, also known as regurgitation, occurs when a valve fails to close completely and allows blood to flow backward.
Bonasso Filho added that the causes of valve dysfunction are varied. Some individuals have congenital alterations present from birth, such as a bicuspid aortic valve, while other conditions develop over a person's lifetime, primarily due to aging and valve calcification.
The Miss Austria competition is Austria's national beauty pageant, held annually to select the country's delegates for international beauty contests. Congenital heart defects are structural heart issues present at birth that often require continuous monitoring, with patients transferring from pediatric cardiology programs to specialized adult cardiac care teams as they grow older.
