Frequently Asked Questions

Like many other cosmetic surgery centers around the U.S., Magnifica Figura of Chicago, IL, headed by Dr. Vincent Makhlouf, sees many patients during the colder months of the year. For those unfamiliar with cosmetic procedures, this trend may seem curious; why get a beach body mid-winter when bikini weather is six months away?

The benefits to scheduling one’s plastic surgery far in advance of hot summer days are myriad, and at Magnifica Figura, Dr. Makhlouf and his expert staff encourages new and current clients alike to visit the center this winter in order to begin their process of total transformation. In addition to allowing patients to be nearly healed by the time summer is upon them, winter surgeries also allow patients to easily conceal the evidence of a recent procedure under cold-weather clothing, and also spend less time recovering during beautiful days when they would undoubtedly prefer to spend their time outside, enjoying nice weather.

Patients of Magnifica Figura who are seeking facial surgery will also benefit from weakened sunlight during the winter season, as beneficiaries of facelifts, rhinoplasties, eyelid surgeries, neck lifts, and other procedures are advised to carefully avoid exposure to strong outdoor light in order to avoid scarring.

While winter is a popular time to schedule consultations and procedures for all of these reasons and more, Magnifica Figura is still currently accepting new patients looking for a new self in the New Year. Their offices invite prospective patients to visit www.magnificafigura.com for pictures of abdominoplastia antes y despues, as well as before-and-after photos of other procedures, or call 877-532-3476 to inquire about the costo de cirugia de parpados, abdomen, face, or other areas of the body.

Acerca Magnifica Figura

Fundado por el Dr. Vincent Makhlouf, MD, Magnifica Figura de Chicago, IL, le ofrece los pacientes con un complemento completo de procedimientos de cirugía plástica, como tratamientos faciales, incluyendo la rinoplastia y estiramientos faciales, cirugía de senos, piel y otros procedimientos del cuerpo, como los aumentos de glúteos y la liposucción.

Para ver todos los procedimientos disponibles y una galería de fotos después de antes, se invita a los clientes potenciales a visitar www.magnificafigura.com

While any time of year is a great time to start your journey towards a new you, many plastic surgery patients are surprised to find that, contrary to what many may assume, winter – not spring or summer – is a very popular time to undergo a variety of procedures. There are several reasons, listed below, for why fall and winter are the best times to undergo cosmetic surgeries, and we invite prospective patients to call our offices to begin the process of self-transformation in winter of 2016.

Timing your procedures to provide optimal results during summer.

Healing takes time, and while you may see incredible results not long after your procedure has been completed, many surgeries require weeks or months of recovery time before all incisions are healed and swelling has diminished entirely. While mobility is shortly restored to most patients, risk of tearing sutures or causing other damage may require them to avoid certain activities.

Patients who undergo their surgeries in the fall or winter stand an excellent chance of fully enjoying their results by summer, a full 4-6 months after their procedure and recovery is complete.

Easier concealment of swelling and bruising.

Bruising, swelling, and visible incisions are temporary and an inherent part of cosmetic procedures, but that doesn’t mean patients embrace showing them off! Hot weather can make it more difficult to fully hide visible evidence of your recent procedure, as it is uncomfortable to wear long-sleeve shirts, turtlenecks, long pants, or other clothing that is helpful in concealing these marks. Winter, however, calls for a wardrobe that is immensely effective in helping to keep patients’ medical procedures private.

A better time recovering.

One of the many personal reasons our patients choose to undergo cosmetic surgery is to improve their overall appearance, including in public situations where they may be showing more skin. Summer provides myriad opportunities to be out flaunting one’s assets, and the weather encourages healthy outdoor activities such as biking and running. Recovering can prevent individuals from doing much physical activity or, in some cases, from leaving their home for a period of several days, which can be distressing to some. Few similar activities are available during a Chicago winter, helping to prevent our patients from feeling as if they are “missing out” because of their surgery.

