Sono Bello - Schaumburg

I had a wonderful experience at Sonobellao All staff members were extremely pleasant and helpful. They took the time to answer all questions that I had and made sure that I was comfortable in all situation. When I experiencing anxiety, they were able to help me through the situation.

My experience has been just tremendous! Everyone is friendly caring and professional. And my results well just WOW!!! Better than I could have ever dreamed and a catalyst to my whole life changing for the better! I care about my diet and health so much more as a result of this jumpstart from Sonobello!

After stressing myself out and the anxiety of even thinking of going thru with this procedure, my entire experience was very comforting, from start to finish! It's now exactly one week post op and the pain has been very tolerable, incisions are barely noticeable and there's no drainage tubes necessary. Staff was very professional and kind! Dr. Parasi was extremely informative and patient! This is just week one and I'm very pleased with my results thus far and looking forward to an even better outcome as I recover. I have absolutely no regrets!! Thanks to the entire Sono Bello Team!!

Updated on 9 Jan 2017:
Lost previous pictures taken and this was the only one I had so Please forgive the bubbles, i was being a lil naughty that day.

The day of the procedure everything went smoothly. They explained everything that was going to be going on, took before pictures, and talked me about what the best way to deal with my problems areas would be. I had Lipo done on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016. I got the upper and lower abdominal areas. I'm on day 3 after liposuction, my recovery is going faster that I thought. Just a little uncomfortable but not much pain at all. The staff was very professional and very informed. Dr. Michael Gilles and Dr. Jeffrey Flagg were pleasant a quite knowledgeable regarding my procedure. I am very satisfied with the experience in Sonobello in Schaumburg, IL I definitely felt like I was in good hands. They took excellent care of me before during and after my procedure. The team truly cares about what they are doing for you.


Dr. Gilles and Dr. Flagg were doing the actual liposuction itself. Dr. Flagg ask me which was my favorite singer and I told him Mark Anthony. For my surprise in the procedure room the play Mark Anthony music. They made feel relaxed. The worst part was just the numbing, which is expected. After that there was no pain just in some areas a little discomfort but nothing that can't be handle. Dr. Gilles and Dr. Flagg did a great job and really works hard and takes his time so that he can get you the best results.


This was a great experience all around. I would highly recommend Sonobello for any liposuction procedure you want!

Will keep you posted on my progress. Have to go for my second surgery on Nov. 30.

I have had some fat deposits in my abdomen since my 20's that would never go away. I decided to get these fat deposits removed. At first, I was scared. I had read many different reviews. Some reviews were good some not so good so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. During the procedure, I didn't feel any pain at first. There were times when the bones were hit during the procedure which was normal. The hitting of the bone was not painful just uncomfortable. I also had my sides done and there were a couple of places that did not get numbed. These areas were painful but Dr. Paresi stopped immediately when I let him know it was too painful to continue. These two instances were few compared to the entire procedure. So the majority of the procedure was pain-free. I expected the lack of numbness in some areas as I have been through this before having a cyst removed. After the procedure was completed, I was feeling really good about the whole process. I was put into my garment and released to go home with my goody bag. When I got home I went to bed and slept most of the day and evening so I didn't feel much pain. The second day I was able to get up more and was in a little pain but received pain medication in my goody bag that definitely helped. I was able to get up and do things for myself but still rested in bed most of the day. By the third day, I was feeling really good and was able to begin living my normal life but did rest in bed as much I could. As far as drainage the first and second day.....The drainage was not horrible. I had planned for a lot of drainage by putting old sheets on my bed and plastic bedding to protect the mattress. These items were not needed. The drainage stayed in the Poise pads. The only time it dripped out was when I replaced the Poise pads. I had a few droplets land on the floor. No big deal. I am very pleased with the whole experience. The pain during the procedure was minimal and the recovery was quick. I am going into my second week of recovery and am feeling more pain this week than the previous week but may just be because I switched to the Tylenol Extra Strength medicine. Almost all the bruising is gone by now, which I am pleasantly surprised about. I have a follow up this week. I am excited to see how the recovery is actually coming along and what I need to do more or less of to continue with my recovery. I highly recommend Sonobello in Schaumburg and Dr. Paresi Jr.

