Ms Khan performed my bilateral breast reduction operation in July 2021, and I can honestly say that it has been life-changing. Unlike many women with very(!) large breasts, my breasts weren't causing me much physical pain. Very much like other women, however, they were certainly causing me psychological pain, and after 10 years of wanting to have a reduction but never getting around to doing it, I booked a consultation with Ms Khan at the BMI Kingspark Hospital in Stirling.
I was nervous going in for the consultation, but Ms Khan put me at ease very quickly. She was friendly but professional and asked a series of questions so that she could understand why I wanted the operation, what my expectations and hopes were, and to gauge if it was the right option for me. She carefully took me through what the operation would involve, explained the risks involved, and clarified any terminology that I didn't understand. She did a physical exam and took a series of measurements, and determined that weight loss would be very unlikely to have much of an impact on my breast size. She gave me some literature to read about the procedure and what to expect afterwards, and told me to take all the time I needed to make a decision. The only question I wasn't prepared for - which I really should have been expecting - was what size I was hoping to be after the operation. It was at that point that I realised that I had no conception of what the A-D side of the alphabet really meant when it came to cup sizes - it had been so long since those letters had any relevance to me (I was a 36G before the operation). I panicked a little at the question and picked a letter almost at random - a C-cup? Ms Khan explained that it would be very difficult to reduce my breasts to that size and explained why a D-cup might be a better option. I'm very glad that she did!
I took about a week to think about it and decided to go ahead with the surgery. Luckily, Ms Khan was able to fit me in at relatively short notice due to a COVID-related cancellation, and so I was able to have the surgery at a time when I could take the necessary time off work. The morning of the surgery she came in to prep me for the surgery, and took new measurements and spent considerable time drawing lines, and crosses, and references points for the surgery. The operation took about 2 hours, and Ms Khan and the team removed just over 2kg of tissue - just over 1kg from the right breast and around 900g from the left (like many large breasted women, my breasts were a little lopsided). About 90 minutes after I came round from the surgery she came to check on me, to talk me through how the procedure went, and to explain what I needed to do next in terms of wound care and wearing a post-surgery sports bra. I stayed that night in the hospital and went home the next morning with some paracetemol and some codeine-based painkillers in case I needed them. I was very pleasantly surprised, however, that the discomfort after the operation was very manageable just with paracetamol - I didn't even need to open the stronger painkillers.
After the surgery, I experienced some swelling, which is very normal. But it wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. I had to wear a post-surgery sports bra 24/7 for 6 weeks. And I had to sleep propped partially upright for about 2.5 weeks as it was too uncomfortable to lie flat. In line with Ms Khan's instructions, I did no heavy lifting, housework, etc for the 6 week recovery period, but I felt able to go for short (very slow) walks after about 4 days.
After two weeks I returned to the hospital for a wound check and had the dressings removed by one of the nurses. Ms Khan checked in with me by phone and email during that initial two week period, and then again every 10 days or so until the end of the 6 week recovery period. I did get a mild infection at the top of my right areola, but it wasn't serious, was caught quickly, and cleared up with a standard 7-day course of antibiotics.
After 6 weeks I went into Marks and Spencer to see if I could find a soft, non-wired bra in what we were hoping my new size would be - 36D. I found one, bought it straight off the rack and took it home to try on. AND IT FIT PERFECTLY. I couldn't remember the last time I had been able to go bra shopping, and not have to make a beeline for the 'Fuller Bust' section and almost always be disappointed that there were no nice bras in my size, and even if there were that they wouldn't really fit properly. Now, I can be confident that I can pick a 36D off the rack and it will fit properly and feel comfortable. I look and feel like my body is in proportion now, and I don't hate what looks back at me in the mirror. I used to hate going clothes shopping as I would just have to settle for anything that would fit over my breasts. Now I can't wait to go shopping and try on clothes that I would have walked straight past as 'definitely not an option before the surgery.
This has been a life-changing surgery for me. And I am so thankful to Ms Khan for her skill, advice and expertise. Even though she cautioned me that she couldn't guarantee that I'd be the 36D that we talked about in the consultation, she got it to spot on. She answered all my questions, calmed my nerves, explained the procedure and risks clearly, and performed what looks to me like a flawless operation.
I can wholeheartedly recommend Ms Khan to anyone in the Edinburgh/Dundee/Stirling area who might be considering this surgery. It was the best £6000 I have ever spent, the best decision I think I've ever made, and I only wish that I'd made it earlier.
