Linda Swanson, MD

From BA consultation to post-op after care, Dr. Swanson is a medical professional who is no-nonsense, but very responsive and shows great care for patients. I visited Swanson in my late 20s after a friend (who had a BA) referred me to her, but I chose to wait until I had children and more settled in my career. Two weeks post-op and healing nicely. Best decision for me and my lifestyle. Receptionist Shannon and the pre-op informational packet, shared all the info I needed in preparation for my surgery.

Thank you Realself for allowing clients to talk about their experience. I could tell a positive difference right away, even though I looked beaten down. Had been wasting money on botox for eye lift. Wish I did this way earlier. Been very diligent putting frozen peas on my eyes to reduce swelling. No pain, just feels a little stiff and tight. Excited about the final results. So far, very happy.

I'm 26. My son is 2. I gained 90 pounds during my pregnancy. After the weight loss and breastfeeding, I have lost so much volume in my breast and suffer severe sagging. I am having a lift using the lollipop method and anywhere from a 350-400 cc gel implants inserted under the muscle. The goal is a youthful appearance.

Updated on 8 Jun 2015:
Today was the day! I got to the Torrance location at 9:20am. Waited in the lobby for 15mins and then the nurse took me back. I did a urine pregnancy test - negative, then blood pressure was excellent. The Doctor Linda Swanson came in, marked up the breast, and confirmed what I was looking for in size. (I told her a full C)
Right after the anesthesiologist came in, walked through step by step, shared risks, etc. From there(10:30am), it was onto the the operating room to insert IV. All I remember after that is waking up in the recovery room at 12:30pm. Nurse asked me to rate discomfort from 1-10. I said 7, she administered pain meds through IV. Around 1:45pm, I was wheeled out to my friend's car.

Updated on 14 Jun 2015:
My boobs feel so natural! I'm happy I decided to pay the $1000 extra and get the gel implants. The positioning of the nipple is great and the upper fullness is amazing. I went into doc office for my 1st post op appt on Thursday June 11. It was really quick. Dr. Swanson unsnapped my surgical bra, looked at the incisions, and replaced the gauze. She asked me to return early next week so we can talk next steps like showering, massaging, which bras to wear when. I have to take zafirlukast the longest and get refills. (which sucks because its $99 per refill for the next 2 months.)
I will also advice to those saving for surgery to put a little stash away for the random expenses like Rx your insurance won't cover, lab work, gas and time off to go to appointments, prepared meals, and help for the first 3 days if you have children.

My nipples are itching! my only complaint...lol

Updated on 17 Jun 2015:
I've been wearing super padded push up bras for so long that no one suspects I got a boob job. Lol. Here are updated pics of my lift & 375 cc. Incisions are pretty itchy during this part of recovery. As far as meds go, I'm still taking Zafirlukast twice a day. (This is the only Rx with refills.) Pain is pretty much non existent. I didn't really have much swelling, bruising, or stretching since my boobs were so deflated before. Loving them so far :)

Updated on 7 Jul 2015:
So far so good. There is one tiny spot along my incision (the inframammary ridge right at the chest wall) that hasn't healed all the way. I've started applying Neosporen to it nightly. Looking a lot better.

I'm getting laser lipo done on inner and outer thighs then I'll be getting my BL a week later. LL is on 12/16. The doc so far has been pretty great. Very thourough and she does not do the sales pitch to increase your cost. I spoke to another PS before and he was trying to sell me on multiple procedures for A LOT of money. My BL will include a small reduction; as you can see, I'm asymmetrical so the big one will be reduced then she's going to put them back where they used to be. I've had large boobs my whole life so I'm going to try and keep to around a DD. I'm 5'5 and currently overweight (again) but working on losing. I've already lost 11lbs and gonna be losing about 30 more after surgery. Bra is a 36-38 G or ddd. No help from medical insurance, I think they would've been a pain in the butt plus they would want me down to a very small size. I like having large breasts since that's all I've ever known and have 0 desire to go below DD. My pre op is on the 15th so I'll be posting more as I get closer.

Updated on 27 Jan 2015:
So I had my procedure on Dec. 23rd and everything went great. My bp was sky high but that was because I was scared out of my mind, plus I was alone so I couldnt talk my self down. The nurses were there talking with me and told me it was high due to the stress, I told them it was actually because they had left a giant needle sitting in my lap that was to be used for meds in my IV. I have a very bad fear of needles lol. Anyways, the entire staff was great and the pain was very manageable. I only took my vicodin for a couple days after and then it was onto tylenol. The itching was the thing bothering me. I did peek the next day and jeez what a mess. I ended up not showing my husband for a couple weeks because of the incisions. My left side was the perfect boob, my right side had to have the nipple removed completely and a bigger reduction so there was lots more bruising and waaaaayyyy more trauma. The right nipple ended up with bruising that turned the entire thing purple then red then most of it kind of scabbed up because the entire top layer of skin peeled off. It did not turn necrotic, so I was lucky. I still have a tiny little scab on the right one but the coloring is good and swelling is almost completely down. I do not have feeling back yet but now the nipple itself is responding to temp changes so Im hoping that I regain full sensation. The left one is still perfect, it did spit a couple of stitches but I had no problems with that. As of today, 1/27/15, 5 weeks post, they look really good. Ill post a pic up when I get home.