First off them pic they have is a lie I had liposuction done and it wasn’t done right my belly was uneven. Then I had it again and I got the same thing on the other side I paid 6500 cash and was told I would have a flat belly I don’t have a flat belly they lie just to get your money period. My belly still not right I felt like that was money threw away!

I initially went in to see what it would cost me to have 4 sections done and because I was not approved for all 4, I was only able to get 2 sections done. I told my consultant, Shaena Mansoori, that I would have to go speak with my husband about it and I would call her back on the following Monday. She called me on the following day stating that I could have the procedure done this coming week and I would not have to have the $1,000 down payment. My husband said I could do it. I also never received the $250 off special when I made the appointment initially.
Shaena Mansoori then had emailed me forms that I needed to initial, sign and etc. I did not have any ink in my printer so I electronically signed them. But I was unable to enter any text so I could fill out the credit card information or any comments. Shaena Mansoori called me and I gave her the information for the credit card over the phone.
When I went in to set up the procedure date, Shaena Mansoori, had me come back to her and finish up filling out my financial paperwork. She then asked me for 2 forms of Identification. So I gave her my driver’s license and a credit card. She then copied them and gave them back.
The next day she emailed me and stated “The financing company told me the credit card number on file doesn’t match the photo of the credit card I took a copy of. If you can send me a photo of the credit card number you gave me for the financing company. Front and back please. Thank you =)” . Then I got very upset because the card I gave her over the phone was for the payment of the procedure, she asked me to bring it in the next time I came in, I did. When the woman at the front desk was going through each form to make sure everything was in order, she said she had EVERYTHING that was needed so I assumed she had the card info needed. So my response to Shaena Mansoori was “That is because you asked me for two forms of identification and I gave you one, of my two credit cards. That is why it does not match. I do not want it on the credit card I gave you for IDENTIFICATION.”
So in the process of this con, I lost my small wallet that had my credit cards in them and I had to declare them lost and I am waiting on the cards to be mailed to me. I messaged her to let her know I will contact her.
Shaena, stated to me that “We” (Sono Bello) are accredited because we want to be, not that we have to be. Yet, as I have been doing (a little too late) research on your company, I found this statement below because of a death of a girl who went to Sono Bello.
“When Aura had her procedure done at Sono Bello, it wasn't being licensed or inspected because it's classified as a cosmetic clinic that does not use general anesthesia. But after KING reported her death to the health department, the state established new rules requiring all clinics to be accredited by one of four national agencies.”1

I should have right then and there gone with my gut instinct and not have gone through the procedure. Close to the end of the procedure I started feeling pain on my left side of my abdomen. I told the nurse and Dr. M. Vincent Makhlouf, that it was starting to hurt very much. Both of them just said “your blood pressure and heart rate are fine”. That had nothing to do with the pain I was feeling. I know that if the blood pressure or heart rate goes up, that it is a sign of pain. But obviously it was not an indicator for me. The nurse put a rubber ball in my hand for me to squeeze, I assume for being nervous. I was not nervous, I was in pain. The doctor kept going in and when he moved to the stomach area, I really started to feel extreme pain. I repeatedly told them that it felt like it was burning. The doctor and nurse kept saying “your blood pressure and heart rate are fine” . I kept saying how much pain I was in and the doctor kept on going. He said, “We are almost done” and kept on going. I was in so much pain I wanted to vomit. I was shaking so badly from the pain I could not control my hands. It is now 12 days after my procedure and I am still in a great deal of pain near the stomach area.
When I went in for my one week visit, I told the girl that if I would have known it was going to be this painful, I would never have done this. I can barely sleep, sit or stand for long periods of time. She then tells me that “for some people it takes longer to heal” Well; I don’t think most people felt like they were having surgery on them while awake with no numbing agent like it felt on me. And most likely the doctor would not give me anything to help with the pain because he never does. (after the initial medication).
She then tells me that “this is a six month process”. Which I was shocked at hearing because you are told from their email and in the office, that within 2 days you can go back to work and the following week you can lightly exercise. I could barely get up out of bed or stand from a chair or the couch. I was to be given a second compression garment and I was never given that either.
“By now you should be moving out of the discomfort stage of the recovery process. You may still be experiencing some tenderness, swelling and/or bruising. For most patients, the worst has already passed. Any remaining swelling and bruising will diminish over the next week to 10 days.

