In brief. Abdominoplasty in Lebanon — the tummy tuck, also searched as an abdomen lift — removes loose skin from the lower abdomen and repairs muscle separated by pregnancy or weight loss. It leaves a long, low scar across the abdomen. Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, performs abdominoplasty at Hayek Hospital and Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at his clinic in Mansourieh, Metn.
What is a tummy tuck?
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, removes loose skin from the lower abdomen and repairs abdominal muscle separated by pregnancy or weight loss. It is done under general anaesthetic in two to three hours, and it leaves a long, low scar across the lower abdomen that is permanent. It does not replace weight loss.
Key facts
- What it is. Removes the loose skin below the navel (removed, not tightened) and repairs rectus muscles separated by pregnancy or weight loss. It is not a weight-loss operation and not liposuction.
- The scar. Long, low across the lower abdomen and permanent; pink and firm for months, fading over a year or more.
- Anaesthesia and stay. General anaesthetic, two to three hours; drains are placed, and one or two nights in hospital is common.
- Recovery. Drains out in weeks 1 to 2; desk work at weeks 3 to 6; exercise returns at weeks 6 to 12; the scar matures over 12 months.
- Where. Hayek Hospital and Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at the clinic in Mansourieh, Metn.
What does it change?
The loose skin below the navel is removed — not tightened, removed. What remains is redraped over an abdomen that is flat because the wall underneath has been repaired.
That repair is the part patients underestimate. The two rectus muscles separate during pregnancy and can stay apart. No amount of core training closes a true diastasis; it is stitched closed, from the ribs to the pubis, and that is what produces the flat profile rather than merely a smaller one.
It is not a substitute for weight loss and it is not liposuction. It is an operation for skin and muscle.
The scar — said plainly
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 encircling it. Anyone considering this operation should decide about the scar before deciding about the shape — patients who are content with the trade are the ones who are happy afterwards.
How is the operation done?
A general anaesthetic, two to three hours. An incision low across the abdomen, the skin lifted to the ribs, the muscle separation closed with a running suture, the excess skin removed and the navel brought out through a new opening.
Drains are placed during the operation. One or two nights in hospital is common, and you go home walking slightly bent — which is expected, and straightens over the first fortnight.
Recovery
What actually happens, week by week
Recovery is part of the treatment rather than an afterthought, so it is described here in the same detail as the operation.
Day 0–3
Hospital and drainsWalking bent at the waist. Drains in. Pain is real and is managed.
Week 1–2
Standing straighterDrains out. Short walks hourly. No lifting at all.
Week 3–6
Desk workBinder still worn.
Week 6–12
Exercise returnsCore work last, and only when cleared.
Month 12
Scar maturesThe line flattens and pales. This is a year-long judgement.
Read also: Liposuction or tummy tuck: which one do you need? · Tummy tuck recovery in Lebanon: week by week · Tummy tuck after pregnancy: timing and recovery · Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Explained, Step by Step
Honesty
Risks, and what can go wrong
Every operation has them. They are listed here because a patient who has read them and still wants to proceed is a patient who will be content afterwards.
- A collection of fluid under the skin — a seroma — which is the commonest complication and is drained in clinic when needed.
- Delayed healing at the centre of the scar, particularly in smokers; nicotine is the single biggest avoidable risk in this operation.
- Numbness of the skin between the scar and the navel, which can be permanent.
- Blood clots — uncommon, which is why you are walked early and given prophylaxis.
Results
Photographs
Before-and-after photographs for this procedure are published on the main page as they are taken, under the same rules as every other case on this site: the same frame, the same distance, the same light, and no retouching beyond the masking that protects identity.
Nothing is published without the patient’s consent, and consent for one photograph is not treated as consent for all of them.
Take it away
The printed sheet
Everything on this page, on two sides of A4, written for patients and free to take from the clinic. It says what the operation does, what it costs you in time, and what it does not fix.
