Poor emergency training is among the reasons a Dade plastic-surgery center is suspended

INSPECTORS FOUND ‘NO TRANSFER AGREEMENTS OR HOSPITAL STAFF PRIVILEGES FOR THE SURGEONS WHO WERE PRACTICING AT THE FACILITY.’

A number of safety issues and withholding patient records got a West Miami-Dade plastic-surgery center with a familiar name suspended.

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).

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 “unpleasant procedures.” A Level III surgery uses general anesthesia and pre-op sedation.

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 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.”

David J. Neal: 305-376-3559, @DavidJNeal