The duo used to run a pharmacy in Miami's Little Havana and took part in a scheme to falsely bill Medicare $1.2 million for drugs that were not legitimately prescribed and then keep the money, prosecutors charged. In none of the sites the reporter was seen by a doctor. reduce saliva and fluid in the respiratory tract, Florida seeks mental exams of 12-year-old transgender plaintiffs in Medicaid lawsuit, DeSantis wants to permanently ban COVID vaccine, mask requirements for Florida workers, Odd armored fish seen hanging from mouth of Florida heron. According to this research, in the last five years,14 women have died after undergoing cosmetic surgeries in South Florida. My Cosmetic Surgery Miami is a Plastic Surgery Clinic with over twenty years of experience in cosmetic surgery and beauty treatments located in Miami. Flores said he will try to include the obligation of liability insurance, but believes that what will be crucial is that doctors own the centers so that FDOH can regulate them. My mom isnt supposed to be dead. They arrived there because a friend of the family had operated there and everything had gone well. Although these sites appear to be clinical, they are not. This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Maria Alesia Sosa and rika Carrillo, participants in the 2018 National Fellowship. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Experts agree that patients are obliged to investigate in whose hands they put their lives. An autopsy showed she died from a combination of drugs prescribed for the surgery. Davis, Strax's manager, defends the model. With her mother outside in the waiting room, Call went into surgery at about 9 a.m. In none of the sites the reporter was seen by a doctor. In all places they assured that none of the surgeries involved risks. Flores, who learned about the existence of former criminals in the industry from USA TODAY earlier this month, said she hoped the revelations would help her persuade fellow lawmakers to approve her proposal. Members of the powerful Senate health committee considering the most recent reform proposal last month sat quietly in the darkness as a video played on a large screen in the hearing room. The third time, her heart stopped for good. The Florida medical board is now considering adopting an unprecedentedstandard of care rule that would ban doctors from injecting fat too deep during butt lifts, said Christopher Nuland, attorney for the Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons. , updated After he was sentenced in 2015 to a term later reduced to eight years, his daughter, Claudia, became an owner of the clinic. Plastic surgery experts warned lawmakers to take control of the centers by screening owners and boosting regulation. Only in Miami-Dade County there are 112 places with cosmetic center license. A string of Miami plastic surgery clinics owned by the same man has left eight women dead within the last six years. The clinic had hired several doctors not certified in plastic surgery, including Osakatukei Omulepu, who had failed his board exams three times. They take everything they want and nothing happens, "says Lopez. Absolutely, he said. McAdoo denied any wrongdoing, even though a state health department investigation found that he failed to perform an exam on Meadows and the operation took just 55 minutes, half the time it typically takes for the procedure. They also promote breast augmentation for four installments of $ 20 per month, also funded for several years. Yet critics continue to question whether a legislature historically opposed to regulation will support the crackdown. By law, you can only take 1,000 ml of fat, but how can you control this? Thompson said he had just taken a second job and couldnt gettime off, sohisthen-girlfriend drove his mom to a Strax surgery officein Lauderhill. It was not until the month that a doctor saw me, "says Ledn. Maria Christian, 32, went into cardiac arrest on the operating table at Vanity Cosmetic Surgery. Miami, FL 33174 (305) 501-6000. info@avanaplasticsurgery.com. A former nursing student, she said she was stunned to see her daughter's blood pressure had plummeted. But his hopes vanished when he was confirmed at the Kendall Regional Hospital that Adianet was brain dead and that only the decision to disconnect her was to be made. Home; SURGICAL. Before Hernandez began serving a 15-month prison term, he was granted permission to keep running Spectrum while on supervised release. Hours later, Thompson was at work when his girlfriend called to say she was nervous because it seemed his mother had been in surgery too long. The clinic is one of four run by Seduction, where Aguiars wife, Gretel Jardon, is president of the family business. At New Life Plastic Surgery and Strax Rejuvenation, women died after their doctors injected fat into their muscles in a popular procedure known as the Brazilian butt lift. This doctors heart stopped twice after plastic surgery. "In an hour, she would have been dead," she said. The Medical Examiner