Business owners looking to undergo cosmetic surgery may also be able to benefit from a traditionally slow time of year, depending on their industry; between extra days off for national holidays and decreased consumer activity, it can be the perfect opportunity to take the time you need to fully recover.

Favorable weather conditions.

Patients who undergo skin procedures are advised to carefully protect themselves from strong sunlight, which is more difficult in the summer. Exposure to sunlight can also increase the risk of visible scars after healing is complete. Sunlight is weaker in the winter, and while protection is still necessary, patients can live without fear of accidentally acquiring a sunburn or damaging exposure to U.V. rays.

Chicago area Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, M. Vincent Makhlouf, MD, FACS launches video today with tips on how to have a successful consultation for both the patient and the physician.

“I wanted to create this video to inform the patient that not all surgeons are created equal. I want the patient armed with good questions to ask and I also want them to do their homework on the physician and office first before going in for a consultation.” said Dr. Makhlouf.

Makhlouf’s tips include:

• Checking the credentials of the physician
• Checking the Certificates, reputation and experience
• Preparing questions they want to ask during the visit
• Blocking an appropriate amount of time so they are not rushed by their own schedule
• Clarify in their mind the outcome they want to have

Questions a patient should ask:

• Can you give me what I want?
• Will I leave the office with a clear picture in my head as to what I want, and what I can get?
• What about complications?
• What about recovery?
• What about cost and financing?
• Do I have a good communication with the doctor?
• Do I like the doctor?
• How much pain is involved?

To view Tips to Have a Successful Consultation video, please visit: http://youtu.be/vTMX5AlQ2dE

Blepharoplasty: A corrective eyelid surgery on either the upper or lower eyelids.  The procedure removes excess fat, skin, or muscle.

Cautery: Is an electrical device that generates energy denatures protein and causes them to clump together.  If applied to a blood vessel, this process seals it and prevents further bleeding.

Crow’s Feet: The lines that fan from corner of the eyes at the junction of the upper and lower eyelid are called crow’s feet.  They are accentuated by smiling and are also called smile lines.

Glabellar Area: The 11 lines that are formed between the eyebrows.

Hemostasis: A process which causes bleeding to stop.  It is achieved in the operating room either by tying the blood vessel off or coagulating it with cautery.

Nasojugal Fold: Otherwise known as the tear trough, this is the fold that is obliquely extended from the inner corner of the eye and delineates the union between the skin of the eyelid and the skin of the cheek.

Nasolabial Fold: This is the crease that begins at the bottom of the nose and extends to the corner of the lips.

Orbit: The orbit is the bony cavity of the skull in which the eye, the muscles and the fat are located.

Platysma: The Platysma is a muscle present between the deep structures of the neck like the nerves, carotid artery, trachea, etc. and the skin.

Ptosis: Ptosis is the droopiness of the eyelid.  It usually refers to the upper eyelid.  It can be congenital, or due to muscle weakness or separation of the muscle from its attachment in the eyelid cartilage.

Radiesse: An injectable, made from calcium hydroxyapatite, a molecule found in bones and corals. Its particles are small enough to be injected and add volume to the area.

Important Safety Tips for Patients Considering Overseas Plastic Surgery

If you are considering having plastic surgery, you have many choices. The variety and popularity of cosmetic procedures is growing, and there are more providers and facilities than ever before to choose from. A new trend finds some even offering low-cost “medical tourism” packages in exotic locales like Mexico, India, or Thailand. But are they safe?

The first thing to keep in mind is that plastic surgery is real surgery. You need to find out as much as possible about your doctor, the facility they operate in and how you will manage post-operative issues. Take your time. Do your research.

Vincent Makhlouf, MD, of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) based here in Chicago is dedicated to making sure consumers have the safest plastic surgery possible, and offers you the following Questions to Consider When Debating Having Surgery Abroad:

1. Is the physician qualified? Are the medical facility and equipment safe? Although there are many qualified physicians practicing all over the world in excellent facilities, many countries have no credible process for verifying physician training, or the standards of medical facilities and equipment. Patients can significantly decrease the dangers of plastic surgery by thoroughly researching both doctor and facility, or simply staying in the United States and selecting an ASPS Member Surgeon. All ASPS Member Surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and put patient safety first.

