Saturday, March 26, 2011

Brazilian plastic surgeon says operated on Gadhafi

SAO PAULO: It was well after midnight, when the Brazilian surgeon says he was escorted to the bottom of a bunker in the Libyan capital.
His mission: to shave years from the appearance of Muammar Qaddafi by removing the fat from his belly and inject it into her wrinkled face. The Libyan leader also got hair plugs.
"He told me he had been in power for 25 years at that time, and he did not want the youth of his country to see him as an old man," Dr. Liacyr Ribeiro recalled. " I recommended a facelift, but he refused. "
The secret four-hour procedure in 1995 was made at the insistence of Gaddafi, under local anesthesia because he wanted to remain vigilant. Halfway through, the Libyan leader stopped to eat a hamburger.
Kadhafi was concerned a facelift would be too visible, so he opted for the less radical procedure, the surgeon told The Associated Press.
"I warned Qaddafi that the effects of the operation I made, should last about five years, he had an expiration date after which the skin would sag and wrinkles reappear," said Ribeiro.
"He said he would remember if he needed me to come back, and five years ago there was such a demand, but Ribeiro had a family obligation." They never called again, he said.
At the time of surgery, Gaddafi was 53, but Ribeiro said he expected at least 10 years older. A photo taken when the doctor shows smiling posing next to the Libyan leader, who wore a white suit, shirt and flowers had pronounced wrinkles crisscrossing his face and neck.
After the procedure, "he looked like a 45 year old man," said the doctor.
Ribeiro insists he now speaks only to provide an overview of a man whom we know little, and certainly not to brag.
"Gaddafi is not looking very good these days," said Ribeiro, noting that the leader 68-year-old has appeared in recent appearances jowly, his skin swollen, bruised and deeply cowardly. "For potential patients I operated on him would be against-productive. "
Qaddafi is hardly the only world leader to go under the knife.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi owes its look to plastic surgery and hair transplant - also work performed by Ribeiro, according to media reports, if the doctor refuses to confirm. And rumors swirled about the Russian leader Vladimir Putin after his appearance last October with heavy makeup covering bruises under his eyes.
A surgeon of international reputation, the 70-year-old Ribeiro has written two books on plastic surgery and participated in conferences around the world on the subject.
It was at one such meeting, in May 1994 in Tripoli, as Ribeiro spoke about his specialty, cosmetic breast surgery.
Subsequently, a Libyan official identified as Mohammed Zaid "came to me and told me he wanted me to meet someone who loves the Libyans," said Ribeiro. "Because of my specialty, I thought he was going to introduce me to his wife."
Instead, Zaid led Ribeiro in a house surrounded by armed guards.
"Zaid and I were trapped in a library located in a tent in the house, and there he told me he wanted me to look at Gaddafi," said Ribeiro.
A few minutes later, the Libyan leader, wearing a long white tunic, entered the room, shook my hand and greeted me, speaking perfect English. "
"It was an extremely polite, intelligent, warm and soft voice quickly told me what he wanted and why," said Ribeiro.
Gaddafi wanted an immediate operation, but Ribeiro needed a surgical team and the procedure was scheduled for January 1995.
He started at 2 pm in the bunker Gaddafi, who had two operating rooms fully equipped and very modern gym and a swimming pool, "said Ribeiro.
"He insisted on local anesthesia, saying he wanted to remain vigilant," added the doctor. "It was a very quiet person."
Sao Paulo-based plastic surgeon Dr. Fabio Naccache confirmed to the AP that he was part of the team and did a hair transplant on the Libyan leader.
Midway, Gaddafi said he was hungry.
"Hamburgers were taken for all and the surgery was interrupted for several minutes while we ate," the surgeon said.
Subsequently, Zaid Ribeiro handed an envelope "full of dollars and Swiss francs." He did not say how much money it contained.
"All I can say is it was more than I charge for my services in Brazil," he said.
The doctor remained in Tripoli for 10 days while Gaddafi recovered.
Ribeiro said he assumes Gaddafi turned to him because the Libyan surgeons were either "unable to do what I did or too afraid he would die on the operating table."

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