Jennifer Arias died after liposuction and a Brazilian butt lift; the medical examiner found fat embolisms in both lungs.
MIAMI, FL — A newly obtained 911 recording and autopsy report are providing more detail about the death of Jennifer Arias, a 29-year-old New York mother who traveled to Miami for cosmetic surgery and developed serious breathing problems after her procedure.
Arias underwent liposuction and a Brazilian butt lift at New Life Plastic Surgery on Aug. 13, according to her family and records reviewed by NBC6 Investigates. During a call for emergency help, a person at the clinic told a dispatcher that Arias had begun losing oxygen saturation near the end of the procedure and continued having trouble breathing while in recovery. She was later taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where doctors were unable to save her.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner determined that Arias died from bilateral pulmonary fat emboli resulting from liposuction and fat-transfer surgery to the buttocks. Her death was classified as an accident. A pulmonary fat embolism occurs when fat enters the bloodstream and travels to the lungs, where it can interfere with breathing and circulation. The finding gives Arias’ family a medical explanation for her death but leaves questions about how the complication occurred.
The 911 recording captures the emergency developing at the clinic at 8400 SW Eighth St. The caller said Arias had undergone a procedure and was “desaturating,” a term referring to declining oxygen levels in the blood. The caller said she was in recovery and that rescue assistance was needed. Christopher Russomanno, an attorney representing the Arias family, said the sequence described on the call showed that her respiratory condition was deteriorating rapidly.
The autopsy contains another finding that could become important as the case is reviewed. According to NBC6, the examination found fat globules in Arias’ gluteal muscles and described surgical tracks extending toward deep veins in the muscles and the sciatic nerve. Russomanno said he has requested ultrasound images from the clinic but had not received them as of the latest report. The existence or contents of any such recordings have not been independently confirmed.
Florida law places specific restrictions on Brazilian butt lift procedures involving gluteal fat grafting. Fat is supposed to be injected only into the subcutaneous tissue above the fascia covering the gluteal muscle. Intramuscular and submuscular injections are prohibited. State law also requires physicians to use ultrasound guidance, or another technology authorized by rule, while placing and navigating the cannula during fat injection so the physician can verify that the fat remains above the muscle fascia.
Arias’ death has also drawn attention because of the history of the clinic. NBC6 Investigates reported after reviewing civil lawsuits and state and county records that Arias was at least the sixth patient known to have died after undergoing cosmetic procedures at New Life Plastic Surgery since 2018. The circumstances and causes of those deaths were not all the same, and the existence of earlier deaths does not by itself establish responsibility for Arias’ death.
Arias’ family has said Julio “J.C.” Clavijo-Alvarez performed her surgery. He also operated on Naimy Sucetz, a 41-year-old woman who died after liposuction and a tummy tuck at the clinic in 2022, according to earlier reporting. The medical examiner attributed Sucetz’s death to a pulmonary blood clot, a different medical finding from the fat embolisms identified in Arias’ case.
An attorney for Clavijo-Alvarez told NBC6 after Arias’ death that proper standards of care and applicable law had been followed and said all surgeries carry risks. New Life Plastic Surgery did not respond to the station’s requests for comment about Arias’ case. In court filings involving earlier patient deaths, the clinic has denied responsibility and has argued in part that physicians performing procedures there worked as independent contractors.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that its Homicide Bureau is investigating Arias’ death. The existence of that investigation does not indicate that a crime occurred, and authorities have not announced criminal charges related to the case. Russomanno said his investigation on behalf of the family remains in its early stages and is focused on determining what happened during the operation and whether the outcome could have been prevented.
Arias left behind a 7-year-old daughter. Her relatives have said they want a clearer account of what occurred between the start of her surgery, the decline in her oxygen levels and her arrival at the hospital. The newly released emergency call and autopsy answer some questions about her final medical emergency, but the sheriff’s investigation and the family’s inquiry remain open.
Author note: Last updated November 14, 2026.