Poor emergency training among the reasons a Miami plastic surgery center is suspended
A number of safety issues and withholding patient records got a West Miami-Dade plastic surgery center with a familiar name suspended last week.
Officially out of action during a 30-day suspension that ends Jan. 20 is Surgery Center of Westchester, Inc., which goes business as Xiluet Plastic Surgery, located at 8350 SW Eighth St. in a strip mall. That’s not to be confused with Xiluet Plastic Surgery, in the two-story building at 8396 SW Eighth St.
State corporate records say Monica Vazquez runs Surgery Center of Westchester and Xiluet Plastic Surgery, Inc. as company president for each. Despite the obvious link, each location has its own license, however. So, while the smaller spot in the strip mall serves a suspension, the mothership across the parking lot remains in business (although it has a few state complaints pending against it, too).
READ MORE: More state complaints involving Xiluet Plastic Surgery
Shortcomings at Xiluet Plastic Surgery?
The safety violations that brought the suspension at the 8350 location included:
▪ “No compliance with Level II or Level III required anesthesia and emergency training.” The Department of Health’s definition of Level II surgery says the patient can react to speech and touch stimuli while dealing with “unplesant procedures.” A Level III surgery uses general anesthesia and pre-op sedation.
READ MORE: Unqualified anesthesiologist caused mother’s Brazilian butt lift death, state expert says
A lack of emergency training becomes an even bigger problem when inspectors found:
▪ “No transfer agreements or hospital staff privileges for the surgeons who were practicing at the facility” nor any documentation that patients were told about this deficiency. Transfer agreements and staff privileges at actual hospitals can save patient lives when things go wrong during an office surgery.
▪ “No documentation of a required risk management program.”
▪ Also, “patient records were withheld from inspectors and were unavailable for inspection.”