Patient information — PDF, 2 pages
Open the sheet →Questions
What patients ask
How long is the recovery, honestly?
Two weeks before you stand straight and feel human, three to four weeks before desk work is comfortable, six weeks before real exercise, and a year before the scar looks like it will finally look.
Where exactly is the scar?
Low and horizontal across the lower abdomen, positioned to sit inside underwear or a swimming costume. It is permanent, and it is discussed in detail before you commit.
Should I finish having children first?
Yes. A subsequent pregnancy will separate the repaired muscle again. The operation is best done when your family is complete.
Can I have it instead of losing weight?
No. It is done at a stable weight, and results are much better in someone who has already reached theirs. Significant weight loss afterwards will loosen the result.
Is liposuction done at the same time?
It can be, on the flanks and waist, to give a better outline than the tummy tuck alone would produce. It is planned as a single operation.
Who is a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgeon in Lebanon, and where is the operation done?
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, performs abdominoplasty in Lebanon. You are seen at his clinic on Mkalles Main Street, Mansourieh (Metn), and operated on at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center.
How do I book a consultation?
Call or WhatsApp the clinic on +961 1 697 739, or send the consultation form on this site. The clinic is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00. Consultations are in English, French or Arabic.
How long is recovery after a tummy tuck?
This is the longest recovery among these procedures. Drains stay in for the first few days, walking is bent at the waist at first, and there is no lifting at all in the first one to two weeks. Weeks 3 to 6 are the desk-job window, still wearing the binder. Exercise returns between six and twelve weeks once cleared, core work last of all. The scar keeps flattening and paling for a full year — your surgeon will guide you through each stage.
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; a tummy tuck without a scar is untrue. What can be controlled is where the scar sits, and that is planned with you before surgery.
Is tummy reshaping surgery the same as a tummy tuck?
Tummy reshaping surgery in Lebanon is a general phrase. When the aim is to remove excess fat and skin from the tummy and to tighten separated muscle, the operation is abdominoplasty, the tummy tuck. When the problem is fat alone, with skin that still springs back, liposuction is the other operation; the examination decides which one fits.
What is an abdomen lift in Lebanon, and is it the same as a tummy tuck?
An abdomen lift is another name people use for a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty): it removes the loose skin of the lower abdomen and repairs separated muscle. It is not liposuction, which removes fat and leaves the skin as it is.
Is a tummy tuck painful?
The operation is done under general anaesthetic, so you feel nothing during it. Afterwards the NHS notes pain and bruising, and that the tummy can feel pulled when you stand, which improves over time. Painkilling medicine is provided, and severe pain or an unexpected symptom means calling the clinic at once.
Is abdominoplasty a risky surgery?
It is major surgery, and every operation carries risks. The commonest complication is a seroma, a collection of fluid under the skin, which is drained in clinic when needed. Delayed healing at the centre of the scar is the other main risk, and nicotine is the single biggest avoidable cause. Blood clots are uncommon, which is why you walk early.
Who is a good candidate for a tummy tuck?
Someone bothered by loose abdominal skin or separated muscle, after pregnancy or weight loss. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons states that it does not replace weight loss or exercise, and where the concern is fat alone, liposuction is a different operation. Smoking is raised at the consultation.
How much does a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) in Lebanon cost?
There is no single figure, because no two operations are the same. The cost depends on what is done, how long it takes, the anaesthetic and the hospital. Fees are not advertised, in keeping with the professional rules for doctors in Lebanon; they are discussed in person at the consultation, once the right operation for you is known. What shapes the cost is set out in the cost of plastic surgery in Lebanon.
Further reading
Sources
Published patient information on this procedure, from sources independent of the practice. The plan for your own operation is gone through at the consultation.
Press
In the press
Dr. ElKhoury’s letter in L’Orient-Le Jour, « Docteur, je continue les injections ou je me fais opérer ? » (7 October 2026, in French), sets out what injections can and cannot correct. More press.