Cosmetic surgery is still surgery. Patients undergoing liposuction, body contouring, skin-removal procedures, and other cosmetic treatments have the right to expect that their surgeon and medical team will follow accepted standards of medical care.
Sono Bello operates cosmetic surgery and body-contouring centers throughout the United States and describes itself as a leading provider of laser-assisted liposuction and body transformation procedures. According to Sono Bello, its procedures are performed in accredited surgical facilities, generally using local anesthesia, and its surgeons and staff follow established safety protocols.
Most patients may undergo cosmetic procedures without serious complications. But when a patient suffers a significant injury, infection, disfigurement, hospitalization, permanent impairment, or death following a Sono Bello procedure, an important question arises:
Was the complication an unavoidable risk of the procedure—or was it caused or worsened by medical negligence?
For Florida patients, the answer may determine whether there is a viable medical malpractice claim against the surgeon, other healthcare providers, a Sono Bello-related entity, or potentially multiple defendants.
Can You Sue Sono Bello for Medical Malpractice?
Potentially, yes.
A bad cosmetic result or known surgical complication does not automatically establish medical malpractice. A viable claim generally requires evidence that a healthcare provider failed to meet the applicable standard of care and that this failure caused or substantially contributed to the patient's injuries.
Florida law defines medical malpractice claims as claims arising from the rendering or failure to render medical care or services.
Depending on the circumstances, a claim involving treatment at a Sono Bello facility could potentially involve allegations against:
- The surgeon who performed the procedure;
- Nurses or other clinical personnel;
- The medical practice or entity responsible for providing the treatment;
- The entity responsible for the surgical facility;
- Other healthcare providers involved in preoperative or postoperative care; or
- Multiple individuals or entities whose conduct contributed to the injury.
Determining the correct defendants can be particularly important in cases involving corporate healthcare organizations because the name patients recognize from advertising may not necessarily be the same legal entity that employed or contracted with the medical professionals involved in their care.
What Procedures Can Lead to Sono Bello Medical Malpractice Claims?
Sono Bello is primarily associated with cosmetic body-contouring procedures, including laser-assisted liposuction and skin-removal or body-contouring procedures.
Sono Bello states that its procedures generally use local rather than general anesthesia and that its facilities maintain protocols involving patient screening, infection prevention, emergency preparedness, medication management, and postoperative monitoring.
When investigating a malpractice claim, those areas may become important because the question is not simply whether a complication occurred. The investigation should determine why it occurred, whether it should have been prevented, and whether the medical team responded appropriately once warning signs appeared.
Examples of Potential Medical Negligence During Liposuction or Body-Contouring Surgery
Medical malpractice allegations following cosmetic surgery can take many forms. Depending upon the medical evidence, potential negligence may include:
Failure to Properly Screen the Patient
Not every person seeking cosmetic surgery is an appropriate candidate.
Before surgery, the medical team may need to evaluate the patient's medical history, medications, cardiovascular risk, clotting risk, prior surgeries, infection risk, and other conditions that could affect the safety of the procedure.
Sono Bello's own published safety materials identify proper patient screening as an important component of surgical safety.
If significant risk factors were overlooked or ignored and the patient suffered a preventable complication, the preoperative screening process may become an important part of a malpractice investigation.
Excessive or Improper Liposuction
Liposuction requires careful surgical judgment concerning the areas treated, amount of tissue and fluid removed, technique used, and overall condition of the patient.
A malpractice investigation may examine whether the surgeon removed an excessive amount of fat, treated too many areas during one procedure, damaged surrounding tissue, or otherwise performed the procedure in a manner inconsistent with the applicable standard of care.
Organ or Internal Injury
Liposuction involves inserting surgical instruments beneath the skin. In rare cases, deeper structures can be injured.
Potential injuries may involve:
- Bowel perforation;
- Abdominal wall injury;
- Internal bleeding;
- Blood vessel damage;
- Nerve injury; or
- Injury to surrounding organs or tissues.
