Before keloid treatment in Lebanon, ask whether the scar is really a keloid, which treatment fits it and why, what treatment will not do, why cutting it out alone is not a shortcut, how many sessions to expect, how it is done, what the risks are, and who will treat you. These are the questions, with short answers from this practice. Whatever depends on your own scar is decided at the examination in person.
Will I be examined in person, and how is the plan made?
Yes. The examination is done in person, by the surgeon who will operate. The plan is made from your own examination and your own photographs, not from a catalogue. Photographs of other people can be brought as a starting point for conversation, never as a target. The risks are gone through in full, and nothing is booked under pressure. Some patients are advised not to have the operation.
Is my scar a keloid or an ordinary raised scar?
An ordinary scar stays within the edges of the original wound. A keloid grows beyond them, stays raised, and can keep growing for months or years if untreated. The two are treated differently, so telling them apart is the first thing done at the examination.
Which treatment fits my scar, and why?
It depends on the scar in front of us. Small raised scars are shaved down with a thermal device, with silicone gel afterwards on the body. Most true keloids are treated with a series of steroid injections into the scar itself. A keloid that is large, or uncomfortable enough that you want it gone rather than reduced, is surgically excised. You should leave the consultation knowing which of these applies to you and why. See keloid treatment: the options, and how they are combined.
Can the scar be removed completely?
No. Treatment aims at a flatter, paler, quieter scar, not an erased one. Anything that cuts the skin leaves a scar of its own.
Why not simply cut it out?
A keloid is the skin’s own response to injury. Cutting it out creates a new wound in skin that has already healed this way, and keloids have a real tendency to return after excision alone, sometimes larger than before. That is why surgery is kept for the keloids that genuinely need it, and why the area is watched afterwards. See why keloid scars come back.
How many sessions will I need, and how is progress judged?
An injection does not flatten a keloid in one visit. The scar decreases gradually, session by session, and how many sessions depends on how your scar responds. Each injection is checked at a return visit before the next one is given, so the plan can change with what the scar is doing rather than follow a fixed script.
Does it hurt, and what anaesthetic is used?
There is a sting at the time of an injection, because it goes directly into firm scar tissue. It is brief and no general anaesthetic is needed. Injections and shaving are done in the clinic, so there is no real recovery period between sessions. After an excision, the area is followed closely in the following months.
What are the risks?
Thinning or lightening of the skin at an injection site, which can happen with repeated steroid injections; small visible blood vessels near an injected area; discomfort at the time of injection or shaving; and recurrence, which is the main risk after excision. They are written out on the keloid page.
I have formed one keloid. Does that matter for other operations?
Yes. Someone who has formed one keloid is more likely to form another, which matters when planning any elective operation, including one unrelated to the scar. Tell the surgeon about every keloid you have had, and where.
Who will operate, where, and who sees me afterwards?
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a member of the Lebanese Order of Physicians. He sees every patient himself at the clinic, and he operates on every case himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center. The same surgeon is there at every visit. The clinic is on Mkalles Main Street in Mansourieh, Metn, open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00.
More on the operation, with the risks and the recovery written out, is on the keloid treatment in Lebanon page. This page is information, not advice, and it does not replace the examination in person.
Questions
FAQ
What should I ask before keloid treatment in Lebanon?
Ask whether the scar is really a keloid, which treatment fits it and why, what treatment will not do, why cutting it out alone is not used as a shortcut, how many sessions to expect, what the risks are, and who will treat you.
Can a keloid be removed completely?
No. Treatment aims at a flatter, paler, quieter scar, not an erased one. Anything that cuts the skin leaves a scar of its own.
Why is a keloid not simply cut out?
Excision creates a new wound in skin that has already formed a keloid once, and keloids have a real tendency to return after excision alone, sometimes larger than before. Surgery is kept for keloids that are large or uncomfortable, and the area is watched afterwards.
Who treats keloids at this practice, and where?
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, examines every keloid himself at the clinic in Mansourieh. Excision, when needed, is done at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center.
← Keloid treatment in Lebanon · Why keloid scars come back →