South Florida woman in coma after breast augmentation surgery

18-year-old Linda Perez in vegetative state

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A woman remained in a coma after undergoing breast augmentation surgery at Coral Gables Cosmetic Center, her attorney said Wednesday.

WPLG reports Linda Perez' attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said she had been in a coma at Mercy Hospital for 16 days.

"Unfortunately, Linda is not doing well," said Eiglarsh. "A healthy woman goes in to have a simple routine procedure and comes out a vegetable in a coma."

Eiglarsh said Perez, 18, suffered extensive heart and brain damage as a result of the procedure.

"She's having a tracheotomy. That means she has to go under general anesthesia again, and it was under general anesthesia where we believe the complications occurred last time," he said. "Question is: was it the doctors involved that put her in this state?"

On its website, Coral Gables Cosmetic Center bills itself as Miami's trusted plastic surgery center "with board certified surgeons, a center with 12 years in the industry and with a high rate of patient satisfaction."

Eiglarsh said her procedure was performed on August 12 by Dr. Jacob Freiman, and Dr. Mario Alberto Diaz, an anesthesiologist.

Federal court records say that Diaz is a convicted felon who served time in a prison for illegally dispensing more than 53,000 pain pills over the internet.

"Unfortunately, we are getting no answers from them at all," Eiglarsh said. "They claim HIPPA law prevents them from giving answers to her parents."

The Coral Gables Cosmetic Center issued a statement, saying: "We are committed to upholding the highest standards of medical care and patient safety. To protect the privacy of our patients, we cannot comment on any medical issues related to our patients. We will continue to abide by healthcare laws and regulations. We have been a proud member of the South Florida community for almost 15 years and have consistently delivered exceptional results for thousands of satisfied patients. We pride ourselves on partnering with top medical professionals, including board-certified plastic surgeons."

"Whether a lawsuit suit has to take place, that's to be determined," said Eiglarsh. "Right now we are trying to determine how she ended up in a vegetative state."

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Linda Perez and her son