Background & Specialties

Board Certification

American Board of Plastic Surgery

Professional Background

Kouros Azar, M.D., is one of a select few cosmetic surgeons in the region who is uniquely qualified to perform a variety of complex reconstructive and aesthetic surgical techniques, including everything from face lift surgery to tummy tuck to breast augmentation. He also is adept at performing non-surgical facial procedures such as chemical peel and photofacial treatments.

Dr. Azar applies his renowned expertise as a cosmetic surgeon to give his Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Calabasas patients the best results in surgical reconstruction and aesthetic enhancement of the face, breast and body. His skills as a plastic surgeon are well known, having been featured in such highly regarded publications as New Beauty Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Westlake-Maliby Lifestyle Magazine, and Veja (the top magazine in Brazil)

Earning his bachelor’s degree in biomedical and electrical engineering in 1990, Dr. Azar later earned his medical degree in 1995 from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He went on to complete a general surgery residency at the University of Arizona in 2000 and a fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Utah in 2002.

Kouros Azar, M.D., is truly at the forefront of his profession as a cosmetic surgeon. If you reside in the Thousand Oaks, Calabasas, Agoura or Westlake Village areas, contact our cosmetic surgery office today to discuss, in detail, your cosmetic surgery objectives.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

THE CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION – Cleveland, Ohio, Department of Otolaryngology and Department of Biomedical Engineering. Head Engineer/Scientist for all collaborative projects (December 1990 – May 1995)

Worked closely with ENT surgeons (Drs. Harvey Tucker and Michael Broniatowski) designing experiments, constructing instrumentation, and performing surgeries to test in vivo engineering applications in ENT.

Designed and tested special electrodes that block peripheral nerve potentials for the relief of laryngeal and facial spasm, and other dystonias in a model.

Performed chronic nerve/muscle pedicle re-innervation surgeries with self-designed neurostimulators for restoration of facial function after facial paralysis.

Designed and implemented electronic systems to restore glottic closure and crico-pharyngeal relaxation for the control of aspiration in a model of stroke patients.

Collected and analyzed new physiologic data on stimulation, recruitment, and nerve block phenomena applied to the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

THE APPLIED NEURAL CONTROL LABORATORY – Cleveland, Ohio, C.W.R.U. School of Medicine, Undergraduate Research Scholar

Designed systems for phrenic nerve pacing. This design was implanted in actor Christopher Reeves and helped restore his ability to breathe without a ventilator.

Worked on design, construction, and testing of non-invasive magnetic brain stimulator prototype used to induce epileptiform activity.

THE REHABILITATION ENGINEERING CENTER – Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland MetroHealth Medical Center.

Worked on refinement and theoretical development of a function electrical stimulation system built to restore hand grasp to C4-C6 quadriplegics.

EDUCATION

Certified Diplomat, American Board of Plastic Surgery

THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH – Salt Lake City, Utah, Fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA – Tucson, Arizona General Surgery Residency

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY – Cleveland, Ohio, M.D. – School of Medicine, B.S. – Biomedical and Electrical Engineering

Publications and Presentations

PUBLICATIONS

Laryngoscope Vol. 103, No. 7, July 1993. “Electronic Control of Laryngeal Spasm II Selective Blockage of Glottic Adduction by a Closed-Loop Circuit in the Canine,” Broniatowski M., Azar K., Davies C., Tucker H., Presented at the American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, January 1992. Presented at the World Congress of Otolaryngology, Istanbul, Turkey, June 23, 1993.

American Society for Artificial Internal Organs Vol. 38, NO. 3, July 1992. “Selective Feedback Control of Spastic Musculature in a Canine Model.” Broniatowski M., Azar K., Davies C., Jacobs G., Tucker H. Presented at the 38th annual ASAIO meeting, Nashville, Tennessee, May 7, 1992.

Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Vol. 112, No. 3, March 1995. “Electronic Integration of Glottic Closure and Cricopharyngeal Relaxation for the Control of Aspiration.” Broniatowski M., Dessofy R., Azar K., Tucker H. Presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 3, 1993.

Triological Society “Dynamic Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed Face: IV Independent Coupling of Oral and Ocular Musculature from the Intact Side in the Canine.” Broniatowski M., Dessofy R., Azar K., Trott M., Miller F., Davies R., Tucker H. Presented at the Eastern section of the Triological Society, Ottawa, Canada, January 28, 1994.

PRESENTATIONS

* "The Inventor’s Journey, Understanding the Birth of a Medical Device," IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology, Buena Ventura section, August 20, 2003.

* "How Plastic Surgery Improves Our Lives," Los Robles Medical Center, August 26, 2003.

* "Medial Gastrocnemius Vascularized Tendon Flap for Reconstruction of Ruptured Patellar Tendon," Azar K., Rockwell W.B., Peters C., Research Day, Department of Surgery, University of Utah, June 2001.

* Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds:

"Congenital Thumb Surgery," November 2001
"Craniosynostosis, Head and Neck Embryology," August 2000
"Principles of Myocutaneous Flaps," October 2000
"Physiology of Skin, Composite, Bone, and Cartilage Grafts," January 2001
"Secondary Velopharyngeal Insufficiency," May 2001
"Neuromas and Nerve Grafting Techniques," May 2001
"Breast Reconstruction," February 2000
"Host Response and Infection of Implantable Devices," January 1999

Southern Arizona Trauma Network: Statewide Telecast Trauma Grand Rounds: "Angioembolization of the Proper Hepatic Artery in the Face of Pediatric Liver Trauma," June 2000

PRESS

"Deuling Mother Nature," Commentary on Endoscopic Mid-Cheek Lift, Los Angeles Magazine (June 2004).

"Thousand Oaks Surgical Team Saves County Man’s Arm," Thousand Oaks Star (July 8, 2003).

"The Last Stitch," coverage of arm replantation case, Plastic Surgery News (January 2004).

Hobbies and Interests

Mountaineering
Backpacking
Rock climbing
Violin studies – since 1988
Flamenco guitar studies – since 2005