Miami, FL
CBS News Miami Investigates: Here’s how to safely navigate plastic surgery
MIAMI – South Florida has become a top destination for cosmetic surgery, as people flock from all over the country to get nipped and tucked.
CBS News Miami investigates how to safely navigate plastic surgery.
Several women from different parts of the country told CBS News Miami they traveled to Miami specifically for plastic surgery.
“It just felt very factory-like. Let’s just get you in and get you out,” said one woman from Texas who did not want her identity revealed.
She decided she was ready for a new look by getting the popular surgery a Brazilian Butt Lift or BBL.
“My number one goal was, I wanted to look natural. And I didn’t want to look like I had surgery. I wanted to look like me, just a little more enhance,” said the woman from Texas.
She set out on a journey to find the right surgeon in Miami because the surgery is so common here, but with her living out of state, the search for her doctor was done remotely.
That’s when the red flags started as most of her consultations were not even with a doctor.
“Personally, I felt like in my research that a lot of doctors were more concerned rock star status that BBL’s gave them versus the actual outcome for the patient. Because it could be a life-changing procedure for a lot of women,” said the woman from Texas.
More than 28-thousand people decided to get the body contouring surgery in 2022, a two percent increase from 2019.
While the woman who traveled from Texas says she found the right doctor, not everyone was as lucky.
Tierra Gosha also did not want to be on camera, she instead wants the focus of her story to be on her mother Tanesha Walker.
“Things will never be the same. Holidays, birthdays, feel empty inside,” said Gosha.
Tanesha traveled from Indiana to South Florida for a breast augmentation that her original doctor said it wasn’t safe due to pre-existing conditions.
That’s when someone suggested another doctor.
Gosha says, before the surgery, she spoke to her mom on the phone. “She said, hey Tierra I’m here. She said I will call you when I’m out of surgery. I said okay mom, I love you. She said I love you too. I never heard anything else from my mom.”
Gosha told CBS News Miami that her mother said the new doctor told her mother to come in for surgery, the day after she contacted him.
It was their only in-person meeting, but according to her instead of Tanesha having her breasts done, the plan had changed.
Her daughter told CBS News Miami the new doctor performed a 360 liposuction and a BBL.
According to the medical examiner, the grandmother of 11 died after the procedure
As a result, the Florida Department of Health disciplined the doctor.
He was fined 10 thousand dollars, had to attend a one-hour lecture on safety and complications when it comes to a BBL and keep a record of conducting the procedure with ultrasound technology for 6 months.
“Her medical clearance was not for that type of procedure. So he should have not proceeded to attempt to do that type of procedure on her. She did not go through the proper medical clearance to be done,” said Gosha.
Since 2019 a total of 45 people have died from complications of plastic surgery in Miami alone.
Tanesha Walker was one of them. 21 have died since she did.
Despite the deaths, people are still traveling to South Florida to get popular surgeries like the Brazilian Butt Lift.
“Most of these patients are young mothers. It’s not just that one person has died. This death is incredibly tragic, but if affects the children. It affects the significant other. It affects the whole family,” said Dr. Pat Pazmino.
Dr Pat Pazmino with Miami Aesthetics has performed plastic surgery for 20 years and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
He told CBS News Miami the cosmetic surgery world is always changing and the demand is at an all-time high as more women are inquiring about body contouring procedures.
That means not everyone is being cared for the way they should be.
“Many times they would show up having already paid for the surgery. Having somebody who is not a doctor determines what procedure they were going to get. Then they would meet the surgeon five minutes before they were wheeled into the OR,” said Pazmino.
He says that’s not what should happen and insists that surgeons and patients should be creating plans for before, during and after surgery.
“Learn about the patient’s medical history, the patient’s surgical history and then do a physical exam. And all of that together is what the doctor uses to counsel the patient, what’s possible, what’s available,” said Pazmino.
A total of 10 women have died from a fat embolism in Miami since 2019, a complication commonly seen post BBL surgery.
The alarming amount of deaths has led to things like Florida House Bill 1471, which requires doctors to see someone a day before the surgery, the doctor on record to be the one to perform the surgery and ultrasound technology must be used during the procedure to guide where the fat is being injected.
“Really investigate the doctor. Go ahead and google. Google the doctor. Google the address where the procedure will take place. The best thing to do is to go to websites like check your surgeon dot com. They can also go to the Florida Department of Health because these resources only list the legitimate boards,” said Pazmino.
And there’s this advice from one patient to a potential one?
“Do your best to meet with the doctor in person because that’s when you really get an even greater feel of the competency of the doctor and who they are. How they’re going to take care of you because once you’re done with the surgery, their part may be finished but you still have a long road ahead of you,” said the woman from Texas.
Dr. Pazmino also says another way to see If your doctor is the right one for you is to ask questions, like where will the surgery take place and can it be done in an hospital?
