A Chicago plastic surgeon’s medical license will remain suspended through at least the end of the year after a judge dismissed his request to resume treating patients while the state’s disciplinary proceedings continue.
Dr. Ayoub Sayeg, who operates 63 Laser & Skin Clinic, sought a temporary restraining order in Sangamon County to block the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) from enforcing the suspension imposed on July 7. He alleged procedural errors by state regulators in handling the license action.
Circuit Judge Adam Giganti rejected Sayeg’s emergency petition on October 26, two days before a scheduled hearing in Springfield, agreeing with the state that the court lacks jurisdiction at this stage and that Sayeg must exhaust the administrative appeals process before seeking judicial intervention. A formal administrative hearing on Sayeg’s suspension is slated for late January.
Sayeg’s attorney, Michael Goldberg, indicated plans to seek reconsideration of the ruling but acknowledged the court’s decision "for now."
Illinois law permits regulators to immediately suspend a physician’s license without an initial hearing if there is evidence the practitioner poses an “immediate danger” to the public. Sayeg’s suspension followed a state inspection of his Southwest Side Chicago clinic this summer, which uncovered alleged violations after a lengthy investigation.
The suspension came in the wake of a Tribune investigation revealing that despite eight patient deaths over seven years, the state had not previously disciplined Sayeg. Six of those patients died from complications related to plastic surgeries, typically involving tummy tucks and liposuction, while two others overdosed on pain medication at home. The deceased patients were all women.
Sayeg, 58, resides in Michigan and operates plastic surgery practices in multiple states, including Michigan, California, and Virginia. Regulatory agencies in each of those states have also recently suspended his licenses: Virginia issued a mandatory suspension on August 4, California followed on October 14, and Michigan imposed a summary suspension in late September based on the Virginia order and complaints from two local patients alleging botched surgeries in 2024. The Michigan investigation remains ongoing.
Illinois regulators initiated their investigation after receiving a 2020 complaint regarding the death of patient Idalia Corcoles, 39, which resulted in a 2024 jury verdict awarding $56 million against Sayeg and his anesthesiologist. Regulators acknowledged delays in the disciplinary process amid multiple patient fatalities.
Officials from the IDFPR have stated they intend to seek the maximum possible penalty, including a permanent revocation of Sayeg’s license in Illinois. They are also conducting an internal review of how the case was managed and plan to propose legislative changes aimed at expediting future disciplinary actions in similar circumstances.
In response to the dismissal of Sayeg’s court challenge, an IDFPR spokesperson affirmed that the ongoing disciplinary hearing will proceed as scheduled and that Sayeg’s suspension remains in effect.