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Last month, San Antonio families watched a heartbreaking story unfold on the local news. A young mother went into a cosmetic surgery clinic for a routine elective procedure and came out with life-altering brain injuries. Her story is a painful reminder of a question every patient should ask before any procedure, whether it is liposuction or cataract surgery: Who is actually doing my procedure, and who do they really work for?

What happened

According to news reports and a lawsuit filed by her family, a 27-year-old San Antonio mother of three had liposuction at a local Sono Bello clinic in May 2026. The lawsuit alleges that her blood pressure dropped severely during the procedure, that the numbing medication lidocaine continued to be given anyway, and that she then developed seizures, signs of lidocaine toxicity, and cardiopulmonary arrest. She was hospitalized for two months, was diagnosed with a persistent vegetative state, and remains in a rehabilitation hospital with severe brain damage.

These are allegations in a pending lawsuit and have not been proven in court. Sono Bello has said it cannot comment on pending litigation, that patient safety is its highest priority, and that the surgeon is no longer employed by the company.

What troubled many in our community was the surgeon’s history. Texas Medical Board records show the Board had already taken disciplinary action against him after finding he did not meet the standard of care for two earlier patients, one in Washington, D.C., and one in Houston. One of those patients died of a pulmonary fat embolism after a 10-hour cosmetic procedure performed in an office setting. The Board ordered continuing education and a fine, and his Texas license remains active. Houston media have reported at least four malpractice lawsuits filed against him since August 2025.

Lesson one: know your surgeon

A confident sales consultation, a beautiful website, and a well-known brand name tell you nothing about the person who will hold the instruments. Before any procedure, you have every right to ask:

  • Is my surgeon a licensed physician (MD or DO)? You can look up any Texas physician’s license, training, and any public disciplinary orders on the Texas Medical Board website.
  • Is the surgeon board certified in the specialty that matches my procedure? For eye surgery, that means the American Board of Ophthalmology. For cosmetic body surgery, the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
  • What fellowship or advanced training do they have, and how many of these procedures do they perform each year?
  • Will I meet my surgeon before the day of surgery? Or will I only meet a salesperson, coordinator, or another provider?
  • Does my surgeon live and practice here? Some high-volume chains rely on surgeons who travel in for surgery days and leave. Ask who will see you the day after surgery, and who answers the phone at 2 a.m. if something goes wrong.
  • Who is handling anesthesia and monitoring, and is the facility accredited?

A good surgeon will welcome these questions. A clinic that dodges them is giving you an answer, too.

Lesson two: who is doing your cataract consultation?

The same principle applies to eye care, and it matters more than most patients realize.

Many patients assume that the person who examines them and recommends cataract surgery is the surgeon. Often, it is not. In many cataract practices today, the pre-surgery evaluation and the follow-up visits are done by an optometrist, and patients may meet their surgeon briefly, or only on the day of surgery.

As the family’s attorney pointed out, the patient had no practical way to know any of this before her surgery. That is exactly the problem.

It helps to understand the difference:

  • Optometrists (OD) are Doctors of Optometry. They complete four years of optometry school and play an important role in eye care, including eye exams, glasses and contact lenses, and managing many eye conditions. In Texas, optometrists do not perform cataract surgery.
  • Ophthalmologists (MD or DO) are medical doctors. They complete medical school, a hospital internship, and a three-year surgical residency in ophthalmology, and many complete additional fellowship training. Ophthalmologists are the physicians who perform cataract surgery.

Shared care between optometrists and ophthalmologists can work well when everyone is transparent. The problem is when patients do not know who they are seeing. Ask at your consultation:

  • Is the person examining me today an optometrist or an ophthalmologist?
  • When will I meet my surgeon, and will the surgeon personally review my measurements and lens choice?
  • Who will see me after surgery, and who will manage a complication if one occurs?

Lesson three: who owns your clinic?

This is the question almost no one thinks to ask, and it may be the most important one.

Over the past decade, private equity firms have bought hundreds of medical practices across the country, and ophthalmology has been one of their most active targets. Private equity firms are investment companies. They typically buy a practice, work to grow its revenue, and aim to sell it at a profit within a few years. The doctors may stay, but they often become employees working within business targets set by the investors. Private Equity companies own several Eye clinics in San Antonio, and the number keeps growing.

In our experience, the difference this makes for patients can be enormous. In an independent, physician-owned practice, the doctor answers to the patient. In an investor-owned practice, there is constant pressure to see more patients in less time and to increase revenue per patient.

In cataract care, that pressure often shows up in the operating plan. A standard lens implant is covered by Medicare and most insurance, but is very limited in particular eye conditions that it can correct. Premium lenses and laser add-ons do involve an out of pocket expense, but are likely to free patients from glasses and contact lenses. Just like Standard lenses, Premium lenses may not be the right choice for every patient, and the recommendation should be based on your eyes, your general health, and your lifestyle, never on a revenue target.

Signs to watch for, and questions to ask:

  • Ask directly: “Is this practice owned by the doctors, or by a private equity or management company?” You deserve a straight answer.
  • Check the website for a parent company, a “partner network,” or a recent name change.
  • Notice whether you felt rushed, or whether the conversation focused more on upgrades and financing than on your eyes.
  • Ask: “Why is this specific lens the right one for me? What would happen if I chose the standard lens?”
  • Get a second opinion from an independent practice before paying out of pocket for upgrades.

Our commitment

Clear Vision San Antonio is an independent, physician-owned practice. Your pre-operative consultation and follow up visits may be done by our qualified Optometrists or Dr. Sepulveda himself. You will always meet our surgeon (s) before your surgery. Dr. Sepulveda and his professional team reside in San Antonio and are committed to changing the lives of its residents by improving their vision and freeing them from glasses. One thing that makes Dr. Sepulveda unique is his multi-specialty training, which allows him to catch subtle changes in the Cornea and Retina that may impact the outcome of your cataract surgery. Our lens recommendations are based on the global health of your eyes and the lifestyle you want to achieve after surgery. Our four offices are all equipped with the latest technology to deliver the results you deserve.

You only get one set of eyes, and one body. Before anyone operates on either, know exactly who they are, what training they have, and who they answer to.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not medical or legal advice. The case described involves allegations in pending litigation that have not been proven.

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