2 years out and I think Khouri is the best thing for survivors. It hurt like a mofo so be prepared.

Treatment Provider

Provider Review

• 22 Jun 2018

I write this review over 2 years after finishing surgery; most people write reviews early but not me. Had I been writing it immediately afterwards when still sore, probably would be a different story. You are bitter and cranky when in pain. I read a lot of online reviews before starting; all seemed very raw and fresh and hyper focused on a few unpleasant points. Here's my chance to lay it out full picture - and emphasize how long term a process this is. I think they try hard to keep you from being scared and people are surprised that this is way more intense than run of the mill plastic surgery. But it's so worth it at the end once the pain is gone and the scars have faded. To set the picture, age 37 and bilateral mastectomy; I had a DDD chest before that surgery and the TRAM FLAP reconstruction resulted in barely an B cup. I wished to return to pre-cancer size which was proportionate to my height and implants were never an option as I wear historic 16th century corsets regularly and needed natural breasts as implants don't work with that style of clothing. Several surgeons in Denver referred me to Dr. Khouri as the best chance for a difficult situation. I already had a ton of bad scars from the mastectomy, that wasn't a concern. (Dr, Khori actually went back and fixed the worst ones, and now I have beautiful barely visible scars that are hidden by a bikini top.) I had my hesitations as the facility is small and dated. However, the staff are warm and understanding of the trauma people have gone through that brings them to Miami. Dr. Khouri may not present himself as the most politically correct sensitive person for those that are hyper sensitive, but his obvious passion for reconstruction of breasts into the best shape possible can't be missed. He is blunt, but not creepy. Blanca, his nurse, was my primary contact pre and post operative and she was beyond amazing with her compassion and advice. When she gives advice, follow it. Despite the age of the building, it never felt anything other than clean and sterile and I had no post op complications from infections. Office staff comes across as a bit scatterbrained, I kept getting insurance statements showing 'pending' for a year. However, they never asked for a penny more than the initial up front payment for being Out of Network as we kept all surgeries in the same deductible year. I ultimately spent more on travel than the procedure itself. (Mostly because I traveled alone and had to hire a private nurse for the 2 days after surgery each time and relied heavily on courier food delivery. It would be cheaper now thanks to Ubereats.) I had enough breast tissue going in that I didn't get to wear Khour's fancy expander contraption. It wasn't needed. Definitely didn't need it after the first round of surgery as I went up a cup size each time. The surgery recoveries themselves are messy, extremely painful, and the recovery is traumatic. They probably could manage those expectations a bit better. You'll need at least 2 boxes of the big hospital pads, assume you're going to throw away the bed-sheet, and you'll want a dollar store plastic table cloth under the sheet as well as to put on the seat of your car for the drive home afterwards. I don't want to sugar coat how much the recovery hurts and do not be late on taking your pain meds or you will be regretting every movement. However, it's so worth it. I suggest sleeping as much as possible! Don't ignore the instructions to avoid underwear and tight clothes; you'll want to wear mumus. (Out of state people, make sure you fill your Rx early; pharmacies put out of state Rx's through extra scrutiny and Florida pharmacies won't fill a narcotics Rx for someone out of state.) The cast you wear afterwards is glued to you. It's sucks all around and there is no avoiding that. It will itch. It will smell. It will be awful. You won't be able to shower beyond a sponge bath. You'll also have an irresistible urge to want to decorate it like Xena or Wonder Woman because it's pretty much like that, just covered in that flesh tone medical tape that will get super gross looking. You'll have to go back to have it redone once the swelling goes down and it starts falling off. They'll give you an letter for TSA security explaining it for when you fly, but TSA at Ft. Lauderdale Airport barely looked at it - it's common enough. This part is awful because you are slowly returning to normal life. I suggest wearing a sports bra over it to keep you from scratching and picking at it. I really think this was worse than the painful surgery part because it was super annoying, and I slept most of the week after surgery anyway. Taking it off was wonderful, as was going bra shopping at the mall on the way back to the airport. It was very euphoric. I felt so normal each time! Spent so much time looking in mirrors it bordered on mania. Even through it hurt worse than the mastectomy, I went and did this process 4 times; returning every three months. I have zero regrets and pretty much try and forget that year happened. They put in a pain pump after the internal stitch on the 3rd surgery that included an internal appliance to give a defined breast shape, a small section of skin went necrotic due to trauma at the pain pump insertion location. This was revised in my 4th surgery and wasn't a big deal because I followed proper wound care procedure for the entire 3 months between surgeries. Scar is barely visible because Khouri has amazing skill with sutures. So, ultimately, the surgery and recovery process hurts way more than the mastectomy ever did, but now that it's in the past and the memory of the pain fading, I am super happy and delighted with the results. They look great and a tiny bit of sensation has returned; I still get the occasional zing and itch of a nerve regrowing. I strongly recommend this method of reconstruction to anyone wanting to avoid implants so long as they are able to mentally handle it and keep an eye on the end goal. I now wear bikinis and turn heads in public with low cut tight shirts. I don't need a bra because they are perky and firm, but I revel in wearing one - a 36G is my current bra size. A normal appearance helps put the trauma behind me. If you are expecting to go through this and bear zero marks of a breast cancer nightmare, this isn't for you. You need to accept you are a survivor and be realistic about what can be done. But this process of surgery and liposuction will make it so outwardly, people who are unaware of your history will continue to be unaware. Finishing his processes with no belly or back rolls is just a huge perk. You will love that. On the 4th and final surgery he asked if there was any areas I wanted targeted as a fat source besides the 'best' areas - he was running out of donor sites. Mommy belly is gone! :) You can find me on facebook if you have any questions. I seriously will forever sing Dr Khour's results.