(KFF Health News) – The chains sell an array of body-reshaping operations, such as “Mommy Makeovers” and liposuction, targeting customers willing to pay up to $20,000 out-of-pocket for a new figure, often on credit with steep interest rates from companies specializing in credit for elective medical procedures. Sono Bello boasts it is “America’s top cosmetic surgery specialist.”

But a joint investigation by KFF Health News and NBC News found that Sono Bello and other cosmetic surgery chains have been the target of scores of medical malpractice and negligence lawsuits alleging disfiguring injuries — including 12 wrongful death cases filed over the past seven years. (Read More)