This is a great time to get out there and resume exercising! Start out slowly, and increase to a comfortable level. Your body will tell you what is too much. The same lymphatic process that is helping your body remove damaged fat cells from your procedure kick starts the metabolic process as well. This means that any exercise you do now will further stimulate your body's change and give you a better outcome from your body contouring procedure.

Now that your body is in a more advanced stage of recovery, you may have some different sensations around your treated area. Tingling and partial numbness are normal from this phase until about three months into your recovery. As we remove fat from your body, some nerve cells can be disrupted. As they "re-engage" themselves, you may experience numbness or a tingling sensation at times. You might also feel some small lumps and bumps in your treatment area. These little deposits are damaged fat cells that your body is in the process of removing. They are perfectly normal and will dissipate over time.
I am not complaining about the swelling, or discomfort, I am complaining that I was having a form of surgery done on my body and it was not numb and he would not stop. When I think about the pain I was in, I want to vomit. I am still in a lot of pain and pretty swollen. And as of today, I am still in a great deal of pain and it is interfering with my way of life.
I did this procedure to help me be able to advance in yoga and to help me start the path of healing and losing weight. I didn’t even lose one pound yet. I see a little difference in my stomach but that is all. Even as of today, January 2, 2016, I have lost no weight and feel a little smaller in the upper waist area but that is it.

I am hoping that something can be done about this. If I would have known any of this would have happened I would not have had this procedure done. I am upset, hurt ( in many ways) and I wish I did not have to pay for something that was defective.

