Sono Bello Lawsuit

A Sono Bello lawsuit is a medical malpractice or wrongful death claim filed by a patient seriously harmed during liposuction, AbEX, or body contouring at the national cosmetic surgery chain. Common grounds include undertrained surgeons, untreated infections, and lidocaine toxicity. Texas patients who suffered catastrophic injury, or who lost a loved one, may qualify to file.

Call 210-366-4949 for a free, confidential consultation.

Has Sono Bello Ever Been Sued?: Litigation After NBC News & KFF Health News Investigation Into Cosmetic Surgery Chains

Yes, many medical authorities and court records show Sono Bello has been sued for malpractice. A lengthy investigation by KFF Health News and NBC News found that cosmetic surgery chains, including Sono Bello, have faced “scores of lawsuits” alleging medical negligence. Twelve of the lawsuits filed over the past seven years included preventable death.

NBC News and KFF Health News’ reporting teams described how patients nationwide allege that some facilities lacked medical staff capable of safely performing plastic surgery and some surgeons lacked the training and experience needed to provide plastic surgery-specific medical services. Patients also allege high-pressure sales tactics and downplaying safety risks, particularly given the risks associated with a lack of high-quality doctors specializing in plastic surgery. Generally, the plastic surgery company disputes the claims despite private settlements indicating the company failed to provide patients with adequate surgical care or recovery care.

For context, the booming business, Sono Bello, operates under the names Aesthetic Physicians, P.C. and Body Contour Centers, LLC. It boasts over 3,000 mommy makeovers, tummy tucks, liposcutions, and other body-contouring procedures across over 80 locations. While you can’t judge medical quality based on size, when a single Sono Bello lawsuit succeeds, the pattern of substandard care can affect victims nationwide.

If you or a loved one suffered from plastic surgery complications at Sono Bello in Texas, our San Antonio medical malpractice lawyers can help you seek compensation.

Common Allegations & Medical Board Actions Against Sono Bello Surgeons

Sono Bello has defended over 60 medical malpractice cases since 2013. Patients filed seven malpractice cases against Sono Bello in September 2025. That total includes at least four patient deaths. They denied the allegations in all cases; however, three of the four women’s families have already settled on confidential terms. The last is pending.

Public reports highlight significant scrutiny of Sono Bello’s medical practices and safety protocols. According to the NBC News and KFF Health News investigation, as well as court filings, many patients’ lawsuits argue the same critical issues:

• Patients allege misleading advertising pitches regarding surgeon or staff qualifications after hiring doctors who aren’t board-certified or adequately trained. Cases argue that doctors reportedly complete a 6-8 week internal training program that lacks accreditation, such as being board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• Multistate surgery chains may still hire doctors or surgeons with “troubled pasts”, including doctors who have faced licensing board actions, multiple malpractice suits, and other issues. While the company disputes a lack of training, court records show that surgeons’ problems in the past don’t automatically disqualify a doctor from being hired. This generally isn’t true for other company physicians.
• Patients report high-pressure sales tactics encouraging immediate scheduling and doctors assuring the plastic surgery carried minimal risk.
• According to the lengthy investigation by NBC and KFF Health News, at least five patients alleged surgeons or support staff members dismissed surgical wound complications. Cases allege that staff returned calls and discouraged patients from going to an emergency department after reporting potential plastic surgery complications. This includes failing to recognize signs of infections, including sepsis, and signs of anesthesia and lidocaine toxicity after tummy tucks, mommy makeovers, and other complex surgeries.
• Wrongful death from complications such as pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest, or drug toxicity

State medical boards license doctors and are medical authorities who investigate and discipline them. However, it’s difficult to regulate unlicensed facilities, and being board certified doesn’t mean the surgeon is certified in plastic surgery. Before any elective procedure, patients can verify a surgeon’s Texas license and disciplinary history through the Texas Medical Board and confirm whether a surgeon holds board certification in plastic surgery through the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Common Sono Bello Complications and Patient Injuries

Body contouring is surgery, and even elective procedures carry risk. The complications below appear repeatedly in cosmetic surgery lawsuits against Sono Bello surgery companies.

