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==
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
00:16 - 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
Want a smoother recovery after plastic surgery? It’s not about stronger painkillers; it’s about smarter strategies.
Your results should last, not lead to surgery after surgery. 
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.
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.
Sleep isn’t just rest, it’s repair. From glowing skin to a stronger immune system, deep sleep is when your body restores itself. 
Imagine walking around with a broken breast implant and having no idea. That’s the reality of a silent rupture. 
Everyone’s caught up in the latest medical technology, but sometimes the best tool is simply listening. 
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.