Woman who fell into coma after cosmetic surgery struggles with new reality


 By MARIA PEREZ
 THE MIAMI HERALD

 A year after Linda P6rez fell into a
coma following breast augmentation
surgery, she is living at home with her
parents and is under 24-hour nursing
care. She can't walk and can speak
only a few words.
 Her mother, Mariela Diaz, says her
daughter no longer needs a feeding
tube, is slowly making progress and
has experienced small victories, such
as moving her feet.
 "I still have hope because she is
alive and she's home," Diaz said.
 However, she said, doctors don't
know whether her daughter will ever
fully recover. P6rez suffered brain
damage in the hour after her surgery.
She is thin and gaunt and needs to be
carried to get around.
 "I'm sick that she can't be like she
used to be," said her mother. The
family, who lives in Homestead, Fla.,
has to help P6rez with all the necessi-
ties of life.
 P6rez's problems began shortly after
the end of her breast augmentation
operation in August at the Coral
Gables Cosmetic Center.
 A report from her doctor, Jacob
Freiman, sent to the Florida
Department of Health, explained that
the anesthetist, Mario Alberto Diaz,
told him P6rez's heart rate was "very
low" and he had to give her atropine
and chest compressions to keep her
alive.
 Just over an hour after the opera-
tion finished, P6rez was rushed to the
emergency room at Mercy Hospital.
 P6rez suffered multiple compli-
cations and remained in a coma for
weeks. Her family said doctors told
them P6rez had suffered brain dam-
age. Diaz said doctors were advising
the family to disconnect P6rez from
the machines that kept her alive when
she stirred from her coma in October.
 P6rez returned home in late
November but has since been read-
mitted to the hospital several times.
At home, she requires 24-hour-a-day
nursing care.
 P6rez's family says they intend to
file a medical malpractice lawsuit
against Coral Gables Cosmetic Center.
They plan to legally become their
daughter's guardian and care for her
4-year-old son.
 The family's lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh,
declined to comment.
 Kubs Lalchandani, who is rep-
resenting the medical center, said


 ,,ICT PH .T-'..
Linda Perez, right, is kissed by her mom Mariela Diaz at her home in Homestead, Fla., Jan. 30, 2014. Two weeks after undergoing a breast
augmentation procedure at a Coral Gables clinic in August 2013, the 18-year-old South Florida woman was in a coma due to complications that
left her with brain and heart damage.


lie could iil ot cominiei ,it rthe case
because 'of p i\;ac\ I\iS. b ill said
lie lihas ieqtiested P[iez 'i medical
leCOcis fi1om N eic\ Hos-pital to CaiV
o'A l Ili O' I i Iiiveriarti iion iii to '\\liar
]happened
 hi Iis iepoit. Fieiaiii -aid Peiez
x\\as- told b\ a; docOi liat liei dautglitei
liad slffee d ;i a iii'iila iiicidlei hliell
shle ,ga\e bnthiil tio lei si
 The\ put ;a-piiiail ;aiieeslieic. ailld
slhe ileeded to be iiirtiared. Fieiinaii
Wiote iii Iil iepoi i iii'ioimari oii lie
sa\s i\a kep t fi'o him to get him ro
pei lW' inhe co-Sinetic ti Igei\
 Fieiiaiis .aid Peiez had rtold him
she did iiot t ake inedicariOii iiald ihad
ieceiirk stopped si-ok'ing He said
she tolId him lshe iid a lis-,toi\ of
sewzmes eight \eas eaihei but had
not taikemi inedticai'i'ii iiice tlheii and
lhad n,- pi-,blems \iri ainestliesia ,_ 1
lhea i ai lung pioblemnis
 Fiemiii is cei ih]edI b the
k\mei icai3 Boaitd 'of Plastic Suigei\
He lihas ni, lii-toi\ of mialpiactice
co_-Implall[ts
 Ho,-e\ei. rle eiihnesdliesMl,,I.t
M i- ,iii .beito Di az \ias semireiced to


We listen so you can hear.
 Ilo' r hliearing d 'I't %ee'I l(% good
 a it) s'tor e he1. Ierhaplmit's rime lor
 %owe real/a lcl. Let's talk.


3.0 Inltlihs ini prison aind rti, \eVeai'
piO'b'a n: In I lo ;ii :a f''i: pli,\-idmug
diugs mllegall The Flodi Ma Bo,-ad
of Nlediciiie suspended hnim f''i i\
minIirlis aind -fi'uind liat fia ;- ei lieahe
shlid ul be supeiM-ised in the peifoi-
iniice ofW Is "_'mik
 Cuiienii l I- license i-s ;active. but
lie is pilihrted fi'-in piesciihbig,
dilIs o\el tle [it e ltee et. accoidli [to
tlie \ebhsite of tlie Floimda Depaitmeint
of Healthi


 Iii addiiii,,D. i)-az i;- ':,oie of tlie
defemindt-iSir foi inedtical inalpiactice
Iii tlie deatli of a paieii 135 \eas ;aiftei
iildeigo'mgh buttock a;glnmetiramioa ;ti
Strix Remeitirenliiiim Laudeilill. Flai
 M;ai ela Diaz said thalit a doctoi told, I
liei iin: t to talk to liei dauglitei about
hlia lihappenied to liei
 She goes,,e inior depiessIm-i, ;-iid
ci\Ing i" E)laz -sad Shle sees rlia she
c;-iiiiot, r\il. alid ihlieu lshe lelahzes
ihlia liiappened to liei she cile- "


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