When an internal injury occurs, the medical response afterward can be just as important as how the original injury occurred.
Infection and Sepsis
Postoperative infection can become life-threatening if it is not identified and treated promptly.
Symptoms such as increasing pain, redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, fever, chills, weakness, rapid heart rate, confusion, or other signs of systemic illness may require urgent medical evaluation.
Sono Bello reports an infection rate below 0.4%, but even a statistically uncommon complication can be devastating for the individual patient who experiences it.
A malpractice claim may arise when providers fail to recognize signs of infection, delay antibiotics, fail to order appropriate testing, or fail to transfer a deteriorating patient to a hospital.
Failure to Diagnose a Surgical Complication
Some of the most serious medical malpractice cases do not necessarily involve the initial complication itself. Instead, the negligence may involve a failure to recognize and appropriately treat the complication after it develops.
For example, a patient may repeatedly complain of severe pain, fever, swelling, shortness of breath, weakness, unusual drainage, or worsening symptoms.
If those complaints are dismissed as part of the "normal recovery process" when they actually indicate a serious complication, valuable treatment time may be lost.
Failure to Transfer the Patient to a Hospital
An outpatient cosmetic surgery facility has limitations.
If a patient develops symptoms requiring emergency diagnostic testing, advanced imaging, intravenous antibiotics, blood transfusion, emergency surgery, intensive care, or other hospital-level treatment, timely transfer can be critical.
A malpractice investigation may therefore examine when the patient's condition first indicated the need for emergency evaluation and how long it took before that evaluation occurred.
Medication or Local Anesthesia Errors
Even when general anesthesia is not used, medication-related complications can occur.
Potential claims could involve improper dosing, failure to consider drug interactions, failure to account for the patient's medical conditions, inadequate monitoring, or failure to recognize symptoms of medication or anesthetic toxicity.
Blood Clots and Pulmonary Embolism
Surgical patients can be at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism.
A blood clot that travels to the lungs can become a medical emergency. Depending on the circumstances, a malpractice case may examine whether appropriate risk assessment occurred and whether symptoms such as leg swelling, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, or low oxygen levels were appropriately investigated.
Burns, Skin Necrosis, and Tissue Damage
Body-contouring and laser-assisted procedures can potentially result in burns, tissue injury, skin necrosis, scarring, or other damage.
The existence of one of these complications alone does not establish malpractice. The important question is whether the injury resulted from negligent technique, inappropriate settings or equipment use, inadequate monitoring, vascular compromise, or delayed recognition and treatment.
Is a Poor Cosmetic Result Medical Malpractice?
Not necessarily.
Patients may be unhappy with asymmetry, contour irregularities, loose skin, scarring, or simply not achieving the appearance they expected.
An unsatisfactory cosmetic outcome is different from medical negligence.
A malpractice claim becomes more likely when there is evidence of an actual departure from accepted medical standards that causes injury—for example, serious tissue damage, infection, nerve damage, organ injury, permanent disfigurement, or the need for substantial corrective medical treatment.
This distinction is one reason medical expert review is so important.
Does Signing a Consent Form Prevent a Medical Malpractice Claim?
No—not automatically.
Cosmetic surgery patients are typically advised that procedures carry risks and complications. Informed consent is important, but consenting to a known risk is not the same as consenting to negligent medical care.
For example, infection may be a recognized risk of surgery. But if an infection develops and healthcare providers negligently fail to diagnose or treat it, the fact that the patient signed a consent form acknowledging infection as a possible complication does not necessarily excuse negligent postoperative care.
Likewise, a patient may accept the possibility of scarring without accepting negligent surgical technique that causes preventable tissue destruction or severe disfigurement.
What Evidence Is Important in a Sono Bello Malpractice Case?
A thorough investigation may require obtaining substantially more than the patient's basic medical chart.
