Miami plastic surgeon’s bad injections caused a Brazilian butt lift death, state says
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Troubles and tragedy involving New Life Plastic Surgery
Since 2019, New Life Plastic Surgery, run by president Daniel Gonzalez and vice president (since 2021) Reynier Lara, has been associated with several Brazilian butt lift deaths and injuries and doctors cited in BBL deaths and violations at New Life or previous places.
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Another doctor associated with a West Miami-Dade plastic surgery office surgery center has been accused by the Florida Department of Health of causing a Brazilian butt lift patient’s death.
Dr. Fermin Morales, who is now at New Life Plastic Surgery, has an administrative complaint filed against him over a 2023 BBL death at Venus Cosmetics Institute. Dr. Morales, board certified by the American Board of Surgery since 2009, has a previously clean discipline record on the license he’s held since 2011.
State complaints, discipline and Brazilian butt lift injury or death present nothing new for New Life Plastic Surgery, 8400 SW Eighth St., which lists Morales among its surgeons.
He couldn’t be reached for comment by phone on Thursday. New Life Plastic Surgery said the doctor was in, put a Miami Herald reporter on hold for several minutes, then hung up. .
Deadly surgery in a Doral strip mall?
In addition to New Life, West Miami-Dade’s Boutinic Aesthetics lists Morales. He’s no longer listed among the doctors at Doral’s Venus Cosmetic Institute/DASO Plastic Surgery, in a strip mall at 7902 NW 36th St. But that’s where Morales was working on June 7, 2023, when a 40-year-old woman the complaint calls “S.L.” came to Venus for a Brazilian butt lift.
The formal name “liposuction with gluteal fat grafting” provides a solid description of BBLs. Fat is sucked from the abdomen and back area and reinserted into the glutes, but not in the glute muscles.
The complaint says Morales documented using ultrasound guidance when putting the fat into S.L.’s glutes “to assure the fat was placed in the correct area.”
But, the complaint said, Morales injected fat into S.L.’s glute muscles. S.L. died the next day.
The autopsy performed three days later, the complaint said, “found copious globules of lacerated fat throughout S.L.”s left and right superficial and deep gluteal muscles” and “fat globules in blood” in left lung vessels.”
Injecting fat into glute muscles violates Florida Administrative Code.
New Life’s doctors since 2019
Among current New Life surgeons, Dr. Naveed Nosrati’s insurance paid $250,000 in a malpractice lawsuit after a pulmonary embolism killed a woman three days after a December 2022 abdominoplasty. Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez was fined by the state for his drain placement after a BBL and pre-signing blank prescription forms. Dr. Christopher Dress was fined in December for post-tummy tuck inaction at another office surgery center.
New Life alumni include Oliver Simmons (BBL death at New Life) and Harry Intsiful (BBL injuries that nearly killed a New Life patient, $995,000 malpractice insurance payout).
State records say New Life’s president is Daniel Gonzalez and vice president is Reynier Lara.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 6:21 AM.
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