Jennifer Arias, a 29‑year‑old mother from New York, traveled to Miami in August to undergo liposuction and a Brazilian Butt Lift at New Life Plastic Surgery, located at 8400 SW 8th Street. Hours after the procedure, emergency responders received a 911 call reporting that the patient was desaturating and required immediate respiratory support.
Emergency call and hospital transport
The 911 recording captured a dispatcher asking for the address, to which the caller confirmed the clinic’s location. The caller described the patient’s oxygen levels dropping and the need for paramedics to re‑intubate her. Arias was then transported to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where doctors were unable to revive her.
Medical examiner findings
The Miami‑Dade Medical Examiner ruled the death an accident, attributing it to fat embolisms in both lungs caused by the surgical procedures. The examiner noted that fat injected too deeply into the gluteal muscle can enter the bloodstream, leading to pulmonary embolism and respiratory failure.
Pattern of similar incidents
Attorney Christopher Russomanno, representing the Arias family, said the case is part of a broader issue he has seen in more than a dozen deaths linked to Brazilian Butt Lift procedures in South Florida. He explained that when fat is placed in the wrong tissue plane, it can travel to deep veins and even the sciatic nerve, as was found in Arias’s autopsy.
Since 2018, at least six patients, including Arias, have died after undergoing cosmetic surgery at New Life Plastic Surgery. One of the earlier victims, Naimy Sucetz, was treated by the same surgeon, Dr. Julio Clavijo‑Alvarez.
Legal and regulatory response
Florida law now requires physicians performing Brazilian Butt Lift procedures to use ultrasound guidance to avoid injecting fat into the gluteal muscle. Russomanno has requested the clinic’s ultrasound images but has not yet received them.
In previous lawsuits, the clinic’s attorneys argued that the operating physicians were independent contractors, not employees, thereby distancing the clinic from direct liability. The Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation, and the family has filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Health.
Clinic’s response
New Life Plastic Surgery has not commented on the incident. The clinic’s attorney, Rolando Diaz, expressed condolences and asserted that the standard of care and applicable laws were followed, noting that all surgeries carry inherent risks.
Russomanno emphasized that his investigation is ongoing, aiming to determine whether the fatal complication could have been prevented through proper use of ultrasound guidance and adherence to safety protocols.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
