Unqualified staff, illegal surgeries at a Miami Lakes plastic surgery office, state says
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The state complaints against Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez
Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez of New Life Plastic Surgery, Ai Hair Transplant Miami, Ai Gaia Medspa and Gaia, the Art of Plastic Surgery, had four administrative complaints filed against him by the Florida Department of Health in 21 months.
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Unqualified staff, illegal surgeries at a Miami Lakes plastic surgery office, state says
State administrative complaints says Miami Lakes Plastic Surgery did surgeries without documented proper examination, liposuction with too much fat removed and didn’t provide patients with enough information before surgeries.
Those are among the violations of Florida Statute or Florida Administrative Code listed in two Florida Department of Health administrative complaints.
One complaint is against the office registration license of Jireh Cosmetic Center Corp., which does business at 15450 New Barn Rd., Suite No. 106, as Miami Lakes Plastic Surgery. The other complaint is against Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez, the designated physician for Miami Lakes Plastic Surgery. Administrative complaints start the discipline process.
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The complaints said a Aug. 24, 2021 inspection found at least once, maybe more times:
▪ the surgeon “didn’t perform or did not document performing, a pre-operative examination of the patient;”
▪ the patient wasn’t provided, in writing, the name and location of the hospital where the surgeon has staff privileges or where the surgeon or facility has a transfer agreement;”
▪ “the surgeon did not obtain written, informed consent from the patient reflecting the patient’s knowledge of identified risks, consent to the procedure, type of anesthesia and anesthesia provider, and/or/ that a choice of anesthesia provider exists;”
▪ the surgeon removed more than 4,000 cubic centimeters of supernatant fat from a patient by liposuction. Florida Statutes say the Department of Health can revoke the office registration license of a place in which more than 1,000cc fat is removed;
▪ A registered nurse without post-anesthesia care unit experience was used to monitor patients recovering from anesthesia.
Also, the complaint said, Miami Lakes Plastic surgery didn’t have atropine and/or hydrocortisone in the “crash cart.” The Florida Administrative Code says a full “crash cart” needs to be present where anesthesia is being used and that means at least having atropine 3 mg (“This medicine is used to reduce saliva and fluid in the respiratory tract during surgery,” the Cleveland Clinic says) and hydrocortisone 100 mg.
When a Miami Herald reporter went to Miami Lakes Plastic Surgery to discuss the allegations in the administrative complaint, staff referred questions to an email address it claimed was for the center’s owner. Neither the Miami Herald email to that address nor one to the address on Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez’s Department of Health profile were answered.
This story was originally published November 20, 2022 at 1:14 PM.
