At a Glance
- 37-year-old Navy admin Lenia Watson-Burton died three days after an AirSculpt procedure at Elite Body Sculpture’s San Diego office.
- Elite Body Sculpture and surgeon Heidi Regenass face lawsuits alleging a perforated bowel and misleading advertising.
- At least three patients died from similar procedures by Regenass; lawsuits continue.
- Why it matters: Highlights gaps in regulation and the danger of unverified cosmetic surgery claims.
Lenia Watson-Burton, a 37-year-old U.S. Navy administrator, was expected to recover quickly from a cosmetic procedure called AirSculpt, but she died three days later. The case has sparked lawsuits against Elite Body Sculpture and surgeon Heidi Regenass, who is accused of perforating her bowel and making false advertising claims. The incident raises questions about how cosmetic surgery marketing is regulated and how patients can protect themselves.
Fatal Procedure and Lawsuit
Watson-Burton underwent AirSculpt, a liposuction-like procedure, at Elite Body Sculpture’s San Diego office on Oct. 27, 2022. She paid $12,000 for the surgery, hoping for a quick recovery before a Navy deployment.
Three days later, she reported severe abdominal pain. An ambulance took her to a hospital, where surgeons discovered three perforations of the small bowel and sepsis.
She died on Oct. 29, 2022. An autopsy linked her death to complications of the procedure, citing septic shock from intraoperative bowel perforation.
Elite Body Sculpture and Regenass faced a lawsuit in 2023, alleging the surgeon’s thin cannula caused the perforation and that the clinic’s advertising was false. The family settled in August 2024, with Elite Body Sculpture paying $2 million and Regenass paying $100 k.
- AirSculpt was marketed as gentle on the body.
- Patients would have minimal pain.
- Recovery within 24-48 hours.
Advertising Claims and Regulatory Gaps
Elite Body Sculpture markets AirSculpt as “much less invasive than traditional liposuction,” “faster healing,” and “no scalpel or stitches.”
The company also claims automated technology that turns off before the cannula penetrates too deeply, a feature that the lawsuit says did not protect Watson-Burton.
Mary Engle said:
> “While consumers should be able to trust that ad claims are substantiated because the law requires them to be, the reality is that it pays for consumers to bring a skeptical eye.”
Engle added that claims of discomfort must be truthful and supported by reliable clinical studies.
Other Cases and Ongoing Litigation
Watson-Burton is one of three patients who died after Regenass performed liposuction and fat transfer from Oct. 2022 to Feb. 2023.
Two other wrongful-death suits are pending, including a case by an Ohio woman who says her mother died after a similar procedure in California.
Other lawsuits involve a Toledo nurse, Tamala Smith, who died less than two weeks after a fat-transfer at Pacific Liposculpture, and an Ohio case alleging a mother’s death after a procedure in California.
The lawsuits allege that the clinics’ advertising promised minimal pain and rapid recovery, but patients experienced severe complications.
| Company | Settlement Amount |
|---|---|
| Elite Body Sculpture | $2 million |
| Heidi Regenass | $100 k |
Key Takeaways
- Cosmetic surgery claims often lack regulatory oversight and can be misleading.
- Patients should scrutinize advertising promises and seek independent verification.
- Legal action can lead to significant settlements, but many cases remain pending.
The case underscores the need for tighter oversight of cosmetic surgery advertising and better patient education.