2. How will my post-operative care and any complications be handled? Patients should consider that even routine post-op care (such as changing dressings and monitoring healing) can be necessary for several weeks—long after your “vacation” is over. And patients should also determine if they have insurance for complications resulting from cosmetic procedures abroad.

3. Are travel and vacation activities compatible with surgery? Although enticing, most vacation activities should be avoided after surgery, and a long return flight increases the risk of developing a pulmonary embolism and blood clots. Your surgeon should discuss what you can expect during recovery, and what you can do to minimize risk.

Dr. Makhlouf is an ASPS Member Surgeon. ASPS is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

I was being interviewed, and was asked: What makes you valuable to your patients that they may not get in another practice?

Let us define Value as a ratio between what one gets over what one pays for it.

My patients are getting (numerator):
*Substantial qualifications
*Extensive experience
*A dedicated work ethic
*Solid outcomes
*A sincere patient doctor relationship
*A commitment to deliver the best possible outcome
*The most up to date scientific knowledge available in Plastic Surgery

What is their cost (denominator)?
*Financial
*Emotional
*Time to heal
*Delay in the reward

I am going to explore how I maximize the numerator and minimize the denominator.

I am a board certified Plastic Surgeon that has a teaching appointment at the university of Illinois. I take the residents through difficult surgeries, and attend conferences locally and nationally to maintain proficiency and compare my results to others.

I have been in practice since 1987, I have a lot of experience seen procedures in their infancy and development over time, I have seen the learning curve, the mistakes, and the procedures that survived and those that did not. So this gives me a unique appreciation of new technologies, their benefits and shortfalls, their place in the armamentarium of a good plastic surgeon and how to use them best.

I work hard for every patient and I never approach a surgical operation as a routine procedure, I constantly strive to prepare for every procedure ahead of time. Moreover, I perform the surgery in my head at least once before I perform it on the patient. My work ethics combined with a multitude of procedures performed over the years gives me an edge on the other practitioners.

I wish I could say that all my procedures come out perfect every time, but I am only human. However I am constantly comparing my results with those published in the literature, and many times I come ahead or equal. If on occasion I am not getting the results I like to see, I will research why and how I can make my outcomes better. If I am not successful at getting quality results I simply will not offer that particular procedure. This way I concentrate on a panel of successful procedures and make them available to my patients.

I understand that the patient is looking for more than just a transaction; they are looking for a relationship- a comfortable and trusting interaction with the practitioner. Knowing this fact I strive to provide it. I will not manipulate patients and remain genuine so they will have only the procedure they need, I will not encourage them to have more procedures than they want unless it is medically or aesthetically beneficial. I will explain my reasoning and recommendation. Whenever possible I will give them the least costly alternative, rather than the more expensive one. My price structure is set up to reinforce this commitment. I do not look at my patients as customers that I want to make the most money from, but rather as patients, human beings asking the help of another human being.

I am a perfectionist meaning I am never easily satisfied. I am always striving to improve my outcomes, and if I feel I could give a patient a better result than what was achieved, or if in my mind the outcome should have been nicer, I will try to fix it with the least possible cost. My results and “batting” average speak in my favor.

I always want to be up to date with the scientific knowledge. I attend meetings every year, I stay up to familiarize myself with the medical literature, and try to publish if whenever I find something that could be of help to other practitioners. I do not publish to show off but only if I have something relevant to say. The process of publishing entails a thorough knowledge of other publications which forces me to become an expert in the subject.

Physicians are required to maintain up to date knowledge by obtaining yearly education credits through exams, reading of the literature or other medical education activity. I have always more Continuing Medical Education credits than required, and because I pay for that from my own pocket, those credits have always been relevant to my practice and to the knowledge I feel I need to have to remain an up to date physician.

