Real Patient Stories Episodes

Six months after her breast implants came out, a young woman handed Dr. Luke Swistun a full, untouched bottle of Xanax — the same prescription she had been burning through at three to four pills a day before the explant. Stories like hers are why Monique Ramsey is marking 230 episodes and five years of the La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast by going back to the archive. Monique counts down one moment from each of the five LJCSC surgeons — Dr. Johan Brahme on why a brow lift feminizes women but makes me...

Most patients walk into a breast augmentation consultation hoping to leave with answers. Ella walked in with research, reference photos, and a clear vision — and then made the deliberate decision to trust her plastic surgeon’s judgment in the operating room. Born and raised on Oahu and a self-described petite, very active person, Ella spent over a year researching plastic surgeons in Hawaii and San Diego before booking a consultation at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre with Dr. Hector Salazar-R...

After 21 years with implants, Jennifer has reached her limits with the pain, scar tissue, and breasts that stretched far beyond what she ever imagined. What started as 420cc implants have grown from a D cup to triple Ds, leaving her hunched over with aching joints. At first, she considered swapping them out for smaller implants, but during her consultation, breast implant removal expert Dr. Luke Swistun reassured her that she had plenty of natural tissue to work with. Simply downsizing would m...

A poolside photo of Amie’s backside from a trip to Mexico forced her to ask, “Where did my body go?” Then realizing how difficult it is to get rid of back fat once you’re over 40, she turned to San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun who...

13 years after Danielle switched from saline to silicone breast implants, something felt off. When it felt like one of her implants was playing hide and seek during mammograms, she knew something needed to be done. When she met with Dr. Salazar, he found that her right implant shifted out of place and the crease under her breasts disappeared. He decided to swap out the old implants for new ones and give her a breast lift while he was at it. Safety was huge for Danielle, so she did her research...

After losing 70 pounds, Alexis decided to take her body transformation to the next level with a tummy tuck, arm lift, 360 lipo, and chin lipo. Arms were always Alexis’ biggest insecurity. Finding clothes that fit around them was a nightmare. Now, she wears long sleeves and sexy dresses comfortably and confidently. Anxious by nature, her mom's bad surgery experience with another doctor hung over her head. Hear how she faced her fears and is absolutely loving her new body. Find out why she chos...

Regina had a nightmare experience after her first tummy tuck and liposuction with an unqualified surgeon elsewhere, landing in the hospital for two weeks with an abscess followed by home nursing, and then requiring a walker and cane to get around. When it came time to fix the mess, she was understandably worried. LJCSC plastic surgeon Dr. Swistun removed her dog ears, tightened and smoothed out her skin, and redid her incisions to be barely noticeable. She’s thrilled to finally be able to look...

After 8 years of living with 400cc silicone implants, Caroline started feeling differently about them. Later on, seeing coworkers rave about their explants inspired her to seriously consider removing hers. It wasn't an easy decision, as those implants had been part of her for a whole decade. Caroline shares the emotional rollercoaster leading up to her explant surgery and how she found support from Dr. Swistun and other women who had been through it. Find out what motivated Caroline to book he...

Amie had her first breast augmentation with saline implants at age 21 (back in 1998 when Pamela Anderson was the “it girl") and 13 years later switched to silicone. When unexplained symptoms emerged, she wondered if her breast implants were the cause. Feeling lost, she found an online community focused on breast implant illness (BII). It was in this group where she heard about LJC plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun. After her capsulectomy & explant surgery, Amie learned from Dr. Swistun that her...

Two years after her breast augmentation, San Diego radio personality Laura Cain returns with an update on how her breast implants have changed her life. Before her breast implants, Laura was wearing padded bras and chicken cutlet bra inserts to hide her flat chest. Now her wardrobe options have changed and her confidence has skyrocketed, both personally and professionally. What’s next for Laura? Hear what new treatment is on her wish list that she says is, “right up her alley.” Links Listen ...

As the co-host of San Diego’s favorite country morning show, Tammy wanted to look high-spirited and full of life, but her eyelids made her look tired or mad all the time and her neck made her look older than her age. Opening up about her reasons for getting eyelid surgery and a neck lift, Tammy shares why she wanted to improve upon the things that she felt were detrimental to her appearance. With no past experience having cosmetic surgery, Tammy recalls how Dr. Breister and her nurses helped h...

17 years ago, Jaime had a breast augmentation and lift after breastfeeding her three children. Back then, she spent a lot of time vacationing on the river and wanted to feel confident in a bikini. Fast forward to 2023, Jaime came back to LJCSC because her breasts had gotten larger. Since her initial surgery, she felt like she looked too big, so she opted for breast implant replacement (for much smaller implants) and another lift. Find out why she decided against explanting and hear how her sur...