Infection, Sepsis, and Untreated Complications

Cosmetic surgery puts patients at risk for infections. Over two-thirds of all cosmetic surgery cases involve postoperative complications. Many lawsuits allege the cases involve postoperative visits; the plastic surgeon fails to adequately diagnose or treat patients with infections or other serious complications. When infections or similiar post op complications are dismissed, they progress into sepsis. Allegedly, many patients’ concerns were dismissed. They were reportedly told not to seek emergency care.

Failing to escalate a patient with severely weakened condition or signs of a life-threatening condition is a recognized form of medical negligence, whether the harm involves untreated hospital-acquired and surgical infections or the missed symptoms behind claims for sepsis. Either can turn a seemingly routine surgery into a fatal one.

Anesthetic Lidocaine Toxicity & Anesthetic Errors

Liposuction uses tumescent fluid containing large volumes of the local anesthetic lidocaine. When a plastic surgeon uses more fluids than necessary, the lidocaine becomes toxic. Plastic surgery companies must carefully calculate dosing and monitor patients for possible surgical complications, but many don’t, according to the suits filed against clinics. This is why lidocaine and anesthesia injuries feature in some of the most severe cosmetic surgery claims, including fatal ones.

Visceral Perforations & Internal Punctures

If the cannula punctures the abdominal wall during liposuction, it can perforate the bowel or other organs, spilling contents into the abdomen and triggering a nasty infection. These organ damage claims, including bowel and bile duct perforations, are painful complications that require emergency surgery.

Pulmonary Embolism & Blood Clot

Long procedures, such as mommy makeovers, raise the risk of plastic surgery complications, particularly blood clots. When clots travel to the lungs, a pulmonary embolism can be fatal within hours. Shortness of breath, chest pain, and leg swelling demand immediate attention. Reported cosmetic surgery deaths have been attributed to failure to treat patients or send them to the emergency room. Additionally, claims allege a lack of hospital privileges for many surgeons working at the cosmetic surgery chain.

Wrongful Death After Sono Bello Surgery

The most tragic medical malpractice cases filed against the cosmetic surgery chain clinics end in death, whether from failure to promptly treat painful infections, drug toxicity, embolism, or other complications. Families may pursue claims for their loss. If a loved one suffered a preventable death after surgery, a Sono Bello malpractice lawyer can work with clinically qualified experts to determine whether the death was caused by negligence, rather than an accepted plastic surgery risk.

“Sono Bello Nightmare”: Reported Cases & Outcomes

Search “Sono Bello nightmare,” and you find numerous patients submitting photos and reporting complications after surgical procedures. The following are what local news coverage and court records show. Each reflects allegations or settlements, not proven findings of wrongdoing, and Sono Bello denies the allegations against them.