I have always been keenly aware that if one stops this process of self-education one becomes irrelevant quickly. Plastic surgery has been changing and developing very fast during my 25 years of practice, and this is how it has been able to grow in spite of the economic challenges and encroachment by other specialties and untrained practitioners. (There are in the Chicago area radiologists performing liposuction, otolaryngologist performing breast augmentation and abdominoplasty, ER physicians performing facelifts etc…)

As to what the cost is:

My fees are average or just below the mean compared to other qualified physicians in my field. I try to maintain a small overhead, and the office provides financing ability. The facility fee I have negotiated on behalf of my patients with the hospital is very reasonable, and less expensive than many surgi-centers. It has an invaluable safety and resources needed in term of supply and equipment. The setup is very private and comfortable, all, of this offers an added value too.

Another unaccounted for cost is the emotional input. It is inherent to the specialty and people come with varied emotional baggage. I try to identify and understand it, and over the years of experience have developed ways to address their needs. What I have found of utmost use to help mitigate this emotional cost  is to provide  the detailed education as to the procedure, the possible complications and what we would do the prevent them from occurring. I also make sure we have a good rapport with the patient before the surgical procedure. I insist on a preoperative visit during which we address all the questions that might have arisen after the first consultation, I go over what is the procedure that is going to be performed, how it is going to be done, if implants are involved we try the sizes again and prepare the garments that are going to be needed post operatively. I will also review the medical history and safety issues review the lab work, give last minute instructions about how to prepare for the procedure, give the prescriptions and explain the reasons for them and how to take them.   I have found this visit invaluable and take away a significant part of the emotional load that comes with the surgery.

Time to heal is an inherent biology issue that we can rarely alter, however, I see the patient very frequently after the surgery to monitor their progress make sure they are healing as they should and “hold their hand” until they start to see the expected result, I make myself available to them and call them as needed to encourage them and monitor their progress.

I hope this reading has made you appreciate what is needed in order to provide the quality my patients get.

Researching Your Surgeon: Key to Safety

The popularity of plastic surgery is soaring—and more and more doctors are trying to meet the demand. Any licensed physician can claim to be a plastic surgeon, so the importance of making sure your doctor is properly trained and certified is paramount.

“With ever increasing numbers of providers offering plastic surgery, it can be easy for the public to become confused about a doctor’s qualifications, and the impact it can have on their safety” said Dr. Makhlouf, MD, an ASPS Member Surgeon based here in Chicago. “Plastic surgery is serious and, like any operation, it carries risks.”

Dr. Makhlouf is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery and the specialty’s leader in patient safety initiatives.

To help consumers have the safest plastic surgery possible, Dr. Makhlouf has put together a checklist to guide patients through the process of planning for plastic surgery in the Chicago area -

Evaluate Yourself: Prior to researching a doctor, you need to be comfortable and confident with your decision to have plastic surgery. Ask yourself questions like “Why—and for whom—am I looking to have this surgery performed?” Patients should be internally motivated to have a procedure. “What kind of results am I expecting?” Having realistic expectations is an important facet of the process. “Is this a good time for me to have surgery?” All surgery requires recovery time, both physical and mental. Patients should allow for adequate time for adjustment.

Check Your Doctor’s Board Certification: Determine if your physician is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery for plastic surgery of the face and all areas of the body. This certification ensures that the surgeon has graduated from an accredited medical school and completed at least five years of surgical residency—usually three years of general surgery and two years of plastic surgery. ASPS Member Surgeons meet these and other strict standards of education and experience.

Ensure that Medical Facilities are Safe: Everyone who chooses plastic surgery has the right to a safe procedure. Procedures should be administered in a setting with the necessary equipment and qualified medical personnel to observe patients and manage potential complications, and should be accredited by a national or state recognized accrediting agency/organization such as the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), or Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Obtain a Medical Evaluation: Your general health can affect the results—and safety—of the plastic surgery procedure you choose. When considering plastic surgery, consult with your surgeon for an evaluation and a full medical history to determine what is most appropriate and advisable for you.

