Divino Plastic Surgery Lawsuit And Death
Shrimanti Das
Updated At 11 Mar 24
Divino Plastic Surgery is a well-known clinic in Bonita, California. It provides a wide range of cosmetic face, and body breast procedures to help people enjoy beautiful and natural-looking bodies without any signs of plastic surgery.
However, the clinic's plastic surgeon, Dr. Carlos Chacon, is facing serious accusations of murder and misrepresentation of credentials by the Medical Board. Dr. Chacon has entered a not guilty plea for all charges and is scheduled for trial in April. Presently, he is restricted from performing surgeries, but is permitted to continue seeing patients in accordance with the court's order.
Table of Contents
Divino Plastic Surgery Lawsuit And Death - Full Story
Divino Plastic Surgery Clinic
Top Surgeon At Divino Plastic Surgery Clinic
The clinic has been famous because of its doctors and the results experienced by the patients.
Dr. Carlos Chacon a famous plastic surgeon in San Diego, does the makeover on the patients. He holds an MD and MBA degree and obtained his medical and surgical education from renowned institutions in the country.
Dr. Chacon graduated from the University of Arizona's medical school and then pursued his residency at the prestigious University of California, San Francisco, where he also served as Chief Resident. Subsequently, he furthered his expertise in aesthetic surgery through an advanced fellowship training program at the University of Southern California.
He maintains affiliations with several esteemed professional organizations, such as the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Divino plastic surgery reviews are mixed and Dr Chacon is involved in several lawsuits.
Dr Carlos Chacon
Dr. Carlos Chacon says -
“Coming from a lineage of skilled craftsmen, artists, and mechanics, I always knew I would work with my hands. Plastic Surgery attracted me because it is one of the few surgical subspecialties that is as fascinating as it is intricate. A distinctive skill set is required to be a great plastic surgeon, and particularly, a great cosmetic plastic surgeon. Considering that even the most minor imperfections in one’s final results are impossible to hide, doing it properly becomes the ultimate challenge. Cosmetic plastic surgery offers me artistic latitude and a craft that is extremely satisfying. My ultimate reward is that huge smile on a patient’s face when they love the way they look and feel. ”
Divino Plastic Surgery Reviews
The reviews of Divino plastic surgery have not been good as they have been involved in multiple lawsuits.
In 2022, New criminal charges have been filed against the Bonita plastic surgeon who's already charged in a patient's death. Check the entire story here.
Jeannette M, another user reviewed on yelp,
I accompanied my cousin to her initial appointment to help her translate. She decided to move forward with her surgery and gave her $500 deposit. As she prepared to finalize her surgery date, Dr. Chacón was on the news. It states that a young wife and mother died during surgery due to HIS negligence (You could google it and get the details). Very tragic story. My cousin got worried and lost trust after learning about this and asked me to go with her to cancel her surgery and ask for her deposit back. Before the doctor walked into the meeting room, we were left with one of his staff members. We briefly told her about why we were there and how horrible we felt about a woman losing her life. She confirmed that during this women's surgery he did not have an anesthesiologist present. That he only had a nurse present. His own staff member confirmed what the news reported.
Looking for inspiration celebrity plastic surgery inspiration? Check out Khloe Kardashian plastic surgery secrets. The before and after pictures also showcase the transformation.
Divino Plastic Surgery Lawsuit and Death - Important Cases
Case 1 - Megan Espinoza
Divino Plastic Surgery has been involved in several lawsuits and cases related to patient deaths. One notable Divino plastic surgery death case is the death of Megan Espinoza, a young mother who underwent a routine breast augmentation surgery at Divino Plastic Surgery and died in 2018. Dr Chacon conducted an augmentation mammoplasty procedure on 36-year-old, Megan Espinoza at Divino Plastic Surgery.
Dr Chacon San Diego facing murder charges
Unfortunately, during the surgery, Megan experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest. She was subsequently incubated and remained unresponsive until her passing approximately six weeks later and six days before Christmas. Prosecutors say she was in distress for more than three hours before Chacon called 911 for emergency help. By then it was too late. Espinoza later died at the hospital. Dr. Carlos Chacon and his nurse, Heather Lang, were charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Megan Espinoza's death. More details about the case can be found here.
He was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter two years ago. After further investigation, prosecutors added a second-degree murder charge on a theory that the doctor had displayed conscious disregard for life. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Megan Espinoza with her family
Carlos Chacón plastic surgeon was also arrested on a no-bail warrant, and during his arraignment, the judge set his bail at $500,000.
Chacón's attorney, Marc Carlos, expressed his client's unwavering commitment to defending his reputation and practice. Carlos contended that the new charges seemed to be based on a somewhat distorted interpretation of the facts following the medical emergency.
