Several Miami patients say a trip to a local medspa ended with serious, life-altering injuries after cosmetic procedures performed at a clinic run by Enrico Guarino, who they say presented himself as a doctor. The treatments, advertised as minimally invasive laser and “endo” lifts, allegedly led to infections, nerve damage and tissue death in multiple clients. Some patients needed surgery or hospital care, at least one has already filed suit, and others say they are still juggling medical bills and corrective treatments while regulators quietly dig in.
Patients describe burns, infections and lasting damage
As reported by the Miami Herald, patients including Paola Berretti and Maria Cantone say their procedures at Guarino Academy went catastrophically wrong. Berretti told the Herald she spent five days in the hospital on intravenous antibiotics after developing an infection and estimates she is facing about $14,000 in medical bills. Cantone said she woke up with severe swelling in her face and neck, along with paralysis on the left side of her face, and later underwent reconstructive surgery that cost several thousand dollars.
At least one lawsuit alleges negligent laser use
A lawsuit filed Feb. 24, 2026, in Miami-Dade County by plaintiff Tatiana Magarik names Enrico Guarino and related Evoskin entities, accusing the clinic of negligent laser use that allegedly caused “severe burning and tissue death” to her neck, according to court records from Trellis.law. The XLase Plus laser that a vendor linked to the practice appears in the federal FDA 510(k) device listings, even as documents and patient accounts reference an “Endo One” technique that is not clearly identified in the federal summaries, according to FDA 510(k) records.
Marketing, titles and device claims
Company pages and promotional posts tied to the clinic present Guarino as an international aesthetic physician and instructor of the Endo One technique, phrasing that patients say gave them confidence to sign up for the procedures. EvoSkin materials and public professional profiles list him with medical titles and highlight his training and teaching role. The gap between those glossy claims and what appears in official regulatory paperwork now sits at the center of patient complaints and the ongoing state inquiry.
What Florida rules require
Florida law is not exactly casual about lasers. State statutes and board rules place tight limits on who can perform laser and light-based procedures and generally require physician supervision or specific electrologist credentials for many treatments. As summarized by LegalClarity, Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B8-56.002 and related provisions spell out protocols and supervision requirements for non-physician providers. Those rules are a key reason regulators, attorneys and patients are now poring over how the medspa’s procedures were staffed, documented and marketed.
State probe and next steps
The Florida Department of Health's investigative services unit has confirmed it is reviewing complaints against Guarino, and reporting describes an administrative complaint that alleges misrepresentation of academic credentials. The Miami Herald also notes that Guarino is licensed in Florida as a registered nurse. His lawyer told the Herald he would not comment because of the pending administrative case. For now, patients and their attorneys are pressing ahead with civil claims while the state’s review continues in the background.