Miami, FL
3 hurt in fire on Lincoln Road that started underground
Three people were hurt after a building caught fire on Lincoln Road on Sunday, according to authorities.
The Miami Beach Fire Department said it was working a fire near 230 Lincoln Road.
The flames had spread from a fire in a manhole that “ignited an FPL vault of an adjacent building,” officials said.
Three people were taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center with minor injuries.
The building was evacuated, and FPL has shut off power to the surrounding area, the fire department said.
Drivers were asked to avoid the area of Collins Avenue between 16th and 17th streets while crews worked the scene.
Miami, FL
“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Tommie Lee among 6 arrested during World Cup match in Miami, sheriff says
Reality television personality Tommie Lee — whose real name is Atasha Jefferson — best known for her appearances on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” was among six people arrested during the England vs. Norway FIFA World Cup match in Miami on Saturday, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said 60,024 fans attended the match. Deputies also reported 19 ejections from the stadium, adding that all incidents were isolated and handled quickly.
Authorities have not yet released the circumstances surrounding Jefferson’s arrest or any charges she may face.
A social media account that regularly reports celebrity news claimed Sunday that Jefferson was arrested July 11 and released July 12 after posting a $1,000 bond. The post also alleged she is facing a felony charge of interference with a sporting or entertainment event and said she later shared a video on Snapchat appearing to be in good spirits after her release.
What we don’t know
CBS News has not independently verified those claims, including the reported charge, bond amount or release information, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has not publicly confirmed those details.
CBS News has also not independently verified what led to the encounter, and the sheriff’s office has not said what prompted deputies to take Jefferson into custody.
CBS News has requested Jefferson’s arrest report, booking information and any charging documents from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. A request for comment has also been sent to Jefferson’s representatives.
Reality TV star’s legal troubles in South Florida amid World Cup festivities
Jefferson rose to national prominence as one of the breakout personalities on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” before later appearing on several Zeus Network reality series, where she has remained a frequent cast member.
This is not Jefferson’s first legal issue in South Florida. In 2024, she was arrested in Miami Beach on a battery charge following an incident outside LIV Nightclub. Court records from that case alleged she physically confronted another person before officers took her into custody.
Saturday’s arrest comes as Miami continues hosting FIFA World Cup matches that have drawn tens of thousands of fans from around the world. Despite the arrests and ejections, the sheriff’s office said the event proceeded safely and described the incidents as isolated.
This is a developing story. CBS News will update this article as additional information, including the exact circumstances surrounding Jefferson’s arrest and any charges, becomes available.
Miami, FL
Why I’m Not Worried About Giannis in Miami
The reaction to the trade was predictable. The moment Pat Riley landed his whale and the Heat sent most of their young talent and a war chest of draft picks to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the conversation turned away from how Miami finally landed the star they had been seeking, to calf strains and Giannis not being the superstar player that he once was.
“He only played 36 games last year.” ”The calf injuries keep coming back.” “He’s 31, turning 32.” “They bet the franchise on a body that’s breaking down.”
Various voices on Giannis Antetokounmpo
I’ve spent Over 15 years working with youth, collegiate and pro athletes on exactly this question, not “is he hurt,” but “what does this injury actually mean for what comes next.” And I’ll say it plainly: I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT GIANNIS. Not in the way the panic merchants want you to be.
Let me be clear about what I’m NOT claiming. I’m not his trainer. I don’t have his imaging, his force-plate data, or his medical file. And I’m not going to insult you by telling you calf strains are nothing, because in a 31-year-old NBA forward with 13 years in the NBA, they are decidedly something. The fear has a real basis.
The soleus and the gastrocnemius, which are the two muscles of your calf, both funnel down into the Achilles tendon. When a calf is compromised and an athlete returns before it has its full capacity back, the load it can’t absorb has to go somewhere, and the Achilles is next in line. We’ve watched it happen on the biggest stages. Those are the facts and I take it seriously. I just don’t think it’s the story here.
Here’s why…
He’s one of the most durable superstars of his era
Before we talk about what’s fragile, look at what’s been bulletproof. Strip away the two COVID-compressed seasons that the entire league played short, and strip away last year (where he wa shut down by the team), and across his other ten campaigns Giannis averaged roughly 73 games a season and never once dipped below 63. He cleared 72 games in 7 different seasons. For more than a decade, the single most physically violent player in basketball, a 6’11”, 250+ pound freight train who initiates more contact per possession than almost anyone alive — was, by availability, an iron man.
Tissue tolerance, connective-tissue quality, recovery capacity, and movement efficiency are stable characteristics of an athlete, and Giannis has eleven years of evidence that his are elite. One brutal season doesn’t erase that baseline. When a historically available athlete has one wrecked year, the honest question should be “what was different about that year.” And a lot was.
The injuries are soft tissue, not structural
Here’s the piece that many are missing, and it’s the heart of my optimism. Call me a fan if you want, but I hate seeing ANYONE get injured. I’m rooting for Giannis to bounce back.
