Teenager Dies Of Complications In Breast Surgery

Stephanie Kuleba, an 18-year-old student of West Boca Raton High School died on Saturday of a bad reaction to anesthesia medication given to her during a breast augmentation surgery.

Kuleba was head cheerleader with a near-perfect grade-point average and had been accepted to the University of Florida, where she hoped to study medicine.

The promising teenager was disturbed by the fact that her breasts were not the same size and that one nipple was inverted. She decided to get them corrected, without the slightest hint that it will cost her, her life.

"She went in for the surgery at 8:05 in the morning, by 9:45, an hour and 40 minutes later, the paramedics had been called and she had been rushed to Delray Medical Center where, 24 hours later, she died," said Roberto Stanziale, her family’s attorney.

Doctors believe Kuleba died of malignant hyperthermia, a relatively rare metabolic condition that can be activated by certain anesthesia. It causes the patient's heart rate and metabolism to rise, and may lead to a body temperature as high as 112 degrees.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Stephen Schuster performed the surgery at an outpatient facility in Boca Raton. "I am devastated by the loss and I feel for the family," he said.

Friends at West Boca Raton High School expressed shock and grief during a candlelight vigil for Kuleba on Sunday evening. The ‘senior’ parking spot where she would pull up in her white Lexus was flooded with flowers, teddy bears and photos.

"It's hard to believe she's gone," said classmate Vanessa Villegas, 16. "She just made everybody's day by having a good attitude about life."

The number of teens willing to go under the knife for better physical appearance is rising by the day. Kuleba’s death has revived debate on whether it is appropriate for such young girls to get cosmetic surgery done.

"I've seen an increase in teens having plastic surgery, and certainly for graduation," said Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg, a New York plastic surgeon and the author of "A Little Nip, A Little Tuck."

However, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons strongly disapproves the idea of people under-18 opting for cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic breast implants for patients younger than 18 are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, except in cases of reconstructive or corrective surgery.