Cosmetic Surgery

Before the Explant: After 21 Years With Breast Implants, I’m Ready to Say Goodbye - September 17, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

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 mean another surgery down the road, and her own tissue could be sculpted into a beautiful, natural shape without any implants. That was all it took to change her mind and move forward with an explant with auto-augmentation.

Jennifer is now looking forward to lighter, more natural breasts and the freedom to finally wear tube tops and spaghetti straps with confidence.

With her sister Laura by her side, she shares her journey to show other women the power of being informed and choosing what feels right for their body.

Links

Listen to Laura’s latest update on her breast augmentation, How Laura Cain Really Feels About Her Breast Implants 2 Years Later https://www.ljcsc.com/blog/podcast-how-laura-cain-really-feels-about-her-breast-implants-2-years-later/

Listen to our previous episode, Happy Wife, Happy Life – A Husband’s Perspective on Breast Explant Surgery https://www.ljcsc.com/blog/podcast-happy-wife-happy-life-a-husbands-perspective-on-breast-explant-surgery/

Meet San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-luke-swistun/

Learn more about breast implant removal https://www.ljcsc.com/procedures/cosmetic-surgery/breast/breast-implant-removal/

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

00:05 - Welcome sisters Jennifer and Laura

00:56 - Why Jennifer is getting an explant

04:42 - Why I chose Dr. Swistun and LJCSC

07:44 - Why I chose auto-augmentation instead of new implants

12:49 - Dr. Swistun’s educational videos post explant

15:56 - My breast implant removal plan

17:50 - Seeing auto-augmentation before and after photos

19:10 - How my boyfriend feels about my explant

21:20 - Looking forward to Jennifer’s results

22:40 - Breast implant removal recovery plans

24:03 - How I’m preparing myself for explant surgery

25:12 - What I’m most excited for after my explant

26:16 - Going through this journey with my sister

27:42 - Takeaways and appreciation

30:39 - Outro

Top 3 Tips for a Smooth Plastic Surgery Recovery - September 16, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

Want a smoother recovery after plastic surgery? It’s not about stronger painkillers; it’s about smarter strategies.

Dr. Swistun shares the small touches that make the biggest difference.

Read more about San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-luke-swistun/

Short-Term Results vs. Long-Term Happiness: The Lifelong Aesthetic Health Approach - September 14, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

Your results should last, not lead to surgery after surgery.

Learn how Dr. Swistun helps you future-proof your plastic surgery choices for long-term happiness and function.

Read more about San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-luke-swistun/

5 Things You Don’t Know About Recovering From Plastic Surgery - September 9, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

You’ve stocked the fridge, cleared your calendar, and read every page of the pre-op packet. But a smooth plastic surgery recovery comes down to the little things you didn’t think of, like why your pets need to stay out of the room or how chores around the house can set you back.

Monique and Kayla share the recovery hacks that don’t always make it into the official instructions—like why boxer briefs beat fancy underwear after a tummy tuck, how wedge pillows can save your sleep, and why that postpartum “squeeze bottle” might be your best friend when you can’t shower.

They also cover the less glamorous (but essential) realities: planning for constipation, setting alarms for meds, prepping high-protein meals, and giving yourself emotional grace while your body does the hard work of healing.

Recovery isn’t just about following doctor’s orders. It’s about setting yourself up with the right tools, support, and mindset so you can actually rest, heal, and see the results you’ve been waiting for.

Links

Read more about Kayla, Clinic Manager and Lead for Dr. Swistun https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/clinical-operating-room-team/kayla/

CNN Health, Man loses hands and feet after dog-related infection https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/18/health/dog-saliva-infection-capnocytophaga

Bedluxe Wedge Pillow https://a.co/d/igSiZlm

Contour Legacy Leg & Knee Foam Support Pillow https://a.co/d/0sLFU5Z

Hanes Boxer Briefs https://a.co/d/5LzGAus

Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle https://a.co/d/a8Bfu1e

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

00:22 - Welcome Kayla, clinic manager and lead nurse

00:50 - Why should you keep a distance from pets after surgery?

06:20 - What to plan for before plastic surgery

08:52 - What NOT to do while recovering from plastic surgery

11:30 - Kayla’s plastic surgery recovery hacks

13:54 - What should friends help with after surgery?

15:00 - What NOT to forget before going into surgery

16:35 - Myths about plastic surgery recovery

19:25 - Being prepared mentally and physically for surgery

21:20 - Links and outro

How Removing Your Breast Implants Affects Your Mental Health - September 2, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

Breast implants don’t just change your body. They can impact your mind too.

For many women, removing implants brings unexpected relief: less anxiety, deeper sleep, clearer thinking, even a sense of liberation they didn’t realize they were missing. Patients often say, “I got my life back.”

San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun and his wife, clinical psychologist and sleep specialist Dr. Dominika Swistun, explain how implants can fuel anxiety and disrupt sleep, and why explant surgery often lifts both physical and emotional weight.