Be Informed: Talk about the procedure with trusted friends and family as well as your physician. When a treatment decision is made cooperatively between the physician and patient, the physician should explain the risks, benefits, alternatives, and reasoning for the proposed treatment, after which an informed consent document should be signed by the patient.

After you have thoroughly researched your doctor and consulted with your physician regarding your health, Dr. Makhlouf encourages you to ask your plastic surgeon tough questions during your consultation:

• Are you certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery?
• Am I a good candidate for the procedure I am interested in?
• Where and how will you perform my procedure?
• Will my procedure need to be repeated?
• Where and how will you perform my procedure?
• How much downtime should I expect?
• Do you have hospital privileges to perform cosmetic surgery?
• How much will my procedure cost?
• Are financing options available?
• How are complications handled?

Deciding to get plastic surgery? One of the most important aspects to think about is the cost of your procedure. For some people, the price of a surgery, such as breast augmentation or tummy tuck, is enough to make them second-guess undergoing their procedure.

Potential patients who are looking to have plastic surgery done in Chicago should research the prices of several practices before settling with just any surgeon. When determining the total cost of your procedure, there are various fees to take into account, including:

• Surgeon’s fee
• Facility fee
• Anesthesia fee
• Prescription for medication
• Medical evaluation tests

The type of procedure(s) that you choose will play a significant role in the total cost of the surgery. It is also of the utmost importance that you choose a plastic surgeon who is well qualified and performs the procedures in a safe environment.

What is a successful consultation?

A successful consultation has to have specific outcomes that will be achieved. But before we get to the discussion of what these should be, both the patient and the office have to be prepared for the interaction.

The patient gets prepared by investigating the office, investigating the practitioner and checking the credentials, certificates, reputation and the experience, and preparing question they want to cover during the visit.

The office should be ready for the consultation by blocking the appropriate amount of time (sometimes a real challenge) and being able to provide the patient with answers to all the questions they have. Some of the questions the patients may not be aware of their presence because they are in the back of their mind not in the forefront.

What are some of the questions patients have during the consultation?

The number one question a patient has is “Can you give me what I want?” This implies that the patient comes with a clear idea as to what they want to achieve. If it’s not clear, then at the end of the consultation that expectation should be clarified.

The next question that is in the mind of everybody is” how is the procedure done?”

This is covered in detail by the surgeon.

The next is what is involved in terms of prearation, healing time, return to work, return to normal activities return to exercise and active lifestyle.

The next question is what risks am I taking? What are the possible complications, and how are they dealt with?

How much pain involved the procedure?

Will I need any kind of specialized help during my recovery?

What is the cost, and can I afford it? Are there financing options?

And lastly one of the more important questions is: do I like the Dr, do I trust him does he care aboiut me? Am I comfortable with this office setup? And do I believe they can provide me with what I want.

In our office we understand your questions and needs we are going to make our very best effort to provide you with the answers you need.

Communication is fundamental into achieving this goal. If we fail to do that, please ask more questions until you are satisfied. We will have an in depth discussion about your goals and whether they can be achieved, what are the expected results and outcomes. We will provide you with printed information to clarify things and to help remember the content of the discussion and provide further explanations as to what is involved.

After the consultation patients usually go home and think about it. If and when they are ready to move to the next step they would call the office and try to pickup a tentative date for the surgical procedure.

Another office visit will be required in the week before the surgery to go over the procedure one more time, clarify any point that may or may not have been fully covered during the consultation. Information regarding the preparation for the procedure, prescriptions and the overall reevaluation of the whole process will occur during this very important pre-op visit.

