Before liposuction in Lebanon, ask what the operation will and will not change, whether you are a candidate, which areas can be treated, how it is done, what the risks are, what recovery looks like and who will operate. These are the questions, with short answers from this practice. Whatever depends on your own body 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 liposuction the right operation for what bothers me?
Liposuction is a contouring operation, not a weight-loss operation: it changes the outline, not the number. It does not tighten loose skin and it does not treat cellulite. If the problem is loose skin, a tummy tuck rather than liposuction is the right answer. Which one fits you is decided at the examination. See liposuction or tummy tuck.
Am I a good candidate?
The usual candidate is close to a stable weight, has skin that still springs back, and is bothered by a specific area rather than by their body in general. It is the wrong operation for someone still losing weight, for skin that has lost its elasticity, and for anyone hoping surgery will substitute for the eating and training that has to continue afterwards.
Which areas can be treated?
The abdomen and waist, the flanks (love handles), the outer and inner thighs, the inner knee, the upper arm, the back and the area under the chin. Which of these applies to you is decided at the examination.
How is the operation done, and under which anaesthetic?
You are marked standing, so the pockets are outlined as they actually sit. Sedation is used for one small area, and a general anaesthetic when several areas are treated together. Fat is removed through incisions of three to four millimetres, hidden in a crease, the navel or the buttock fold, with a fine cannula. The compression garment goes on at the end, and you go home the same day.
What are the risks?
A contour irregularity or small dent, which is the commonest imperfection; swelling and firmness for weeks; numbness over the treated area that resolves over months; and looser skin than before if the skin’s recoil was already poor. They are written out in full on the liposuction page.
Will the fat come back?
The fat cells removed do not return. The cells left behind can still enlarge if you gain significant weight, and the gain then shows in untreated areas. The result is durable, not immune to what happens next.
What is recovery like, and how long is the compression garment worn?
The soreness is like a hard gym session, and you walk early. Most patients are back at a desk job within a week, and bruising clears and the shape starts to appear over two to four weeks. The garment is worn day and night at first and usually stopped at four to six weeks, when full exercise returns. The final contour settles over three to six months. See liposuction recovery, week by week.
Can it be combined with a tummy tuck?
Frequently, yes. Liposuction of the flanks and waist alongside an abdominoplasty gives a better outline than either alone, and it is planned as one operation. Whether that suits you is decided at the examination.
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 liposuction 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 liposuction in Lebanon?
Ask whether liposuction is the right operation for what bothers you, whether you are a candidate, which areas can be treated, how the operation is done and under which anaesthetic, what the risks are, what recovery involves, and who will operate.
Is liposuction a weight-loss operation?
No. It is a contouring operation: it changes the outline, not the number. It does not tighten loose skin and it does not treat cellulite.
Will the fat come back after liposuction?
The fat cells removed do not return, but the cells left behind can still enlarge if you gain significant weight. The result is durable, not immune to what happens next.
Who performs liposuction at this practice, and where?
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, operates on every case himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at the clinic in Mansourieh.