This is a brief account of my Sonobello experience at the Schaumburg IL location. My initial consultation was with a "Patient Care Consultant" who is not medically trained or part of the procedure. The Consultant is basically a Sonobello sales person who handles the scheduling for your procedure. After a high pressure sales technique I was persuaded to pay $6800 for upper/lower abs and love handles (flanks) which I paid in full before leaving the office. I was then pressured into scheduling a pre surgery consultation 4 days later and the actual surgery 3 days after that without been given a chance to process the information received. The "PCC" then instructed me NOT to go online and look up any information pertaining to Sonobello to avoid getting discouraged and changing my mind. After reading MULITPLE NEGATIVE reviews from all the Sonobello locations which seemed to be endless, I decided to give Sonobello the benefit of the doubt against my better judgement. I met with the doctor that was going to do my procedure during the scheduled pre-surgery consultation and immediately felt uncomfortable. The doctor stood by the door and was clearly rushing me through the process to get me out the door and appeared disinterested in my concerns. I was given paperwork to read and told to ask any questions but when I did I was made to feel like I was being a bother. I had a very uneasy feeling and after receiving the paperwork I left. I went home and began to research the doctor and could not find 1 positive review. I felt like I was reading reviews on procedures performed by Dr. Frankenstein. I called the "PCC" and explained the situation and stated there was NO WAY I would allow this doctor to do a procedure on me. The "PCC" said she would reschedule me with another doctor because Sonobello did not give refunds. Reluctantly I went along with the process and was scheduled for another consult with a different doctor. The experience went better but everything still seemed rushed. After reading the financial agreement it states that if you cancel 5 days before your procedure you are not entitled to a refund which is why I believe everything is rushed from the beginning so you immediately fall into that category and give Sonobello a reason to fight you for a refund. The "PCC" insisted on immediately scheduling a surgery with the second doctor to "save my spot" telling me we could reschedule if needed. I informed the “PCC” I would need time to check with work and make arrangements to have the needed recovery time since my job is physically demanding and was told it wouldn’t be a problem. After a few days I contacted the "PCC" and stated the date they assigned me did not work for me and provided a date that would give me time to make the proper arrangements. The "PCC" then verified the date which was approx. 2 months away and stated there was an opening and everything was ready to go. The “PCC” also told me I would need another pre-consult that would be done about a week before the procedure. During that same conversation the "PCC" told me that the doctor that I met with initially was no longer working there due to lots of complaints which made me wonder why they would have given him to me in the first place. Two months have passed and the day of the consult comes which is 1 week before the scheduled procedure. While sitting in the waiting area I'm listening to 2 patients that are there for follow up appointments complain about their procedures, follow up care and their doctors. These 2 ladies are even lifting up their shirts showing how bad there experience was, their individual results and 1 of them was complaining about the doctor that was going to perform my procedure. I was then taken to a room and a short time later the doctor came in. During the pre-op consult I was told I gained weight since the last time I was there where and the nurse and doctor seemed to make a joke about that which made me very uncomfortable. While in the room with the doctor and nurse, someone from the front desk came into the room and informed me that she was sorry but the date I was going to have my surgery has been cancelled. The doctor then responded "this isn't my problem that's something you people need to work out" then left the room. The doctor was very cold and made me feel unimportant which made me question how I would be dealt with after the procedure. I was NEVER contacted about the change in schedule and was told I would have to wait 7 days for the doctor to become available. I was then escorted out of the room where my consultation was conducted and brought to front desk (on the employee side) where I feel I was ambushed by the staff. I was surrounded by 5-6 employees and told to sign paperwork if I wanted the next available appointment with the doctor 7 days later than originally scheduled. I asked to speak with the “PCC” but was told she was in a consultation and couldn’t see me. To avoid making a scene, I signed the paperwork for the date pushed upon me by the staff and left. While in the parking lot, I attempted to reach the “PCC” by phone but was only connected to her voice mail. I left a message explaining what had happened and that the new date pushed upon me would not give me enough time to recover and asked for a return call. I waited a week without a return call so I emailed the “PCC” as well as left another message on her email. Eventually the “PCC’ called me and I explained the situation as well as all the negative feelings. I explained that I could no longer ignore the obvious unprofessional treatment and truly felt my wellbeing would be an issue having anything procedures performed on me. I asked for a refund and explained how Sonobello failed to honor the contract when they cancelled on me and was told that I still was not entitled to a refund, I can either lose the money or have the procedure performed. I have spoken with the “PCC” and was then directed to the office manager requesting a refund and was denied by both. I was told that “corporate” denied my request but were willing to waive any rescheduling fees. I then asked to speak to the mysterious “corporate” personnel that denied my request but was told “we cannot give out that information.” The reviews I have read are almost a blue print of what the Sonobello experience provides and I refuse to let Sonobello perform any procedures on me. I am not a [RS bleep] and don’t want to be the person who is laying in a hospital bed wishing I did not get the procedure done and just gave up on recovering my money. I will be seeking Legal representation to recover my money as well as lost wages from taking time off work to have the procedure done that Sonobello failed to do as well as any court costs associated with this.

Updated on 20 Sep 2016:
Sono Bello has resolved the issue to my satisfaction

Hey real self! Well I must share my disappointing Sonobello experience! When you go to Sonobello for a consultation, it's with a sales person not a Doc. I actually expected to meet the Doctor during my consult on 2/13/16 in Schaumburg, IL. That made me uncomfortable but I wanted the Lipo so I paid and booked it for 3/9/2016 with Dr. Jeffery Flagg. I planned my procedure, took a unpaid leave from work for 5 days and hired sitters. Went to my pre-op appt 3/5/16 and was eager to meet Dr. Flagg. I given a gown to change into, I changed, and then his nurse told me she had bad news and to get dressed. She tells me I have to be 6 months postpartum to proceed with the surgery. My child is 5 months so Dr. Flagg refused to meet me and canceled the procedure. Dr Flagg could have at least came into the room!! My child was at the consultation with me, and I told them his age before I booked the surgery! However Sonobello canceled my procedure after I took a unpaid leave from work. And to add insult to injury the sales lady finally contacted me 3/9/16 (after I demanded a refund) and told me that the Doctor was mistaken and I only had to be 3 months postpartum. She wanted to reschedule for the following week. For their mistake I'm taking a loss of about $1000 in lost wages and sitters. I asked for $500 back to compensate me for some of my financial loss so that I could reschedule for the following week and Sonobello Refused! Their mistake but my loss! I'm not rescheduling and taking another unpaid leave from work because of their mistake! What a waste of time!