From the story of a woman who was placed on full disability for panic attacks and immediately felt like herself again after explant surgery to research showing how sleep quality shapes mental health, the Swistuns reveal the powerful—and often overlooked—connection between implants, the body, and the mind.

Links

Listen to our previous episode, A Sleep Specialist’s Secrets for Better Mood, Skin & Energy https://www.ljcsc.com/blog/podcast-a-sleep-specialists-secrets-for-better-mood-skin-energy/

Read more about San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun and schedule your complimentary consultation https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-luke-swistun/

Follow Dr. Swistun on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/swistunmd/to see his explant results

Learn more about breast implant removal https://www.ljcsc.com/procedures/cosmetic-surgery/breast/breast-implant-removal/

See Dr. Swistun's Instagram post of quotes from actual explant patients https://www.instagram.com/p/DK21kHWhUQR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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

00:16 - Welcome Dr. Luke Swistun & Dr. Dominika Swistun

02:04 - Side effects of long-term breast implants

02:58 - Common benefits of removing breast implants

05:06 - Can breast implants cause anxiety?

08:54 - Real-life example of breast implants causing anxiety

14:24 - Do women realize their implants cause their symptoms?

15:20 - Checking for symptoms after implant removal

16:00 - Better sleep and energy after explant

24:06 - How poor sleep affects your relationships

26:48 - What can cause poor sleep?

28:56 - Overall mental and physical wellness after implant removal

36:16 - Guilt for getting breast implants in the first place

38:00 - Freedom of getting rid of breast implants

41:08 - Supporting your mental wellness after explant

43:43 - Links and outro

Why I Give Patients My Personal Phone Number | Dr. Luke Swistun - August 31, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

At our private outpatient surgery center in La Jolla, caring for patients doesn’t stop when the surgery’s over. It’s something we focus on every step of the journey.

San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun gives every single patient his personal phone number so they can reach him directly. It’s one of the many ways he makes sure his patients always feel supported and cared for.

From our experienced staff and trusted anesthesiologists to our modern, fully accredited facility, safety and comfort are at the heart of everything we do. And when it comes to recovery, our team is right there with you, making sure you feel confident and cared for after surgery.

If you’re thinking about plastic surgery in San Diego, hear what makes our surgery center unique and why so many patients choose us for their care.

💻 Learn more: www.ljcsc.com

Chapters:

0:00 – Why direct patient communication matters

0:45 – Staff roles & patient support

1:20 – Safety protocols & anesthesia care

2:05 – Our private outpatient surgery center at Scripps La Jolla

2:40 – Patient safety & emergency readiness

How Poor Sleep Destroys Your Physical & Mental Health - August 30, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

Sleep isn’t just rest, it’s repair. From glowing skin to a stronger immune system, deep sleep is when your body restores itself.

But when you’re running on fumes, you age faster, heal slower, and your mood tanks. Clinical psychologist and sleep specialist Dr. Dominika Swistun shares the hidden costs of poor sleep, and the powerful benefits when you finally get it right.

Full podcast episode: https://youtu.be/qw8WW2dutmM

Silicone Breast Implants: What Is a Silent Rupture? - August 29, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

Imagine walking around with a broken breast implant and having no idea. That’s the reality of a silent rupture.

Dr. Hector Salazar and Monique explain what’s happening inside your body, why it’s compared to a flat tire, and what every woman should know about monitoring silicone implants.

Meet San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar-Reyes https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-hector-salazar-reyes/

Learn more about breast ultrasound on our full podcast episode https://youtu.be/uIGS6DU3o0Q

The Lost Art of Listening & How It’s Changing BII Outcomes | Dr. Luke Swistun - August 29, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

Everyone’s caught up in the latest medical technology, but sometimes the best tool is simply listening.

Dr. Luke Swistun shares how slowing down, hearing his patients, and connecting the dots has led to life-changing results in breast implant illness care.

Learn more about breast implant removal https://www.ljcsc.com/procedures/cosmetic-surgery/breast/breast-implant-removal/

Meet San Diego explant specialist Dr. Luke Swistun https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-luke-swistun/

From Patient Stories to Passion: Dr. Swistun on Breast Implant Illness - August 28, 2025 - La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre

Dry eyes. Joint pain. Brain fog. Fatigue. For years, women shared these symptoms after breast implants, but no one really knew what to make of it.

But at this point, the consistency of their stories is too powerful to ignore.

Dr. Swistun shares what he’s seen firsthand with breast implant illness and why so many women say, “I finally feel like myself again."

Learn more about breast implant removal https://www.ljcsc.com/procedures/cosmetic-surgery/breast/breast-implant-removal/

Meet San Diego explant specialist Dr. Luke Swistun https://www.ljcsc.com/about/meet-the-team/plastic-surgeons/dr-luke-swistun/