It was found that Espinoza experienced cardiac arrest approximately two hours into her breast augmentation surgery on December 19, 2018, and shockingly, three hours passed before anyone dialed 911. Furthermore, Darvas made fresh allegations, asserting that Chacón prevented other staff members from contacting 911. When the emergency call was eventually placed, the prosecutor contended that Chacón falsely informed dispatchers that Espinoza was conscious when she was not. Chacón called for anesthesiologists to assist but failed to convey the severity of Espinoza's condition or the loss of her pulse. Additionally, she alleged that while Espinoza was suffering and in distress, Chacón left the operating room and attended to four other patients.
Victim Megan Espinoza
Nearly three hours after Espinoza's cardiac arrest, Chacón finally made the 911 call. Espinoza was transported to a hospital, intubated, and placed in the intensive care unit but never regained consciousness, passing away more than six weeks after the surgical procedure. In addition to Chacón, prosecutors charged registered nurse Heather Lang with involuntary manslaughter in 2021.
Chacon was charged with manslaughter which was upgraded to 2nd degree murder in April of 2023. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Case 2 - Natassia Louis
In a separate Divino Plastic Surgery lawsuit, another patient named Natassia Louis filed a lawsuit against Dr. Chacon for medical negligence. Louis underwent a tummy tuck and a breast lift procedure at Divino Plastic Surgery but experienced complications and had to undergo multiple revisions due to a non-healing incision. More details about the case can be found here.
Despite these legal issues, Dr. Chacon is allowed to continue practicing without informing his patients.
In 2021, Natassia Louis, a young mother, decided to undergo a tummy tuck and a breast lift and chose Dr. Chacon at Bonita's Divino Plastic Surgery Center. She is now suing him for medical negligence. Louis said Dr. Chacon spent a significant amount of time boasting about being the top surgeon in the nation during her consultation. Despite the $25,000 cost of the procedure, she chose him.
After the surgery, Louis faced complications with an incision in her stomach that wouldn't close. She claimed that during follow-up visits, Dr. Chacon continued to make incisions, aggravating the problem. In January, during an office visit for a revision surgery, Louis was told not to return by someone in the office. It was only then that she discovered about the Divino plastic surgery death case, that the Carlos Chacon plastic surgeon kills patient. Dr. Chacon's involvement in an involuntary manslaughter case related to another patient, Megan Espinoza, who died during surgery in 2018.
Despite Louis' experiences, Dr. Chacon did not disclose his criminal charges to her. She expressed that she would have respected him more if he had done so.
In December 2021, the Medical Board of California requested a court order for Dr Chacon to stop practising pending the outcome of the criminal charges. A hearing was initially scheduled for March but has been postponed to July. Until then, Dr Chacon and the nurse can continue practising with some restrictions, such as having a licensed anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist present during surgeries. There have been concerns raised about the transparency and accreditation of Divino Plastic Surgery. The surgical centre's accreditation with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) was revoked and then partially reinstated, subject to restrictions and a discretionary survey.
These Divino plastic surgery cases and Divino plastic surgery lawsuits highlight the need for increased transparency and patient safety regulations in the plastic surgery industry. Consumer advocacy groups and patient safety advocates have called for legislative reforms to protect patients and increase transparency about doctors' credentials and any pending investigations.
Divino Plastic Surgery Clinic 2024 Update
Dr Chacon has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and will stand trial in April. Currently as per the court's order. Dr Chacon can not perform surgeries, however, he can still see patients.
In addition to murder charges, Dr Chacon has also been accused of misrepresenting credentials by the Medical Board.
The state agency alleges that Dr. Carlos Chacon falsely inferred on his clinic's website and online marketing that he was board certified with two organizations. However, he did not hold such certification from either of the mentioned organizations.
FAQs On Divino Plastic Surgery Lawsuits
Q. Who is Dr. Chacon San Diego?
Dr. Carlos Chacon a famous plastic surgeon in San Diego, does the makeover on the patients. He practices in Divino Plastic Surgery, a well-known clinic in Bonita, California.
Q. Why it was said that plastic surgeon kills patient in Divino Plastic Surgery?
Megan Espinoza, 36 years old and mother of two died six weeks after undergoing routine breast augmentation in 2018. Dr. Carlos Chacon was the plastic surgeon and he failed to do a proper treatment on his patient.
Q. What are the reviews on Divino Plastic Surgery?
Divino plastic surgery reviews are not very good because of the involvement of Dr Chacon San diego in several lawsuits and it was claimed that the plastic surgeon kills patient.
Q. Was there anyone other than Dr Chacon who was held responsible for the death case?
Yes. Dr. Chacon’s nurse, Heather Lang, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Megan Espinoza's death two years ago.
Q. Was Dr. Chacon found guilty in the case of Espinoza?
Dr. Chacon was charged with manslaughter which was upgraded to 2nd degree murder in April of 2023. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.