There are two broad categories of injury, and they age completely differently. The first is structural: torn ligaments, ruptured tendons, cartilage and joint degeneration, stress fractures. These leave a permanent mark. A reconstructed ACL is never the original. Cartilage doesn’t grow back. These are the injuries that genuinely shorten careers, because the tissue itself is changed forever and the clock only runs one direction.
The second category is soft-tissue strains or muscle. A calf strain, a groin strain, a hamstring pull. And muscle is the one tissue in the lower body that, when managed properly, heals back to full structural integrity. It is not a cumulative wound. A calf you strained in December and rehabbed correctly is not a weaker calf in March; it’s a healed calf. There’s no scar that compounds the way an arthritic joint compounds. Strains are frustrating, they’re disruptive to a season, and they recur when you rush them, but they are not a countdown timer ticking toward catastrophe.
Now go down Giannis’s list from last season: a low-grade groin strain. A calf strain. A re-aggravated calf. An ankle sprain. A knee hyperextension with a bone bruise. Look at that honestly. The ankle sprain is acute meaning it’s a one-off mechanical event as opposed to a sign of decay. The knee hyperextension and bone bruise are traumatic. That could be somebody’s leg, a bad landing, a freak gather (no pun intended). A bone bruise heals. None of those four are degenerative. None of them are the kind of injury that feeds the next one.
Which leaves the calf. The one real recurrence. So let’s talk about the calf specifically, because that’s where the argument is actually won or lost.
What a soleus strain is
Your calf is two muscles doing two different jobs. The gastrocnemius is the showy one that crosses both the knee and the ankle, it’s fast-twitch, it’s what fires when you sprint and explode off the floor. The soleus sits underneath it, crosses only the ankle, and it’s the endurance muscle. It’s considered the postural workhorse that absorbs force every time you decelerate, land, and push off, thousands of times a night in the case of many athletes. Giannis’s recurring problem has been the soleus.
Soleus strains are classic high-mileage, fatigue-and-load injuries. They show up in athletes who run an enormous volume on a heavy frame which is the literal job description of a player who logged the third-highest workload on a bad team.
And here’s the critical part: soleus strains are notoriously slow to heal and notoriously easy to re-tweak. The calf is one of hardest lower-leg structures to truly load-test before return. It can pass every clinical check, feel 100 percent walking and even jogging, and still not have the deep capacity to handle a full-speed game’s worth of repeated max-effort decelerations. Return a week early and you’re injuring healed tissue that hadn’t been rebuilt to game-level capacity yet.
Last season was the worst possible environment for getting that management right. Consider the context Giannis was actually operating in. Milwaukee went 32-50 and missed the playoffs. The franchise eventually fired its coach.
Giannis spent the entire year as the center of a trade saga that, by every report, had him wanting out for over a year. A declining team with a disgruntled superstar and a front office weighing his trade value against his health is the textbook setup for muddled, hurried, incentive-conflicted return decisions which are exactly the conditions under which a soleus strain becomes two soleus strains.
Now change the environment as he lands in Miami. Known for being an organization with a near-mythological reputation for conditioning and body management, a culture that has rehabilitated and extended careers other teams gave up on.
He pairs with Bam Adebayo, which means for the first time in years Giannis doesn’t have to be the entire offensive and defensive engine every single night. As of now the roster isn’t fully complete but they will add to that so that there’s lower usage and a shared load. Real return-to-play standards instead of playoff-desperation math. You take the most fixable injury pattern on his chart and drop it into the best possible setting to fix it.
His game is built to age
There’s a movement argument too. Giannis isn’t a stop-start, pull-up, hard-cut guard whose game is one violent deceleration after another. He’s a downhill, long-stride force athlete. His value comes from length, gather, straight-line pressure, rim protection, and playmaking. Those are skills that lean on size and feel, and they degrade gracefully with age in a way that twitchy, change-of-direction games don’t. The same frame that makes him an injury talking point is the frame that lets him dominate without living on the edge of his physical limits every possession.
What would actually change my mind? If the recurring issue were structural, like a partial Achilles tear, chronic patellar tendon breakdown that imaging showed was degenerating, cartilage loss in the knee, I’d be writing a very different column.
If he came back this season and strained the same calf a third and fourth time despite a clean environment and proper protocols, that would tell me something about the tissue I can’t see. And the Achilles risk that follows calf injuries in some athletes is real enough that it should govern how Miami brings him back: slowly, on capacity-based criteria.
EVERY great athlete in his thirties requires careful management. That’s just the truth.
I’m not telling you he’s invincible. But I’m not willing to bet against eleven years of durability and the most fixable problem on the chart if you want. I’ll take the Greek Freak, the new setting, and the science that we’ll all be watching a productive age-32 season with a lot less fear than the headlines are selling you.
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