report said Walker was obese and had a history of hypertension, and prediabetes, among other things. How the heck can you leave the lives of patients to a medical clinic that is run by convicted felons? Both names were changed to Eres Plastic Surgery in 2016. months in restricting the license. as it happened to Adianet Galvn. I love my new nose, its much softer and more feminine than before, and extremely subtle at the same time. The fat pooled in their hearts and lungs, killing them in minutes. Omulepu says the surgery brings high risks and he regrets what happened in the operating room that day. What wasnt disclosed to the lawmakers at the video session was that the man who founded New Life was another felon: Santiago Borges, who years earlier had concocted a $70 million Medicare scam. Who was in charge of examining the potential patient was a figure called 'coordinator', who is dedicated to recommend what procedures should be done. So, when she decided to get aBrazilian butt lift, she chose Strax again. A manager of the clinic, Evelyn Parrado, was granted permission to run the cosmetic surgery center during the day while spending her nights under house arrest on the felony charge. Eight womendied. Our center, like Dr. Valls, we have suffered enormously this loss ". Discount surgery centers founded by felons leave two women scarred. "If they are professionals, doctors, the health department will be able to regulate them and they will be more careful because there will be a risk on that license. Traci Clardy was 41 . Tracking complaints is an almost impossible mission. According to the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), between 2012 and 2017 the number of procedures across the country increased by 135%. Every procedure we perform is meticulously designed to meet the specific goals and concerns of each individual patient. For Arelys Gonzlez and Berta Ledn it is too late. "It's absolutely incredible," said Dr. Grant Stevens, a clinical professor of surgery and president of the American Society forAesthetic Plastic Surgery. There is a gap. In February, another New Life patient died after a blood clot ended up in her lungs following liposuction and tummy tuck. Its ruined my life right now, she said. Walker traveled to South Florida in April for the cosmetic surgery. News Service of Florida. If it had happened in Cuba, but here with so much technology, here everything is perfect. She was working as a general practice physician inlate July 2015 when she traveledto Florida for her secondsurgery. There is no way to control, it is impossible, you should have the inspector next to you fixed. The lawyer also believes that legislation should change and require centers and doctors to have liability insurance. But not from running a cosmetic surgery clinic. For Pazmio the problem begins with the law and medical professionals. She was found dead in her bed four hours after being sent home. Labrador himself was arrested in 2007 after undercover officers found unlicensed doctors performing operations at the clinics. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Attorneys from New Life told NBC 6 that the procedure went well and Walker left in good spirits and was picked up by the recovery home, Chasing Dreams. a USA TODAY and Naples Daily News investigation revealed dangerous practices. "It could be that it was more (pertinent) to Broward or Miami-Dade than it was to the rest of the state," Brodeur said. However,two years later, while working at a competing clinic, Seduction Cosmetic Center, a patient died after surgery by Omulepu. We see hundreds of cases like that, but there is no way to recover money," he insists. "After the wound opened, I went to the clinic where they operated on me, but the doctor did not take care of me, a nurse took care of me and she told me she was going to open me. notes that the woman had two perforated veins, where fat could enter and then traveled to the lung and brain, causing at least one thrombus, and causing brain death. Medical experts who. An investigation by USA Today and the Naples Daily News found that the cosmetic clinics, all owned by Dr Ismael Labrador, have also left nearly a dozen women with critical complications, including three with punctured internal organs that forced them to rush to the hospital for help. No one anticipated that non-physicians would take over clinics and be largely immune to these good laws. Bumphus says Dr. Harry Intsiful, a board certified plastic surgeon, performed the surgery at the New Life Plastic Surgery clinic in Miami on July 23. We don't want to be known as a place where people come to die.". In 2021, more people died following the procedure than any other year before, doctors told NBC 6. "Anyone can have a center of this type, and it does not have sanitary regulations because its owner is not a doctor," Dr. Pazmio insists. To confidently enjoy . Months after a woman died following a procedure at a South Florida plastic surgery clinic, the owner of the recovery home where the