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Woman from Ohio dies while recovering from cosmetic surgery at Miami-Dade assisted living facility
According to state health records and a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigative report obtained by Local 10 News, 38-year-old Nubia Arelly Sanchez Lopez traveled from Ohio to Miami in June for cosmetic surgery.
She underwent a Brazilian butt lift, liposuction and breast augmentation on June 16 at 305 Plastic Surgery in Doral.
She Became Critically Ill Days After Surgery
After the procedures, Sanchez Lopez was taken to Stevens Grandparents Inc., a six-bed assisted living facility licensed to provide limited nursing services.
Three days after her surgery, Sanchez Lopez reportedly became dizzy, weak and fainted.
According to an emergency suspension order issued by Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, her condition deteriorated rapidly. About 40 minutes after she became ill, she developed severe difficulty breathing.
Facility staff contacted an on-call nurse, who instructed them to check her vital signs. Her oxygen saturation was recorded at just 58%, according to state records.
The nurse then directed staff to call 911.
Cardiac Arrest and Death
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded after Sanchez Lopez went into cardiac arrest. First responders found people performing CPR on her before transporting her to Kendall Regional Hospital in critical condition.
A hospital charge nurse later told investigators that Sanchez Lopez suffered multiple cardiac arrests. The nurse also reported that her abdomen was “flooded with blood” before she was pronounced dead.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Sanchez Lopez died from complications of cosmetic surgery and classified the death as accidental.
State Suspends Facility's License
Following Sanchez Lopez's death, AHCA issued an emergency suspension of Stevens Grandparents' license and removed four other patients who were recovering from cosmetic procedures at the facility.
The agency cited several concerns about the facility's operations and response to the emergency.
State officials said some vital signs taken after Sanchez Lopez arrived were not documented in her medical record. Her resident file also did not contain postsurgical care instructions.
AHCA further stated that staff members working during the incident did not have valid first aid and CPR certifications.
The agency also raised concerns about a facility policy that required residents, rather than staff, to call 911. According to AHCA, the policy was intended to avoid potential financial liability.
Sanchez Lopez's husband, Kevin Diaz, told investigators that someone used his wife's cellphone to make the emergency call.
Questions Over Postsurgical Recovery Facilities
The case has renewed scrutiny of facilities that house patients immediately after cosmetic procedures.
Stevens Grandparents was licensed as an assisted living facility with a limited nursing services designation. But State Rep. Felicia Simone Robinson, D-Miami Gardens, told Local 10 News that such a license may not be appropriate for facilities caring for patients recovering from major surgery.
Robinson previously introduced legislation that would have created a separate regulatory framework for postsurgical recovery homes, including requirements for staffing, medical oversight and penalties for violations.
The bill was filed in October 2025 and received its first reading in January 2026, but Robinson said it was never heard.
She said she plans to continue pursuing legislation aimed at establishing clearer standards for these types of recovery facilities.
Facility Had Previous Citations
State inspection records show Stevens Grandparents had previously been cited for deficiencies, including during inspections in March 2023 and additional inspections in June, September and November 2025.
The facility's ownership and management have also come under scrutiny as part of the investigation.
When Local 10 News visited the property, Yani Gil, a realtor and assisted living consultant connected to the facility, defended Stevens Grandparents and disputed the state's findings.
“They have their version of what they saw,” Gil told Local 10 News, arguing that the findings were not sufficient grounds to shut down the facility.
Questions Surround the Surgeon
Local 10 News also contacted 305 Plastic Surgery seeking information about Sanchez Lopez's postsurgical care and whether the practice recommended Stevens Grandparents as a recovery location. No representative agreed to speak on the record.
The surgeon identified in the sheriff's report, Dr. Fermin Morales, is also the subject of a separate administrative complaint filed by the Florida Department of Health in 2025 involving another patient and an unrelated cosmetic procedure.
That complaint alleges Morales violated Florida rules governing gluteal fat grafting after another patient died following a 2023 cosmetic procedure. The allegations are separate from Sanchez Lopez's death, and state records show Morales' Florida medical license remains active without a final disciplinary finding related to that complaint.
Sanchez Lopez's family has declined to comment publicly.
Her death has now prompted broader questions about the safety and oversight of postsurgical recovery facilities — and whether patients traveling to South Florida for cosmetic procedures are receiving the level of medical care they need after leaving the operating room.
Source: Local 10 News
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