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ABC NEWS BOCA RATON, FLORIDA Stephanie Kuleba, an 18-year-old senior at West Boca Raton High School, died after complications arose during breast augmentation surgery. (ABC News) High school senior Stephanie Kuleba had everything going for her -- she was the well-liked captain of her varsity cheerleading team at West Boca High School and was fielding scholarship offers from Tulane University in New Orleans and Florida State. The 18-year-old's promising life was cut short Saturday after she suffered a fatal reaction to anesthesia during corrective breast augmentation surgery. Nearly two hours into the surgery, Kuleba was rushed to Delray Medical Center, where she died 24 hours later, said the family's attorney Roberto Stanziale. Kuleba was undergoing surgery to correct asymmetrical breasts and an inverted areola, Stanziale said. Doctors believe the cause of death was malignant hyperthermia, a relatively rare metabolic condition that can be triggered by certain anesthesia. A patient's heart rate and metabolism rises, causing the body temperature to rise 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 in a statement. Kuleba's friends at West Boca Raton High School expressed shock and sadness. As her grief-stricken family members wait for a definitive answer about Kuleba's death, they cannot ignore the cruel irony that their daughter aspired to study medicine and become a plastic surgeon.
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