• Aura Javellana: Court records show the parties settled for about $1.8 million after Javellana died after a recent liposuction at a Washington Sono Bello center, with lidocaine dosing central to the malpractice case.
• Cynthia “Cindy” Burgess: The family’s legal team wrote that Burgess died mid July 2025 from an infection following liposuction and an AbEX skin-removal procedure at a Florida Sono Bello center.
• Erin Schaeffer: According to the complaint, Schaeffer suffered a severe infection and surgical wound complications after a tummy tuck and liposuction procedure at the Jacksonville Sono Bello office. The lawsuit alleges that a surgeon who wasn’t board-certified in cosmetic or plastic surgery performed her procedure. It accuses a board-certified OBGYN of lacking adequate training to perform cosmetic surgery. Surgeon Robert Centeno, Sono Bello’s medical director for the East Region, said in an interview that its surgeons undergo “very rigorous training.”
• Shirley Webb: Court records show that patients with a higher BMI are at a higher risk. However, for surgeons working at Sono Bello centers, they pay better. Shirley Webb paid $14,703 for an AbEX tummy tuck and liposuction at the booming business, Sono Bello, in Las Vegas, according to the KFF Health News and NBC News reporting team. According to the suit, Webb was later diagnosed with “severe sepsis with shock.” After months of hospitalization and rehabilitation care, she racked up over $2.6 million in medical expenses. The Sono Bello surgeon testified that her procedure earned him an extra $2,000. The claim alleges the surgeon had only completed a short period of medical education courses at the clinic. All defendants denied the allegations. The case settled on confidential terms.
• Joshua Kiernan: Kiernan visited the South Carolina office, complaining of a painful infection after falling in a gym parking lot. The plastic surgeon, Rhodes, had an office staff member take a photo but didn’t examine him personally. According to the suit, Rhodes said it “looked fine” via text. Five days later, the patient required emergency hospital treatment for “abdominal hematoma and infection.” According to the complaint, Kiernan underwent six surgical procedures totaling $325,000. Like the other cases, Sono Bello denies the allegations.
• Mary Anne Garcia: According to the suit, a Sono Bello nurse in Chicago allegedly failed to alert doctors when Mary Anne Garcia, an Illinois woman who underwent liposuction 3 weeks earlier, returned. She was dizzy, had a rapid heartbeat, and showed other signs of distress. However, the complaint alleged that registered nurse Lucia Raddatz didn’t alert doctors or urge Garcia to seek emergency care, despite signs of worsening surgical complications. Garcia died the next day due to cardiac arrest, according to the suit filed by Garcia’s estate. Court records show that an emergency room physician hired as an expert in Garcia’s case opined that if she’d gone to the emergency department, she wouldn’t have died. The suit names Raddatz and Sono Bello as defendants.
• Lisa Farris: After a recent liposuction and tummy tuck procedure in Addison, Farris reported a “nasty infection” with a “foul fluid” leaking from the incision site. The court records state that the Sono Bello nurse told Farris she “absolutely should not go” to the emergency room. The nurse said Farris “only needed to reinforce her dressing to collect the fluid drainage and give it time.” However, Farris knew she required emergency wound care. The emergency room physician diagnosed her with sepsis from postoperative complications. The Texas woman’s legal team wrote, “left untreated, sepsis can lead to death.’ We agree. Like the other suits, Sono Bello officials decline to discuss malpractice cases filed by Farris or other patients, citing patient privacy laws. The company physicians dispute Farris’ claims, and the claim is set for trial in early 2027.

The Addison Sono Bello lawsuit involving Lisa Farris is a reminder that these are not distant, out-of-state events. Texas patients have brought claims too.

Dare Ajibade Lawsuit & the San Antonio Connection

For San Antonio Sono Bello patients, one court filing hits especially close to home. A patient’s estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against plastic surgeon Dare Ajibade after a death described as “horrifying.”

Susan Easley was an International Development executive. Described as “the most incredible woman,” she spent decades working on Aids projects in Africa, and died after an AirSculpt liposuction and fat transfer operation at Elite Body Sculpture, a Virginia surgery office. Her son Gavin found her body in the short-term apartment/recovery house and later recalled the “horrifying thought” of what transpired before his mother died. He said he struggled to understand what happened after the medical transportation service took her from the Virginia surgery office to the temporary apartment operating under the guise of a recovery home.

According to the complaint, the Virginia surgery center discharged her prematurely given signs of local anesthetic systemic toxicity, a dangerous condition resulting from lidocaine overdose. According to the suit, Susan Easley called and reported complications involving “multiple instances of nausea and vomiting”. Virginia attorney Peter Anderson said in an interview that staff didn’t take Susan Easley’s call seriously despite Easley presenting with “clear signs and symptoms” of problems. The suit alleges that Easley died due to an “excessive amount” of lidocaine, and the failure to recognize persistent vomiting afterward as an emergency.