Visit our office in Chicago or Des Plaines for consultation with Dr. Makhlouf

You’re interested in getting a procedure done (i.e. – facial rejuvenation, or blepharoplasty, to name a few). Now, you want to know what your financing options are. This is a practical guide to provide you with some insight. There are a few options to financing your plastic surgery, here, at Enhanced Form.

Consultation

You’ve established that Dr. Makhlouf is the right physician for you, and come in for a consultation.  He’ll give you some insight as to what can and cannot be done and set proper expectations of results.

Subsequently, you would meet with our office manager, and get a *quote. Then, you would book surgery for a date at least 3 weeks in the future. At this time, you would put down a good faith deposit of $1,000 to secure the date on the hospital/surgical center’s calendar and surgery.

Prior to Surgery

Before going in for a surgery, there are few more steps to take. You’ll need to get clearance from your physician. Your clearance is usually only good for 30 days, so it’s imperative to get it done in a timely manner.

A week before surgery, you’ll come in for a pre-operative visit. It’s at this time you’ll pay for the surgeon’s fees. That amount all depends on the procedure.

Day of Surgery

It’s the day of surgery and the day of your final payment. This last and final payment will be made at the surgical center. It covers the facility fees, anesthesiologist, etc.

Financing Options

The financing options at Enhanced Form are Prosper Healthcare and Care Credit. If you have questions about either one of these, we would be happy to help.

Prosper Healthcare:
- They would run a soft credit check.
- It works like a loan.

 Care Credit:
- 6 months of no interest
- 24 or 36 months at a reduced rate

Ready for a Consultation?

If would like to book your consultation, please give us a call: 847.297.8001, or provide your contact details and we’ll call you back.  In the meantime, please check out our photo gallery.

*Please keep in mind that the quote is only good for 90 days.  If you’ve had a consult more than 6 months ago, you’d need to come in for a new one.  At that point, a new quote would be given.

Is There Such a Thing as Depression After Surgery?

You’ve done your research about a plastic surgery procedure and you are ready.  However, you’ve heard that there is such a thing as depression after surgery.  Could it be so?  Are you exempt?  How can you avoid it?

When patients first come to see Dr. Makhlouf for their pre-op visit, he advises them not to do anything taxing for a week after the surgery. The onset of fatigue may occur sooner than you expected, in your daily activities. You may close your eyes sooner than you expected to. Also, watching TV or your electronic devices may be a bit of a strain.  If you’ve had facial surgery, you may also experience some facial pain during the first couple of days.

Dr. Makhlouf advises his patients to expect some bruising, swelling, and being tired. If none of these after affects evidence themselves, you should consider yourself one of the fortunate few. Be prepared for the former vs. the latter.

Post Operative Care

Before your surgery, you should consider who will take care of you post operatively? Dr. Makhlouf advises that you should have a supportive and caring individual. You’ll definitely require support and someone that’s considerate of your emotions and care. Your emotional well being will vascillate, as well. The caretaker may be affected by that.

Surgery affects each person differently. The most common reaction is being depressed on the 3rd or 4th day. Some patients think they may be the exception to the rule. However three weeks later, they may have a crying bout on their way home. Sometime near the end of the second week, the patient starts to feel good. There’s also a day in there when they realize that they actually look magnificent.

Patients experience feedback from others, both positive and negative.  Initially, you may feel irritated because people that are now paying attention to you didn’t pay attention to you before.  It’s quite likely that this is the initial reason why got the surgery to begin with.  You want to look and feel good about yourself, and you want others to notice. As per the Dr., patients eventually start to enjoy the extra attention.

Anyone who has cosmetic surgery has shown that they are a person of courage. They simply expect more from themselves, now. They’ve given up the age old excuse of, “I’m too afraid to do that.”

Celebrities and their plastic surgeries always seem to make news – though not always for positive reasons. The Internet is rife with websites devoted to celebrity scrutiny, including hundreds of “Before” and “After” photo galleries that purport to show the outcome of this plastic surgery procedure or that one.