Updated on 23 Apr 2016:
My first review was honest, but it was written while I was Upset! I did renegotiate with Sono bello successfully, and my procedure will take place in the near future!! I also finally met Dr. Flagg who was very professional!!!! Befor and after pics coming soon!

I have been following the stories on the site for the past year and finally decided that it is my time. I have been on a journey of weight loss for over 3 years. I have lost approx. 80 lbs and am ready for the next step. I had my consultation today and loved it. The lady that assisted me was excellent and made me feel very comfortable. I am going to get my upper and lower abdomen done as well as my love handles.

Updated on 1 Mar 2016:
Sorry I'm adding pics late. These are pics I took of me. This is after a 75 lb weight loss. I will post more pics as I go through my journey!

Updated on 2 Mar 2016:
My pre-op is scheduled for March 9. My procedure is being done at Sonobello. I am both excited and nervous. I have not slacked on my dieting and exercising. I have lost 2 lbs since my first post. ????

Updated on 8 Mar 2016:
So I wanted to add some more pics. All of these I have on Spanx and although it does smooth me out some, you can still see the bulges.

Updated on 10 Mar 2016:
I had my preop appt. yesterday and it went good. Dr. Flagg at Sonobello was very nice and truly made me feel comfortable. I am looking forward to my procedure next week.

Updated on 16 Mar 2016:
The surgery is about to start in a few. Here are a few pics with the doctor's artwork.

Updated on 17 Mar 2016:
The lipo went well, I was talking and singing along to the music! However at night pain set in and I took the Percocet. Today seems a little better. I will post pics later on today when I shower.

Updated on 17 Mar 2016:
I finally got moving today, got my kids off to school. Sitting, walking, and standing isn't so bad, it's the transition from one to the other that is a little painful. But it is manageable. I took a shower and changed the pads. That was gross! ????I have included a pic of what was taken out and I did take a picture before I put back on my garment.

Updated on 19 Mar 2016:
So this is day 3 after the procedure, and I am doing good. I feel super bloated and swollen, but I can definitely see a difference. ????

Updated on 21 Mar 2016:
Today, I returned to work. I feel extra swollen and bloated. I don't have a strenuous job, I'm a teacher, but I am tired. All the extra movement was tiring. I will post more photos soon

Updated on 24 Mar 2016:
So it's been a week and swelling is great. But I still see a difference. Pain is minimal, I still get twinges and what I call lightning shocks every now and again.

Updated on 31 Mar 2016:
It has been 2 weeks since surgery. I don't know if I see any changes. I still have lumps and bumps and swelling at times. My skin is still sensitive to touch but it is better than before. Hopefully, improvements are still to come.

Updated on 7 Apr 2016:
Three weeks have gone by and there has been some improvement, however the left side of my lower abdomen is much larger than the right. I hope with time this will even out.

Updated on 26 Apr 2016:
So it has been six weeks, the swelling is still daily. One side is either more swollen than the other or the procedure wasn't done evenly. I have had a lymphatic massage and I am scheduled for another this Friday. I hope things improve. I have been exercising and monitoring my diet, I hope things get better. I will post pictures tomorrow.

Updated on 26 Jun 2016:
Here is my progression, from beginning to now- 12 weeks post surgery.

Updated on 15 Sep 2016:
So I had the surgery in March and during the past few months I've been exercising. These pics show the added improvement to the surgery!

Updated on 16 Sep 2016:
This is what I looked like before my diet and exercise along with the lipo.

Updated on 14 Apr 2018:
I had my surgery 2 years ago & have maintained even adding some muscle!