AirSculpt is branded under Elite Body Sculpture. This is a Miami Beach-based chain that was founded by cosmetic surgeon Aaron Rollins and is financed by private equity investors. Neither the company nor its founder, Rollins, responded to reporters’ repeated requests for comment on the allegations or lawsuits filed against him.

The local connection:

Easley’s AirSculpt liposuction and fat transfer operation was performed at the branded Virginia surgery center, not Sono Bello. The case hasn’t been resolved.

According to KFF Health News, Dr. Ajibade, the defendant plastic surgeon named in the Susan Easley court filing, has since relocated and now practices at Sono Bello in Texas. Patients can verify any physician’s Texas license and disciplinary history through the Texas Medical Board before scheduling with the cosmetic surgery center.

What Qualifies For a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Against Sono Bello in Texas?

Unfortunately, patients who suffer minimal complications aren’t eligible for filing lawsuits, generally. Our firm handles patient lawsuits for serious injuries and wrongful death after a seemingly routine surgery. If you suffered the following or other serious complications, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against Sono Bello medical staff or surgery centers:

• A patient died or suffered catastrophic, permanent injury after a Sono Bello procedure
• Medical staff failed to adequately treat infections or provide patients with adequate postoperative care
• The injury involved anesthesia or lidocaine toxicity, organ or nerve damage, fat embolism or similar post op complications
• The medical staff allegedly neglected to escalate care or assured patients they didn’t need to visit an emergency room after showing clear signs of infection, experiencing significant hypotension, or other worsening surgical complications
• The plastic surgeon lacked adequate training or credentials
• A cosmetic surgery center discharged you before your condition was stable
• The surgery center lacked adequate medical staff members or lacked local hospital privileges to provide emergency care
• You have medical records and evidence documenting harm

If you’re unsure whether you suffered from negligent surgical care at Sono Bello, our legal team can help you understand what counts as medical malpractice in Texas. The four elements of negligence:

• establishing plastic surgeons owe a legal duty of care
• show they breached that duty by failing to provide adequate care,
• prove substandard care caused the injury, and
• link the injury to measurable losses.

For a free consultation, call 210-366-4949. We can help you determine your legal options.

Can I Sue Sono Bello If I Signed a Consent Form That Included an Arbitration Agreement Clause?

Yes, arbitration or consent forms don’t block patients from suing negligent plastic surgery clinics. While they can shift disputes out of the public, the vast majority of these forms are easily challenged, narrowed, or found unenforceable.

These agreements are common because the plastic surgery industry has been described as a “cottage industry.” There is little agreement across states on what patients must know before signing, with a wide variation in how clearly arbitration clauses are disclosed. This includes forms covering surgery, payments, and where patients recover, whether that’s a hotel room, a recovery house, or another facility.

Patients who pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for plastic surgery are typically handed a stack of documents. Consent language is often overlooked.

Valid consent and arbitration clauses don’t decide negligence. Patients who are medically cleared for surgery and later suffer preventable complications have the same facts to prove. If you signed paperwork, a Texas Sono Bello attorney can determine whether you have a valid claim.

Potential Damages In A Sono Bello Settlement or Verdict

Successful lawsuits filed against Sono Bello surgeons can recover compensation for the following and more, depending on the situation:

• Past medical bills for emergency hospital treatment, corrective surgery, and ongoing medical support
• Lost wages and earning capacity
• Pain and suffering, compensation for disfiguring injuries, mental anguish
• Wrongful death damages in fatal cases, including funeral costs, loss of companionship, etc.

Catastrophic injuries require lifelong care. When a patient sustains permanent injuries after suffering untreated complications or other types of negligence, our Sono Bello malpractice lawyers build the case around future medical costs, not just past medical expenses.

Texas Laws For Cosmetic Surgery Malpractice Suits

A claim against Sono Bello is a healthcare liability claim, governed by Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 74.

The Statute of Limitations for medical malpractice cases filed in Texas is typically two years from the date of negligence or death. The state provides limited exceptions for delayed discovery.

