Before a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) in Lebanon, ask whether it is the right operation for you, what it changes, where the scar will be, when to have it, how it is done, what the risks are, how long recovery takes 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.
Do I need a tummy tuck or liposuction?
Liposuction removes fat and leaves the skin as it is. A tummy tuck removes loose skin and repairs separated muscle. Which one fits depends on whether the problem is fat, skin or muscle, and that is decided at the examination. See liposuction or tummy tuck.
What will it change, and what will it not?
The loose skin below the navel is removed, not tightened, and with it usually the stretch marks that sit on it. The two vertical abdominal muscles, separated by pregnancy or weight loss, are stitched closed. It is not a substitute for weight loss and it is not liposuction: it is an operation for skin and muscle. See abdominoplasty explained, step by step.
Where will the scar be, and how will it look?
There is a long scar, low across the lower abdomen, placed to sit inside underwear or a swimming costume. It is permanent. It is pink and firm for months and fades over a year or more, and in darker skin it can stay pink longer. The navel is repositioned through a new opening, which leaves a small scar around it. There is no tummy tuck without a scar; what can be controlled is where it sits, and that is planned with you before surgery.
When is the right time to have it?
At a stable weight, and best when your family is complete: a later pregnancy will separate the repaired muscle again. Significant weight loss afterwards will loosen the result. See tummy tuck after pregnancy: timing and recovery.
How is the operation done, and under which anaesthetic?
Under a general anaesthetic, in two to three hours. An incision is made low across the abdomen, the skin is lifted to the ribs, the muscle separation is closed, the excess skin is removed and the navel is brought out through a new opening. Drains are usually placed and removed by the end of the first week, and one or two nights in hospital is common.
What are the risks?
A collection of fluid under the skin (a seroma), the commonest complication, which may need draining in clinic; delayed healing at the centre of the scar, particularly in smokers, since nicotine is the single biggest avoidable risk; numbness of the skin between the scar and the navel, often permanent; and blood clots, which are uncommon. They are written out in full on the tummy tuck page.
How long is the recovery?
This is the longest recovery among these procedures. Expect two weeks before you stand straight, three to four weeks before desk work is comfortable, six weeks before real exercise, and a year before the scar settles. There is no lifting at all in the first one to two weeks. See tummy tuck recovery in Lebanon, week by week.
Can liposuction be done at the same time?
Often, on the flanks and waist, to give a better outline than the tummy tuck alone would produce. It is planned as a single 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 tummy tuck 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 a tummy tuck in Lebanon?
Ask whether you need a tummy tuck or liposuction, what the operation will change, where the scar will be, when the right time is, how it is done and under which anaesthetic, what the risks are, how long recovery takes, and who will operate.
What is the difference between a tummy tuck and liposuction?
Liposuction removes fat and leaves the skin as it is. A tummy tuck removes loose skin and repairs separated muscle. Which one fits depends on whether the problem is fat, skin or muscle, and that is decided at the examination.
Is there a tummy tuck without a scar?
No. Removing skin always leaves a scar. What can be controlled is where it sits, and that is planned with you before surgery.
Who performs the tummy tuck 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.