Cosmetic Surgery

From the Bass Guitar to the OR with San Diego Plastic Surgeon Dr. Johan Brahme - December 16, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
Who says plastic surgeons can’t rock out after hours? For Dr. Johan Brahme, music isn’t just a hobby—it’s part of how he approaches life and surgery.
He shares how growing up in a musical family inspired him to play bass in multiple bands throughout his life, perform for communities like assisted living homes, and even bring music aboard the USS Midway.
Hear about the surprising parallels between performing on stage and in the OR, and why he soundtracks surgeries from classical to heavy metal.
Dr. Brahme also opens up about his interest in archaeology, Swedish comfort food, and his ideal slow Saturday away from the OR and the amp.
Links
Meet San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Johan Brahme https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-johan-brahme/
Schedule a meeting with Dr. Brahme’s patient coordinator https://b.link/johan-brahme-md
Watch the trailer for Netflix’s Cave of Bones https://youtu.be/D85B4rVcFtk?si=MHgf4pKPNn94uBpF
Learn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Awards.
Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego’s most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.
To learn more, go to https://www.ljcsc.com/ or follow the team on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ljcsc/
Watch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@LaJollaCosmeticSurgeryCentre/
The La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis: https://www.theaxis.io/
Theme music: Busy People, SOOP
Contents of this video:
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Dr. Brahme’s surgery soundtrack
01:51 - Instruments Dr. Brahme plays
08:10 - The name Dr. Brahme would give his band today
10:08 - How my playlist changes depending on types of surgery
10:47 - Dr. Brahme’s involvement in the local music industry
12:21 - How plastic surgery and music are similar
13:50 - What would Dr. Brahme be doing if he weren’t a plastic surgeon?
16:20 - Dr. Brahme’s biggest musical influences
18:30 - What music taught me that surgery couldn’t
19:57 - Dr. Brahme’s passions outside of plastic surgery and music
21:06 - Dr. Brahme’s ideal Saturday morning
21:40 - Takeaways and outro
Monique’s Cozy Christmas Hangout with the LJCSC Dream Team - December 9, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
In this festive holiday episode, Monique chats with friends from the LJCSC Dream Team about all the little things that make Christmas feel special, from favorite songs and decorations to family traditions and must-have holiday foods.
We debate important issues like real vs. fake trees and white vs. multicolor lights, and share beloved family recipes like tamales, Feast of the Seven Fishes, pineapple honey ham, and generations of cookie-baking.
Listen to LJCSC’s festive playlist to get into the holiday spirit! https://b.link/holiday-faves
Check out the book Monique referenced, The Autobiography of Santa Claus
https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Santa-Claus-Christmas-Chronicles/dp/158542448X/ref=sr_1_1
Watch Monique’s floofy kitty Noël take over the podcast on our previous episode with Dr. Riedler https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRVhnNlEtAE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Hannah’s mom’s honey ham recipe:
Ingredients:
Boneless ham
Canned pineapple in natural juice
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup raw natural honey
Steps:
Grab your crockpot!
Pour canned pineapple (all juice included!) and some brown sugar into the crockpot
Place the ham into the crockpot
Pour the honey over the ham
Pour the rest of the brown sugar
Leave in the crockpot on low all day or overnight. Most tender and moist after 7+ hours!
Hannah’s mom’s no bake recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter
3 T baking cocoa
1 t vanilla
3/4 c peanut butter
2 cups quick 1 min oats
Instructions:
Soften butter in the microwave and then put the first 4 all together into a pot over the stove. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 t vanilla, stir in 3/4 cup pb until melted then add 2 cups oats. Drop on foil or wax paper until set. If you just want peanut butter no bakes, leave out the baking cocoa!
Learn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Awards.
Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego’s most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.
To learn more, go to https://www.ljcsc.com/or follow the team on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ljcsc/
Watch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@LaJollaCosmeticSurgeryCentre/
The La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis: https://www.theaxis.io/
Theme music: Busy People, SOOP
Contents of this video:
00:00 - Intro
00:38 - Amber’s Christmas traditions and opinions
05:28 - Jocelyn’s Christmas traditions and opinions
17:44 - Juliana’s Christmas traditions and opinions
24:42 - Cynthia’s Christmas traditions and opinions
28:02 - Hannah’s Christmas traditions and opinions
41:32 - Outro
The Art of Perfect Gingerbread with Dr. Kiersten Riedler - December 2, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
LJCSC’s expert baker Dr. Kiersten Riedler takes us into the cozy world of holiday baking, sharing her tips and tricks for making the perfect gingerbread cookies.
From rolling the dough just the right thickness to using fresh, fragrant spices, she reveals the details that make these cookies both delicious and festive.
Along the way, Dr. Riedler draws fun parallels between baking and her work in facial plastic surgery, highlighting how precision, planning, and creativity are key in both.
She also shares the joy—and gentle pressure—of living up to friends and family expectations during the holidays.