While star gazing is nothing new, sometimes people may let their interest in celebrities go so far that they, too, want to try plastic surgery. In some cases we’ve seen media reports of people who want plastic surgery in order to look like their favorite celebrity or follow their behavior.

Not too long ago actress Jessica Alba reportedly stepped in to urge a Chinese woman not to pursue plastic surgery because the woman wanted to look like – yes, you guessed it – Jessica Alba. It turns out the woman was trying to win back her ex-boyfriend, who is a huge Jessica Alba fan. According to news reports Ms. Alba told the woman, “I think you should never have to change yourself like that. If somebody loves you, they’ll love you no matter what.”

Ms. Alba convinced the woman she was better off.

Celebrities have their reasons for pursuing plastic surgery. Many opt for reasonable and responsible procedures to help them look younger so they can stand in the limelight for a while longer. Others go in for one surgery after another in an endless quest for the Fountain of Youth. In some cases, their search turns into an obsession that may last a lifetime.

There are many good reasons for considering plastic surgery. All of them should revolve around you – your personal goals and desires in order to live your best possible life. Plastic surgery is a decision that only you should make, in consultation with an experienced surgeon who can explain the procedures and answer your questions completely. Knowledge is powerful and can put your mind at ease. There are many things plastic surgery can accomplish, and some things it cannot.

In Chicago, Dr. Vincent Makhlouf has devoted his professional life to the science and art of cosmetic surgery. With more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Makhlouf is a highly skilled and compassionate surgeon who devotes his time to learning about you, about your goals and dreams. Every patient who sees Dr. Makhlouf receives an individual consultation to explore all available cosmetic options, as well as to address the patient’s concerns. Afterward, Dr. Makhlouf develops a treatment plan to fulfill the unique needs and desires of the individual patient.

Dr. Makhlouf believes that in every human body there is a work of art waiting to be expressed. We invite you to discover what is possible.

To learn more about your cosmetic surgery options in Chicago and to schedule an appointment for a confidential consultation, call the offices of Dr. Makhlouf toll-free at 877.523.3476

Plastic surgery can improve your self-esteem and enjoyment of life, according to a new study by scientists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) in Germany. In this long-term study, the largest of its kind ever undertaken, scientists researched the psychological effects of plastic surgery on 550 patients. The study subjects showed a greater enjoyment of life and improved self-esteem after their cosmetic surgery procedures to enhance their physical appearance. The scientists reported their results in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.

The researchers first studied whether plastic surgery patients are systematically different from other people, their goals before plastic surgery, and whether they reach those goals. There were no significant differences among the study subjects in their psychological and health factors.

RUB researchers then studied patients’ goals. About 88 percent of the study subjects offered realistic goals, citing the desire to “feel better,” “develop more self-confidence” and “eliminate blemishes.”

The researchers tested the study patients before surgery, as well as three, six and 12 months after. On average, the study patients reported they had fulfilled their goals and were satisfied over the long-term. Compared to a control group of study subjects who chose not to pursue plastic surgery, the plastic surgery patients reported feeling healthier, less anxious, and enjoyed greater self-esteem. No adverse effects were observed in any of the study subjects.

The study results mirror patient satisfaction with the Chicago plastic surgery practice of Dr. Makhlouf, who has been helping his clients look and feel better about themselves since 1987.

Dr. Makhlouf offers a broad suite of cosmetic services, both surgical and non-surgical, to help you achieve the body shape you desire and help restore a youthful appearance. The doctor and his staff meet personally with every patient to understand individual goals and desires. Dr. Makhlouf then prepares a detailed treatment plan unique to each individual patient.

To learn more about your cosmetic surgery options in Chicago and to schedule an appointment for a private consultation, call the offices of Dr. Makhlouf toll-free at 877.523.3476

Bibliographic source: J. Margraf, A. H. Meyer, K. L. Lavalee (2013): Well-being from the knife? Psychological effects of aesthetic surgery, Clinical Psychological Science, doi: 10.1177/2167702612471660.