Chicago plastic surgeon Ayoub Sayeg is still allowed to operate, even after a Cook County jury hit him with a massive verdict in the death of one patient and reporters tied his work to seven other fatalities. The situation has patient safety advocates asking a blunt question: what exactly does it take to get a doctor sidelined in Illinois?
The verdict and the victim
In December 2024, a Cook County jury returned a $56 million verdict for the family of Idalia Corcoles, who attorneys say bled to death after liposuction and an abdominoplasty at a southwest-side clinic. Clifford Law Offices said post-judgment interest pushed the total judgment to about $66 million.
As detailed by CBS Chicago, testimony at trial included accusations that Sayeg failed to check on Corcoles after her procedure, even as she experienced internal bleeding.
Regulators' response
Despite the verdict and what the Chicago Tribune reported as links between Sayeg’s practice and eight patient deaths, Illinois regulators have not suspended or revoked his medical license. State records still list him as an actively practicing physician.
The Tribune reported that investigations into Sayeg have stretched over several years, with the state first probing his care after an earlier patient death more than five years ago. In other words, the system has been looking at him for a long time, yet he remains in business.
Families press for action
Lawyers for the Corcoles family, along with other victims' advocates, say the verdict shines a harsh light on gaps in oversight and are urging state officials to move with more urgency. Coverage by FOX 32 quoted family attorneys who labeled the care "abandonment" and argued that a civil verdict of this size should prompt a far tighter regulatory review.
How licensing reviews usually play out
In Illinois, administrative reviews of doctors’ licenses typically take months and often involve multiple steps, including hearings before an administrative law judge. Even a large civil verdict does not automatically trigger a suspension, as past cases have shown.
The Chicago Sun-Times has documented cases where Illinois regulators waited while out-of-state investigators weighed in. During those waits, some physicians were allowed to keep practicing while questions about their care hung in the air.
What to watch next
The next key move would come from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The agency could file formal charges or seek an emergency suspension, steps that would send the case into an administrative courtroom and could sharply limit or immediately halt Sayeg’s practice.
For now, reporting by the Chicago Tribune remains the most detailed public accounting of the allegations regulators are reviewing and of the families who say their loved ones paid the ultimate price.
Legal implications
The $56 million jury award is a civil judgment. It creates a steep financial liability but does not, on its own, produce criminal charges. Any criminal case would be up to prosecutors and would move on a separate track.
The Chicago Sun-Times and legal experts note that civil lawsuits, administrative licensing actions, and criminal investigations all follow their own rules and timelines. A huge civil verdict can put pressure on regulators and sometimes precedes disciplinary action, but it does not guarantee that the state will actually pull or suspend a doctor’s license.
