Unqualified Plastic Surgeon May Have Killed Four
A Dominican Republic national has been luring American women to his plastic surgery practice and performing dangerous operations on them without proper accreditation. Hector Cabral is licensed to practice medicine in Santo Domingo, but illegally solicited new business from beauty salons in the United States by offering cut rate procedures. He is alleged to have caused the deaths of four people.
A report in the New York Post cites the case of a 31 year-old woman from Washington Heights, who traveled to Cabral’s offices for liposuction, lipo sculpture, butt implants and a tummy tuck. The procedures would ordinarily cost around $15,000 in the U.S. Cabral offered them for just $6,000. The woman woke up during the operation after the anesthesia wore off. Screaming in agony, she complained for days afterward of a severe pain in her leg.
Two weeks after the surgery, the woman died, having complained to friends of excruciating pain and a high fever. The woman’s mother described the surgery is ‘pure malpractice’ and places much of the blame at the feet of New York health authorities, who allowed Cabral to escape a jail term.
Cabral was arrested in 2011 for trawling the hair and nail salons of Washington Heights, offering cheaper alternatives to expensive procedures. He allegedly examined women and enticed them to his International Center for Advanced Plastic Surgery in the Dominican Republic, where he performed surgeries without American accreditation.
Cabral was charged with 10 counts of the unauthorized practice of medicine relating to his initial examinations in beauty salons. But the office of Attorney General Eric Schneiderman struck a deal with Cabral before the case went to trial. He received 250 hours of community service (served in the Dominican Republic), a $5,000 fine and was ordered to pay $23,055 in restitution – but did no jail time.
Cabral’s brother has defended the decision, saying that “all proper procedures were followed”. He also claimed that the Washington Heights victim abandoned her treatment prematurely, and that this was the true cause of her demise.
Cabral’s clinic temporarily closed after complaints
In June of this year, Cabral’s clinic was closed for 10 days by Dominican authorities after three women died in his care. The victims’ families have expressed outrage at the leniency of the sentence, but a spokesman from the court stated:
“This was a plea offer made by the Attorney General’s Office. The option to take the case to trial was one they chose not to exercise.”
Victims of plastic surgery mistakes in New York
With some of the best cosmetic surgeons in the world, fatal plastic surgery mistakes in New York are rarely made by American doctors. Anyone looking into undergoing such procedures should thoroughly research the surgeons they are considering using.
Despite low mortality rates, errors are still made, often resulting in disfigurement or lifelong health problems. If you have been the victim of plastic surgery mistakes in New York, it’s imperative that you seek legal assistance from an attorney specializing in NY cosmetic surgery malpractice.
If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of plastic surgery malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering and other losses. Discuss your legal rights with a skilled personal injury attorney, contact the Sanders Firm for a free case evaluation. Our veteran legal team can answer your questions and help you plot your best course of action for securing monetary damages. Call toll-free 1.800.FAIR.PLAY. ResourcesNY Post – Woman dies after cosmetic surgery by dubious doc https://nypost.com/2013/09/21/woman-dies-after-cosmetic-surgery-by-dubious-doctor-in-dr/