Potential evidence can include:
- Sono Bello medical and surgical records;
- Preoperative evaluations;
- Medical history questionnaires;
- Consent forms;
- Operative reports;
- Nursing documentation;
- Medication administration records;
- Photographs taken before and after surgery;
- Telephone records and postoperative communications;
- Text messages or patient-portal communications;
- Emergency room records;
- Hospital admission records;
- Laboratory and imaging results;
- Records from subsequent surgeons or specialists;
- Photographs documenting progression of the injury;
- Bills and medical expenses;
- Evidence of lost income; and
- Expert medical opinions.
The timeline can be particularly important. Establishing when symptoms began, when the patient reported them, what the medical team was told, and how the providers responded may reveal whether a complication was appropriately managed.
The Importance of Photographs
Photographs can be especially powerful evidence in cosmetic surgery malpractice cases.
Patients should consider preserving photographs showing the progression of visible injuries such as:
- Swelling;
- Bruising;
- Burns;
- Open wounds;
- Infection;
- Drainage;
- Skin discoloration;
- Necrosis;
- Scarring;
- Tissue loss; and
- Permanent disfigurement.
Original photographs should be preserved whenever possible rather than relying solely on images uploaded to social media or sent through text messages.
Medical Experts Are Critical in Florida Malpractice Cases
Florida imposes specific presuit requirements on medical malpractice plaintiffs.
Before sending a notice of intent to initiate medical negligence litigation, the claimant must conduct a reasonable investigation to determine whether there are grounds to believe that a prospective defendant was negligent and that the negligence caused injury. Florida law generally requires those reasonable grounds to be corroborated by a verified written medical expert opinion.
The appropriate expert depends upon the allegations.
A case might require review by a plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon, general surgeon, infectious disease physician, emergency medicine physician, wound-care specialist, nurse, or another appropriately qualified medical professional.
In serious cases, multiple experts may be necessary to address different aspects of liability and damages.
Florida's Medical Malpractice Presuit Process
A Florida medical malpractice case generally cannot simply be filed immediately after an attorney concludes that negligence may have occurred.
Florida law establishes a detailed presuit process.
After completing the required investigation, the claimant generally must serve prospective defendants with a notice of intent to initiate medical negligence litigation. The notice must comply with statutory requirements, including requirements concerning medical records and authorization for disclosure of relevant health information.
During the presuit period, the parties may exchange information and evaluate the allegations before a lawsuit proceeds.
Failure to properly comply with Florida's medical malpractice presuit requirements can jeopardize an otherwise legitimate claim, making early legal investigation particularly important.
How Long Do You Have to File a Sono Bello Medical Malpractice Claim in Florida?
Florida medical malpractice deadlines can be complicated.
Generally, an action for medical malpractice must be commenced within two years from the incident or within two years from when the incident was discovered, or should have been discovered through due diligence. Florida also generally imposes a four-year statute of repose measured from the underlying incident, subject to statutory exceptions. Different rules can apply in circumstances involving fraud, concealment, intentional misrepresentation, and minors.
These deadlines should not be calculated casually.
Medical malpractice cases require time to obtain records, identify prospective defendants, consult qualified medical experts, complete the presuit investigation, and satisfy Florida's statutory notice requirements.
If you believe you suffered a serious injury following a Sono Bello procedure, waiting until the statute of limitations is approaching can make investigation of the claim significantly more difficult.
What Damages May Be Recoverable?
When medical negligence causes significant injury, recoverable damages may depend on the facts of the case and can potentially include compensation for:
- Past medical expenses;
- Future medical care;
- Corrective or reconstructive surgery;
- Hospitalization;
- Rehabilitation and wound care;
- Lost wages;
- Loss of future earning capacity;
- Pain and suffering;
- Mental anguish;
- Permanent scarring;
- Disfigurement;
- Disability; and
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
When alleged medical negligence results in death, eligible survivors and the estate may potentially pursue damages through a Florida wrongful death and medical malpractice claim, subject to Florida law.
What Should You Do If You Believe You Were Injured at Sono Bello?
First, obtain appropriate medical care. Serious or worsening postoperative symptoms should not be ignored while a patient attempts to determine whether malpractice occurred.
