Attorney: Woman Dead After Liposuction Procedure

CORAL GABLES (CBS4) - A South Florida woman died Monday after apparently having complications during a liposuction procedure in Broward County.

Lidvian Zelaya was only 35 years old.

Her husband, Osvaldo Vargas, spoke out about the death at a news conference Thursday. They had been together for ten years.

"She was always happy, she always smiled, she was always dancing, she was beautiful," said Vargas.

The family says Zelaya underwent a liposuction with fat transfer procedure on Monday at a South Florida cosmetic surgery facility. The price tag: $4,500.

Hours later, the family says, Zelaya died.

"She died searching for beauty," said Vargas.

Vargas was in the facility's waiting area when he was told she was transported to a nearby emergency room. That's where, he says, she died.

"People are not supposed to die undergoing plastic surgery," said Spencer Aronfeld, the attorney representing the family.

"We do not know precisely why she died, and at this point, we're not in the role of accusing, we're in the role of investigating," said Aronfeld.

It's not the first time Zelaya went to the facility. She had a breast augmentation there before. Everything went well. This time was different and now the family is left grieving and planning a funeral.

A lawsuit has not been filed and charges have not been filed.

The Broward Medical Examiner is performing an autopsy and has not yet released a final report on the cause of death.