Dr. Riedler’s gingerbread cookies recipe:
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¾ cup molasses
2 Tbsp milk
Instructions:
Process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. Add melted butter, molasses, and milk and process until soft dough forms and no streaks of flour remain, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Spray counter or silicone pastry mat lightly with baking spray with flour, transfer dough to counter, and knead until dough forms cohesive ball, about 20 seconds. Divide dough in half. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Space cookies ¾ inch apart on rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Repeat rolling and cutting steps with dough scraps.
Bake until cookies are puffy and just set around edges, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before decorating and serving.
Links
See some of Dr. Riedler’s gorgeous Christmas cookies, https://www.instagram.com/p/C2jLGj1Lw77/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and watch her bake them, https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1I2kvcrKGB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Listen to LJCSC’s festive holiday playlist to set the perfect mood while you bake, making your kitchen feel as magical as the season itself. https://b.link/holiday-faves
Book a free 15-to-30-minute complimentary phone call with Dr. Riedler’s patient coordinator https://b.link/kiersten-riedler-md
Meet San Diego facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kiersten Riedler https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-kiersten-riedler/
Learn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Awards.
Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego’s most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.
To learn more, go to https://www.ljcsc.com/or follow the team on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ljcsc/
Watch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@LaJollaCosmeticSurgeryCentre/
The La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis: https://www.theaxis.io/
Theme music: Busy People, SOOP
Contents of this video:
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - How to make the perfect gingerbread cookie
03:10 - Similarities between baking cookies and facial plastic surgery
07:50 - Excitement for cookie traditions every year
08:36 - My Christmas playlist for holiday baking
09:16 - If my surgical results were a cookie
10:00 - Dr. Riedler’s expertise in facial plastic surgery
11:00 - Links and outro
Fuller Breasts Using Your Own Tissue? Auto-Augmentation Explained - November 18, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
Many women think implants are the only way to get fuller, perkier breasts, but there’s another option. Breast lift with auto-augmentation uses your own natural tissue to restore shape and lift, no implants needed.
San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun explains how this underused technique works, who it’s best for, and how his patients feel about their results so far. By reshaping and “restacking” existing tissue, he creates long-lasting, natural results that look and feel completely your own.
He also shares how auto-augmentation can improve symmetry, simplify recovery, and align with today’s trend toward natural, athletic results.
Links
Learn more about breast lift https://www.ljcsc.com/procedures/cosmetic-surgery/breast/breast-lift/
Read more about San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-luke-swistun/
Book a free 15-to-30-minute complimentary phone call with Dr. Swistun’s patient coordinator https://b.link/lukeswistunmd
Learn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Awards.
Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego’s most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.
To learn more, go to https://www.ljcsc.com/ or follow the team on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ljcsc/
Watch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@LaJollaCosmeticSurgeryCentre/
The La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis: https://www.theaxis.io/
Theme music: Busy People, SOOP
Contents of this video:
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - What is a breast lift with auto-augmentation?
03:56 - Who is the best candidate for auto-augmentation?
05:55 - How breast lift and augmentation without implants works
08:15 - How is auto-augmentation different from traditional breast lift?
10:32 - How long do results last?
11:44 - The look and feel of auto-augmentation vs. implants
12:50 - Will auto-augmentation change my mammograms?
13:50 - What if I don’t have enough natural breast tissue?
16:10 - Can capsular contracture happen without implants?
17:50 - Can I get a breast reduction at the same time?
19:20 - Is recovery different from breast lift with implants?
21:06 - Can auto-augmentation improve breast symmetry?
23:48 - Breast lift with auto-augmentation patient story
25:38 - What surprises patients most about auto-augmentation?
29:00 - Is breast lift with auto-augmentation right for me?
31:45 - Links and outro
Meet Jillian, Plastic Surgery Patient Care Coordinator - November 11, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
With over a decade of experience in cosmetic surgery, Jillian combines professionalism with creativity and compassion to make every patient feel comfortable and confident. She believes that research and education are key to feeling empowered, and she’s always happy to help you navigate your options.
She completed her associate’s in Visual Communications and bachelor’s in Multimedia in only three years, all while working as an event coordinator and booking manager. That experience taught her how to organize complex schedules and create memorable, stress-free experiences—something she brings to every patient she works with today.
Links
Learn more about Jillian https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/patient-coordinators/jillian/
Learn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Awards.
Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego’s most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.
To learn more, go to https://www.ljcsc.com/or follow the team on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ljcsc/
Watch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@LaJollaCosmeticSurgeryCentre/
The La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis: https://www.theaxis.io/
Theme music: Busy People, SOOP
Contents of the video:
00:00 - Intro
00:21 - How Jillian helps patients in our practice
00:47 - How Jillian ended up in aesthetics and at LJCSC
01:50 - What Jillian enjoys most about being a patient coordinator
02:20 - Jillian’s first impressions of LJCSC
02:55 - Jillian’s background in aesthetics
03:44 - A patient whose story stood out to me
04:52 - Jillian’s upbringing
05:46 - Places in San Diego everyone should visit
07:25 - Advice to someone coming to LJCSC for the first time
08:30 - Jillian’s favorite Alastin product
09:45 - Outro