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Liposuction patient reeling after two arrests at beauty clinic where she was treated

Two arrested for not having medical licenses
Posted at 8:20 PM, Aug 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-03 02:36:04-04

"I almost had a heart attack. I saw it on last night's news," said a reeling 49-year-old Tampa area woman. "My husband looked at me last night and said, 'that could have been you and fortunately it wasn't.' I got lucky."

She shared her story with ABC Action News on the phone but only if we agreed to protect her identity.

"I could hear the little machine going,” she said. “I saw Dr. Kanzler over the little blue cover that they had from my neck down. I saw Claudia and Marlon was there."

Claudia Orozco and Marlon Barcelo are both in jail facing serious charges for performing liposuction procedures without a medical license.

The woman who talked to us about her experience is certain a board-certified doctor did her liposuction at Orozco Beauty Clinic on West Waters Avenue back in 2015.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the doctor did it but I can only speak from my experience."

But investigators say Orozco and Barcelo permanently disfigured at least four patients leaving them with serious pain and seeking treatment at local hospitals afterwards.

"We have true victims in this case that now are scarred for life," said Major Frank Losat of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The woman says her procedure was successful which makes it even harder to accept the arrests.

"I look fantastic. No problems. No infection."

Still she urges others to check out your doctor before you commit to a surgical procedure.