A Chicago plastic surgeon, Dr. Ayoub Sayeg, who was the subject of a $56 million verdict obtained by Clifford Law Offices in 2024 for medical malpractice, had his license suspended by the state of Illinois on July 7, 2026.
Bradley M. Cosgrove and Craig J. Squillace, partners at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a record $56 million verdict on behalf of a 39-year-old mother of four who died after undergoing liposuction and a tummy tuck at Dr. Sayeg’s clinic. This was the highest verdict or settlement against a plastic surgeon in the state of Illinois. With post-judgment interest, the court entered the judgment for $66.262 million.
In June 2026, The Chicago Tribune published a Sunday front-page story following an intensive investigation into this doctor’s practices, examining the deaths of eight women following cosmetic procedures performed by Dr. Sayeg, raising serious questions about patient safety, regulatory oversight and accountability in office-based surgical settings.
Clifford Law Offices worked with Chicago Tribune reporters in its months-long investigation with information Cosgrove and Squillace obtained for purposes of the 2024 trial.
The state concluded that Dr. Sayeg’s medical license would be suspended because “the public interest, safety and welfare imperatively require emergency action to prevent the continued practice of medicine by Ayoub Sayeg M.D. Respondent, in that Respondent’s actions constitute an immediate danger to the public.”
Camile Lindsay, Director of the Division of Professional Regulation of the State of Illinois, found that the facts set forth in the petition are sufficient to impose summary suspension in this matter.
“This action by the state should be a relief to patients everywhere that this doctor no longer can practice medicine in the state of Illinois,” Cosgrove said. “The decisive action by the state clearly shows that it is unafraid to investigate and take the proper course of action to protect its citizens. Unfortunately, it is too late for Idalia Corcoles and others who suffered at the hands of this terribly negligent surgeon.”
During the Corcoles trial, evidence showed that Mrs. Corcoles experienced significant warning signs following surgery, including abnormal vital signs and indications of internal bleeding. Testimony established that Dr. Sayeg never personally evaluated her after surgery despite her deteriorating condition. An ambulance was eventually called, but despite extensive efforts at the hospital, Mrs. Corcoles died the following day. The jury found in favor of her family after only a few hours of deliberation.
“The state must continue to be diligent in looking out for the welfare of innocent people at the hands of surgeons who clearly are not competent to practice medicine in Illinois,” Cosgrove said.