Long before having children, Kayla wanted breast implants. She never felt confident in a bikini, or in certain tops on date nights with her husband. When her daughter was 4, she decided it was the perfect time to do it. She thought she might need a breast lift, but Dr. Swistun reassured her that all she needed was an augmentation with high profile implants. Kayla opens up about how she decided on size, how it felt to wake up looking different, and how Dr. Swistun handled her post-surgery hemat...

When Marissa, lead patient coordinator at LJC, moved to the beaches of San Diego from the small town of Bakersfield, she discovered her bikini top was a little less full than she’d like it to be. Starting as a small A cup, Marissa was looking for a subtle boost and nothing over-the-top. Plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun recommended silicone gel implants and helped her find a size that fit her petite frame just right. Marissa candidly opens up about her entire experience, from sizing at her init...

Over a decade after Eric’s first visit to Dr. Johan Brahme to address his aging eyes, he returned to LJC to address his “turkey neck.” Back then, Eric discovered Dr. Brahme while looking to get rid of the bags under his eyes. When Dr. Brahme suggested addressing all of his concerns at once by combining his eyelid surgery with male breast reduction and liposuction to his flanks, he was all for it. Eric was so happy with his first experience at LJC that he recently came back to Dr. Brahme to add...

As a hairdresser, Kaylie sees herself in the mirror all day every day. For many years, she relied on trickery with clothing to hide her “square” backside, wearing baggy tops and short shorts to give the illusion of curves and draw attention to her other features. After three long years working with a trainer and seeing little progress, she started considering body contouring. When Dr. Brahme told her about the Skinny BBL, she was sold. Kaylie candidly opens up about the Skinny BBL experience, ...

Struggling with acne breakouts since high school, 30-year-old Destiny went through numerous trial-and-error attempts at improving her skin on her own. As a person of color, scarring and pigmentation became increasingly difficult to manage. Destiny discovered LJC through her mom, and received a gift for a treatment at our med spa after her breast augmentation at our surgery center. She met our master aesthetician Cameron and the rest was history. She saw immediate improvements in her acne and pi...

Nicole knew she would look good after a mommy makeover with Dr. Brahme, but she had no idea it would turn out even better than her pre-baby body. After years avoiding form-fitting dresses, she now has the confidence to wear tight clothing without shapewear underneath. After having four children, Nicole worked hard trying to lose stubborn fat around her love handles and back, but nothing helped her bounce all the way back. With the goal of achieving an hourglass shape, she had an extended tummy ...

When Candy first started experiencing strange symptoms, her husband Michael thought it was just an aging thing. Even as she met with plastic surgeons doctors to discuss having her breast implants removed, he was supportive but skeptical. Since her explant surgery a year ago, he quickly noticed Candy has much more energy. Like having a “brand new wife,” she has the energy of a 20-something, both physically and mentally. At the first consultation, when they saw how much Dr. Luke Swistun genuinel...

During cosmetic surgery, the relationship with your nurse is so important because they hold your hand as you take this big step for yourself. In part two of Phoebe Davis’ series with her breast augmentation surgery team, she talks to Nurse Carmen about being by her side throughout her journey. Carmen opens up to Phoebe about her nursing history, from working with Dr. Brahme at his private practice 25 years ago, to joining the LJC team as Dr. Smoot’s nurse in 2018, to recently becoming Dr. Salaz...

Phoebe Davis is a former competitive bodybuilder, influencer, signed model, and reality TV star from the hit dating show Cosmic Love. Hear how she’s feeling just one week after her breast augmentation with LJC plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar. As someone who went through a weight loss journey and became a bodybuilder, Phoebe deeply understands the pressures within the fitness industry. She shares her experience with body dysmorphia along with her concern that undergoing breast augmentation mi...

6 months after her first miraDry treatment, we check in with Julia to hear what’s changed for her and discuss why a second treatment is on the schedule. After her first treatment, Julia told others about her experience and was surprised by how many friends were also insecure about sweat and body odor. Since then, she’s found herself feeling more confident and less self-conscious. Hear how the miraDry treatment felt, what Julia needed for pain control during and after, and what she went through...

When jumping off a boat at a party ends with the demise of Tati Santiago’s left breast implant, the time for replacing her big old implants with smaller ones arrives. As the co-host of Star 94.1’s Jessie and Tati in the Morning, Tati already knew about her friend Laura Cain’s fantastic LJC experience and booked her consultation with plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar immediately. Though Tati was previously hesitant to switch to silicone because of the bad rap they had in 2005, she’s so glad she...

Twenty-two years ago at the age of 22, Janelle got her first set of saline breast implants and she was ecstatic. Right on schedule, ten years later she had them replaced with silicone gel. Janelle loved how she looked with breast implants, but in 2018 she began experiencing a collection of unusual symptoms including extreme fatigue, dry eyes, dry mouth, and other miserable things. Suspecting that the breast implants might be the cause, she shared her symptoms on Instagram and received a flurry ...