woman was supposed to go afterward has been arrested for operating that home illegally. Who was in charge of examining the potential patient was a figure called 'coordinator', who is dedicated to recommend what procedures should be done. #am-new-social-unique-id-8090 .am-social-svg:hover .svg-shape {fill: } To be certified as a plastic surgeon in the US, a person must complete a medical degree at the university, then must practice in surgery for 6 to 8 years, and then submit two exams. Medical experts say the only way such an embolism occurs is when a doctor injects the fat into areas they are warned to avoid: the deep gluteal muscles. I never thought that my daughter was going to come and die in this country, "says Gonzlez, who arrived from Cuba three years ago.". Medical studies have been published nearly every year since 2015 documenting the dangers of doctors injecting fat too deep into that danger zone. Tola Warren-St. Clair, 43, traveled to Miami from New York for her procedure and called the emergency number provided by the clinic after experiencing excruciating pain from her surgery. Labrador said that the doctors are responsible for patient care before, during and after surgery and not the clinic owners. The fatal surgery at Seductiondrew the attention of the Florida health department. Like Meadows, her body fat was injected into the deep tissue by Dr Anthony Hasan, which lead to her death. Its an invasive species, Surfside candidate who lost election bid is now in jail on murder charges in Broward, Have you seen Maura Lockhart? The technique involves removing fat from an area of the body, to pass it to the buttocks area. You're the first one in,' '' she recalled. In the end they live off their license," Flores said. ETCO2 levels reflect the adequacy with which carbon dioxide is carried in the blood back to the lungs and exhaled., PR could be ventilated easily, but no evidence of ETC02 tracing on the screen, the investigative report said. Court documents show that two of Labrador's top surgeons would perform up to eight procedures a day, double the number that physicians consider safe. Remember that they were treated kindly, they were quickly given details of the procedure, and they even offered a promotion so that the mother would also be operated. Florida legislators in Tallahassee are back this year with another proposal that would give the state the power for the first time to shut down clinics and impose other punishments. Moises Salama- Elite Plastic Surgery. #am-new-social-unique-id-8090 .am-social-svg .svg-icon {fill: #ADA091} It can be used in an emergency to treat a slow heartbeat.. Plans of correction were filed by the clinic each year. The 54-year-old businessman drove a Mercedes-Benz 500 and a BMW 7 series, collected Rolex GMT-Master watches and owned boats in Mexico and Key Biscayne. What was supposed to be a routine operation for the young mother turned . She returned home and said she had quickly resumed walking. "It happens in Miami, but this is a national problem. Avana Plastic Surgery 8700 W. Flagler St., Ste. "I never imagined that something like this could happen in the US. They also promote breast augmentation for four installments of $ 20 per month, also funded for several years. According to this research, in the last five years. Brazilian Butt Lift; Liposuction; Breast Augmentation; Breast Lift; Breast Reduction; In total, Ledn paid $ 13,000 for his surgeries, but after the emergencies, he ended up in debt in almost 30,000 to heal the damages left by the surgery. It was too late for her to be revived. Labradors business is just one of more than a dozen high-volume plastic surgery clinics that have transformed Florida into a national destination for discounted cosmetic procedures. The two partners closed their drug store in 2013 and moved some proceeds from the business into their cosmetic surgery center, one of their lawyers disclosed in court. The case of Ledn was reported by Univision in February 2018, and at the time, the My Cosmetic Surgery center sent the following statement: "Due to the medical ethics regulations of the state of Florida, we can not discuss the terms and particularities of this case, and we give all of our patients the best care." When she returned to her job four weeks later, she was assigned to desk duty at the Bridge Authority. the person doing the surgery drills a vein under the muscle, causing the fat to enter the blood vessels and travel to vital organs such. Although these sites appear to be clinical, they are not. "There is a gap," said Christopher Nuland, a health care lawyer who helped write the first legislation in 2000. He says the physicians control how many surgeries they do each day and the facility's medical director makes sure patients are safe for their procedures. Im not going to say its a relief because its nowhere near a relief to me, but I appreciate the fact the fact that we know the truth of what really happened, Gosha said. The psychiatrist selected by the state to conduct the exams