A photograph proves little on its own
Before and after plastic surgery in Lebanon is usually judged in a few seconds, on a screen, from a pair of photographs. Two things decide whether that judgement means anything: whether the two photographs can be compared at all, and when the second one was taken. Swelling settles over months, so an after photograph without its timing means nothing.
Five checks for any pair of photographs
- Same place, same distance, same lamp. A change of light or of distance can alter how a nose, a lid or a waistline looks without any surgery at all.
- Cropped identically, at the same magnification. Close framing should only ever serve to protect identity, never to flatter the result.
- The interval is stated. A few hours, 9 days, 16 days, one month: each photograph says when it was taken.
- Nothing retouched. The only acceptable alteration is a mask that protects the patient's identity, and the mask never covers the treated area.
- Published with the patient's consent. A case is shown only when the patient has agreed to it in writing.
How the photographs on this site are taken
Every pair on the before and after page is of Dr. ElKhoury's own patients. Before and after are photographed in the same place, at the same distance, under the same lamp, and cropped identically. Nothing is retouched. The only alteration is masking, for patients who consented to the result being shown but not to being recognised. In nose cases the eyes are masked and the nose and mouth are shown whole. In eyelid cases only the iris is masked when the eyes are open, so the crease, the lash line and the healing incision stay visible; closed-eye and side views carry no mask.
Reading the interval
The interval is the single most useful line under a photograph. The nose cases on the page, for example, were photographed minutes after surgery, before swelling set in: they show the shape at the end of the operation, not the settled result. For rhinoplasty in Lebanon, the shape is close to final at about six months and the last of the tip swelling resolves in the second half of the first year, so a photograph taken in the first days or weeks cannot show the result. The same logic applies to eyelid surgery in Lebanon: a result at 8 days and a result at one month are different stages, and each is labelled as such.
Why dated, unretouched cases matter
A gallery of results with no dates, tight crops and smoothed skin gives you nothing to compare against. A dated, unretouched case does the opposite: it shows what the surgery looked like at a named point in time, in conditions you could reproduce yourself. That is also item 5 of how to choose a plastic surgeon in Lebanon: trustworthy photographs, taken the same way, with the interval stated.
Your own photographs, not someone else's
Results vary between patients, and a result cannot be predicted from someone else's photograph. The plan is made at consultation, from your own examination and your own photographs. Photographs of other people are a starting point for a conversation, never a target. What to expect from that first visit is set out in plastic surgery in Lebanon: the first consultation.
At this practice
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Liposuction, tummy tuck, male chest surgery and keloid scar cases are not shown yet: a case is published only when the patient has agreed to it in writing. The photographs that are published follow the rules above, on the before and after page.
Questions
FAQ
Are the before and after photographs retouched?
No. The only alteration is masking, to protect the identity of patients who consented to the result being shown but not to being recognised. The mask never covers the treated area.
Why does every photograph state a time?
Swelling settles over months. An after photograph without its interval means nothing, so each one says when it was taken: a few hours, 9 days, 16 days or one month after treatment.
Are the rhinoplasty photographs the final result?
No. They were taken minutes after surgery, before swelling set in. They show the shape at the end of the operation, not the settled result, which is close to final at about six months.
Will my result look like the photographs I see?
Results vary between patients. No result can be predicted from someone else's photograph. The plan is made at consultation, from your own examination and your own photographs.
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