In Texas, plaintiffs must serve a medical expert report on each defendant, generally within 120 days of the defendant answering. The report must show how the medical professional or surgeon deviated from the Texas standard of medical care and how the failure to provide adequate care resulted in harm.

Texas caps damages for non-economic losses at $250,000 per individual provider in malpractice cases, with separate limits for facilities. It doesn’t cap non-economic damages, such as medical bills and lost wages.

We Help Families & Injured Patients Treated At Sono Bello Locations Across Texas

Many patients have accused cosmetic surgery chains of negligence. Our law firm represents clients across Texas who are harmed by multistate surgery chains. Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Del Rio, Lubbock, McAllen, Tyler, Waco, and Wichita Falls do not have dedicated on-site surgery centers, but our attorneys do represent victims in these areas, as well.

San Antonio Sono Bello Lawsuit

The San Antonio Sono Bello sits at 3602 Paesanos Parkway, near Shavano Park. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one, a San Antonio Sono Bello lawyer can help pursue a lawsuit against the medical office from our local San Antonio malpractice firm.

Austin Sono Bello Lawsuit

Austin Sono Bello malpractice lawsuits are almost exclusively structural because of how Travis County District Court cases are handled. When an Austin patient files a lawsuit in Travis County District Court, Sono Bello’s official defense team immediately files a motion to compel the arbitration agreement. So, while Austin Sono Bello malpractice lawsuits don’t get a trial, patients can receive private payouts.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured, an experienced Austin Sono Bello lawyer can help file a malpractice suit against negligent facilities or surgeons.

Houston Sono Bello Lawsuit & DVA Plastic Surgery Lawsuit

The scale of the Houston Sono Bello center in Houston and The Woodlands means high volumes of surgical procedures and possible surgical complications.

Houston is also home to DVA Plastic Surgery, led by Dr. Dare V. Ajibade, the defendant surgeon in the pending, horrifying Susan Easley case. Dr. Dare Ajibade’s lawsuit arose from a procedure at Elite Body Sculpture, not at Sono Bello or DVA Plastic Surgery. However, after KFF Health News reviewed the case, they determined Dr. Ajibade is also connected to DVA Plastic Surgery in the Houston area.

Additionally, Dr. Dare Ajibade was issued a Remedial Plan after the Texas Medical Board found he failed to meet the standard of care during a liposuction procedure. The Texas Medical Board required him to continue licensing board-approved medical education, pass the jurisprudence exam, and meet other requirements.

There is currently a lawsuit filed in Harris County court against Dr. Ajibade and DVA Plastic Surgery. Court records show the DVA Plastic Surgery lawsuit is open. According to the court filing, a trial has been set.

These are distinct matters. Apart from the Texas Medical Board Action, each remains a pending allegation.

If you were seriously injured or lost a loved one after cosmetic surgery at Sono Bello or DVA Plastic Surgery in Houston, our attorneys can determine whether the patient’s injury resulted from negligent medical practices. We can also review evidence through the Texas Medical Board and other licensing boards.

Dallas-Fort Worth Sono Bello Lawsuit

We pursue claims against North Texas Sono Bello offices, including Addison and Fort Worth. The Addison location is where the Sono Bello nurse told Farris, a patient, not to go to the emergency room despite foul fluid from her incision, according to the KFF Health News review.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured or died following a procedure at the Addison or Fort Worth Sono Bello, our Dallas-Fort Worth Sono Bello lawyers can help you seek justice.

Why Choose a Texas Sono Bello Injury Lawyer At Janicek Law

For over 30 years, the San Antonio surgery malpractice lawyers at Janicek Law have represented injured patients and families across Texas. Cosmetic surgery cases demand medical experts, medical records review, and the financial resources to fight back against national chain clinics and their insurers. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, so clients don’t owe anything unless we win.

To schedule a free consultation with a Texas Sono Bello injury lawyer, call 210-366-4949 or use our contact form.