challenged in court documents the use of medical interventions for trans children and adolescents. Under Florida law, their owners must not be doctors, so FDOH has no authority to regulate them. Centers such as 'New Life', where the daughter of Arelys Gonzlez died, appear without complaints on the health department's website. Fatalities. To Sobel, the legislation "was all about saving lives.". When it came time to choose my surgeon, it was a no brainer, Dr. Wolf was the only way to go! In 2014, one of the clinics was known as Vanity Cosmetic Surgery. Honest, ethical treatment of every patient. All rights reserved. "There is a more dangerous surgery than all the others, the Brazilian Butt Lift, and here in Miami more people have died than in any other part of the country," Pazmio explains. "In many cases, the doctors who perform cosmetic procedures go to a course for a weekend and begin to operate,", Arnaldo Valls, the doctor who operated on London, had only taken a three-day course to do liposuction and another one on fat-transfer gluteal augmentation. Labrador has argued that doctors are responsible for patient deaths, not clinic owners. Kellyvoluntarily withdrew his license to practice in October 2018. One of them earned $33,000 after carrying out more than two dozen surgeries in five days, according to a 2014 lawsuit. Over-regulation, they tell people, she said. 'That's an enormous breach of protocol. An autopsy report from the Medical Examiners Office shows the cause of death was a pulmonary fat embolism and ruled her death an accident. Omulepu told USA TODAY the two women who suffered perforated organs were the "only serious complications of my career.". Reuters. , attracted by the huge offer, tempting prices and payment facilities. In the case of Galvn, the doctor who operated it was a certified plastic surgeon. Dolls Plastic Surgery is the right place. Jeffry Davis, a co-founder of Strax Rejuvenation, pointed out that his convictions on federal bank fraud and tax evasion were nearly a quarter-century ago, in 1995. For Pazmio the problem begins with the law and medical professionals. Ranika Hall, 25, was the youngest victim who died after surgery. That loophole means people without medical degrees can own clinics that breakstate lawswith little chance of being shut down, even if they leave patients dead. The state health department was alerted to the casualties. And Ledn has no hope of obtaining justice because at least four lawyers have refused to take his case. Her son, Daryl Thompson, saidhe didnt know his mother had booked a procedureuntil she arrived in Florida from the Bahamaswhere she lived withhis adult brother. According to the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), between 2012 and 2017 the number of procedures across the country increased by 135%. Hernandez declined to comment, saying he was not connected to the clinic anymore. It was not until the month that a doctor saw me, "says Ledn. There are also no claims against Jolie, whose place in a mall has changed names several times, after reports of at least three deaths. #am-new-social-unique-id-8090 .am-social-svg:hover .svg-icon {fill: #E4DFD3}. "I never thought my daughter would come to this country and die at the age of 30," said Arelys Gonzalez, a native of Cuba. "How can I trust them to keep me safe?". as the brain, lung or heart, causing thrombi that kill patients. In September, Nicola Mason, the 46-year-old Maryland woman, alleged in a complaint to the health department that Omulepu performed the wrong surgery on her a tummy tuck instead of a butt lift leaving her with unsightly scars. "We are in limbo, because neither the health department nor the business regulation department are in charge," he said. The popularity of the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) or lifting of the buttocks by fat transfer has skyrocketed in recent years. Nearly a dozen others were hospitalized with critical injuries, including punctured internal organs. The autopsy showed Thompson died from multiple clots of fat blocking the primary blood vessels in her lungs: a fat embolism. Dr. Leonard "Lenny" Hochstein is at the center of yet another medical malpractice lawsuit. He said Masoninitially signed up for a butt lift, but when he examined her, he determined she was not a good candidate, and they agreed she would get a tummy tuck instead, his surgery records show. The health department has the power to impose emergency suspensions on facilities that pose a public threat, but has not yet taken such action. Ten died after a fat transfer in the buttocks, and Galvan is one of them. Its unconscionable, said Stevens, a former member of the California Medical Board's medicalreview committee. top of page. Its unconscionable. The danger, he says, is whenthe person doing the surgery drills a vein under the muscle, causing the fat to enter the blood vessels and travel to vital organs suchas the brain, lung or heart, causing thrombi that kill patients. 