Once the immediate medical issues are addressed, preserving evidence becomes important.
Keep copies of photographs, emails, text messages, discharge instructions, medication lists, bills, receipts, and communications with the facility. Write down a chronology while events are still fresh, including when symptoms started, whom you contacted, what you reported, and what you were told.
Avoid altering or deleting photographs or communications.
You should also consider requesting complete copies of your medical records and consulting a Florida medical malpractice attorney promptly enough to permit a meaningful investigation.
How a Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Investigate a Sono Bello Claim
An attorney investigating a serious injury following a Sono Bello procedure may need to determine:
- What happened medically?
- Was the complication preventable?
- Did the surgeon comply with the applicable standard of care?
- Were warning signs recognized promptly?
- Was postoperative care appropriate?
- Should the patient have been transferred to a hospital sooner?
- Did a delay in treatment worsen the injury?
- Which physicians, medical practices, facilities, or corporate entities may bear legal responsibility?
- What permanent injuries and future medical needs resulted?
The answers generally require analysis of the medical records together with review by appropriately qualified medical experts.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sono Bello Medical Malpractice Claims
Can I sue Sono Bello because my liposuction went wrong?
Possibly. A complication or disappointing result by itself does not establish malpractice. There must generally be evidence that negligent medical care caused or worsened the injury.
Can I bring a claim if I developed an infection after Sono Bello surgery?
Potentially. Infection is a recognized surgical risk, but negligence may occur if providers fail to take appropriate precautions or fail to recognize and treat an infection in a timely manner.
Can I sue if I was hospitalized after a Sono Bello procedure?
Hospitalization alone does not prove malpractice. However, an unexpected hospitalization for sepsis, internal injury, blood loss, pulmonary embolism, severe infection, tissue necrosis, or another serious complication may justify investigation by a medical malpractice attorney.
What if Sono Bello told me my symptoms were normal?
That can be an important issue. The question is whether a reasonably careful healthcare provider should have recognized that the symptoms represented something more serious and ordered additional evaluation, treatment, or hospital transfer.
What if I signed documents acknowledging the risks?
Acknowledging surgical risks does not necessarily waive a patient's right to pursue a claim for negligent medical treatment. The precise consent documents and circumstances should be reviewed by counsel.
Who would be sued—the surgeon or Sono Bello?
That depends on the facts and legal relationships involved. The surgeon, professional medical entity, facility operator, nurses, other healthcare providers, and potentially other entities may need to be investigated before the appropriate defendants can be determined.
How do I know whether I actually have a case?
The most reliable way is to obtain the complete medical records, reconstruct the timeline, and have the treatment evaluated by an attorney and appropriately qualified medical expert.
Injured After a Sono Bello Procedure in Florida? Consider Having the Case Investigated
Cosmetic surgery patients accept that every surgical procedure carries risks. They do not, however, surrender their right to competent medical care.
When a Sono Bello patient experiences a serious complication, the critical legal question is whether the injury was an unavoidable surgical risk or whether negligent surgery, inadequate patient screening, improper postoperative care, failure to recognize complications, or delayed emergency treatment caused or worsened the harm.
Florida medical malpractice cases are complex and subject to strict presuit and filing requirements. If you or a family member suffered a serious injury following a Sono Bello liposuction or body-contouring procedure in Florida, consider speaking with an experienced Florida medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.
J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo, P.A. represents individuals and families in serious medical malpractice claims throughout Florida. Contact our office for a free, confidential consultation to discuss whether your Sono Bello injury may warrant further investigation.
Have you or someone you know been injured as a result of medical malpractice? Contact Florida Hospital and Medical Malpractice Lawyer J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo by dialing his direct number at (786) 272-5841, calling the main office at (305) 461-1095, or Toll Free at 1 (866) 71-CLAIM or email Miami Attorney Gonzalez-Sirgo directly at jp@yourattorneys.com or by text at (305) 929-8935.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