305 PLASTIC SURGERY. Ultimately, the medical board revoked Omulepus license in 2017 over the cases of the punctured organs. They denied responsibility and told NBC 6 that maybe Walker may have had an underlying condition she didnt know of, combined with the taxing process of surgery. The Miami clinic was known as Vanity Cosmetic Surgery in 2014, and the Hialeah clinic was called Encore Plastic Surgery in 2015. Florida law allows a family doctor or any specialty practice such delicate surgeries as a liposuction or BBL. His 54-year-old motherhad worked as a lab technician in Nassaufor years before getting her medicaldegree with a specialty in surgery while raising her two sons. Shes still supposed to be here with us, said Tierra Gosha, Walkers daughter. At the urging of the Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons, Sobel stepped forward with yet another bill in 2016, asking lawmakers to require background checks on owners. But Ramirez turned in the license relinquishment paperwork Aug. 15, three days before Florida Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance investigator Dana Anderson filed her final report on the death of a patient identified only as PR at Your Cosmetic Surgery & Spa, 1255 W. 46th St. Ramirezs voluntary relinquishment says he states: [Ramirezs] purpose in executing this Voluntary Relinquishment is to avoid further administrative action with respect to this cause., [Ramirez] understands that acceptance by the Board of Medicine of this Voluntary Relinquishment shall be construed as disciplinary action against (his) license, [Ramirez] agrees to never reapply for licensure as a medical doctor in the State of Florida., READ MORE: A Broward ob/gyn played anesthesiologist for a fatal Brazilian butt lift, state says. Here are five Miami plastic surgery deaths caused by negligent surgeons: Heather Meadows One of the most publicized cases of plastic surgery deaths within the past year was that of Heather Meadows, a 29-year-old mom who died due to complications related to her liposuction and Brazilian Butt Lift. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The 14 deceased mentioned in this work left behind at least 26 orphans. Together, the facilities account for about 1 of every 5 plastic surgery deaths in the state of Florida, according to the report. His wounds became infected and he spent months with the gaps left by the operation on his body torso. With the surgery almost done, Ramirez noticed a slowed heart rate. We strive to make patients feel their best from the moment they first contact us. It is alleged that Labrador runs his clinics as a business, attempting to get the most money out of his patients by neglecting standard procedure. Heres what to know, Why theres a recall of Epinephrine (L-Adrenaline) and what you need to do, Whats the COVID risk in Miami and the rest of Florida? The popularity of the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) or lifting of the buttocks by fat transfer has skyrocketed in recent years. We recognize it takes courage to change. In addition, they consult with lawyers who teach them to protect their assets; so the houses, the planes and the boats put them in the name of their relatives ", explains Martnez. Staff called 911, but when the paramedics arrived they were blocked from the front entrance by the clinic staff and told to go around the building to a rear door, according to a lawsuit and fire-rescue report. "It was a total of $10,000," client Mariana Mata told Local 10 News of her experience with Xiluet Plastic Surgery in the Westchester neighborhood of Miami-Dade County. Florida legislators passed laws decades ago that allowed the state to discipline doctors who owned clinics and practiced there. Its outrageous, she said. For the fifth time, the Legislature has taken up a bill to rein in clinics. I would not allow my moms case to go cold, I just wont. One of the facilities that capitalized on the trend was Spectrum Aesthetics, founded by Juan Hernandez and Evelyn Parradoin2012, two years before Florida's first attempt to screen owners. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day. We believe that plastic surgery empowers and transforms lives. Most of thewomen who died 10in all were African-American or Hispanic, ethnic groups frequently targetedin the clinics advertisingcampaigns. Attorney Jesus Novo, representing 'Jolie Plastic Surgery' told Univision that they have 11 surgeons accredited by the Florida Board of Medicine and FDOH. I dont see the need for it, Thompson said. The profile shows privileges at Larkin Community Hospital Miami, which is in South Miami, and Larkin Community Hospitals Palm Springs Campus, the latter of which is where the tragedy ended. Sobel, a Democrat, proposed a bill to allow the state to shutter the worst offenders and screen owners for criminal backgrounds, giving Florida the option of barring ex-offenders from running clinics. Five crucial minutes passed by the time the paramedics gained access. A plastic surgery at Your Cosmetic Surgery & Spa in Hialeah had fatal consequences.