Updated on 27 Jan 2015:
Here is a pic from today.

Updated on 27 Jan 2015:


Updated on 27 Jan 2015:

I went to Dr Swanson after seeing amazing results on a friend. We both did a series of 3. I just did my last one last night. Cynthia used numbing cream for about SN hour and the procedure itself was about 20 minutes. This reduced my dark spots, improved texture, reduced wrinkles and pores and generally tightened up my skin. Improved overall look - I swear I glow! A little uncomfortable at times, around the eyes, nose and lips, but not painful. And it's a fast procedure,

I'm a 32B right now and I'm getting 410cc under my pectoral muscle. I lost 30 lbs so I went from a 34D to a 32B and I didn't like the way they looked. I hope I end up bigger than a D since I'm petite. I'm really happy I chose linda because she has amazing before and afters and her work looks flawless.

Updated on 27 Jan 2014:
3 days post op and I was in god damn pain and super uncomfortable. I'm a stomach sleeper so you can only imagine. Anyways my doc prescribed me Vicodin for pain so I took that right 1 hour after surgery because my incision felt like it was going to open I know I was just being paranoid. Then I noticed my nose get itchy, but I just ignored it. 5 hours later I took another one then I started to break out in a horrible rash I was already in pain so I was just freaking out and regretting the surgery for a bit. I just used Benadryl for tthe allergy and my allergic reaction went away thank god I didn't go to the hospital because I was going to go.

Updated on 27 Jan 2014:
Day 3 incision

Updated on 27 Jan 2014:
At first my boobs looked like hard [RS bleep] star boobies but now they are starting to soften up. Btw I have Sientra implants aka gummy bear.

Updated on 19 Feb 2014:
Whoah I'm beyond ecstatic with my results! I love my doctors skilled and I'm 100% happy I did this! I'm massaging my girls 3 times a day and their looking better and better everyday. The only thing I have to work on is minimizing my scar I'm sure it will be gone in about 4 months I'm going to use bio oil for that and also to prevent stretchmarks My BA actually made 80% of the stretchmarks go away they are barely visible :).

Updated on 7 Apr 2014:
3 months pre op and I couldn't be happier!

Updated on 12 Jun 2014:
The only downside to having implants now is that my butt looks small now :/
I'm proportioned perfectly now but now I want a bigger butt... No Bueno.
I also can't sleep on my chest or do exercises using my arms :/.

Updated on 20 Oct 2014:
It's been 10 months with my Sierra implants and it's definitely one of the best decisions I've made this year. I definitely have more confidence now. Thank you :,)

Updated on 17 Dec 2014:
I really love the girls. I'm a 34D-34DDD (victorias secret)

Updated on 17 Dec 2014:


Updated on 17 Dec 2014:
:)

Updated on 4 Apr 2015:
I just wish they were closer

Updated on 6 Oct 2015:
I wish I had better effortless cleavage. I also feel like I should have waited to go with dr Kim. I'm planning on getting them re done hopefully this December.

Updated on 15 Mar 2016:
So I've decided to get a revision because it's been two years since I've gotten my first BA. I'm not 100% satisfied with my work they ended up far apart when what I specifically asked my surgeon for amazing in your face cleavage. I started with a 34B and asked for 410cc (gummy bear implants) and woke up from the surgery and my surgeon told me all she could fit was 340 ccs. Tbh i don't believe her because I know other girls with the same stats as me with more ccs. Anyway I ended up with a 34D. I'm 5'1, 115 so I'm petite lol.
I was wondering if I should go bigger since I'm paying 9,700 for my revision with another doctor. I was thinking well if I'm paying that much why not then right?!
My bf said I should go bigger well of course he would benefit off of that lol.
What do you girls think ?

I needed to have my implants replaced as one had ruptured. I wanted the same inconspicious size. Right after surgery, while I was still grouggy, she said, "I didn't have the size you wanted so I made them a little bigger." They are too large for my small frame.

I've had several consultations and have been talking about it for 10 years. My husband can't believe I'm finally doing it now at 47! My PO was Friday and I'm SUPER nervous....neck pains, chest pains, fear of heart attack while on the table etc!

I just want this horrible tummy gone, it's so depressing getting dressed cause nothing looks good with the big tummy, clothes just don't look good trying to cover it up. How long will I have to have the drainage tubes is also bothering me. Nervous yet excited I think.

I'm 33 years old. 5'6''. 110lbs.size 32A. workout addict. So far, I've only had my consultation. I'm getting saline, under the muscle, nipple incision, and somewhere around a 350cc round moderate or moderate plus smooth mentor implant. My goal is to look natural with a small to full C. My surgery date is set for July 12.

Updated on 23 Jun 2013:


Updated on 29 Jun 2013:
so today i have to stop taking all medications and supplements. I just noticed that my multi has vit. e in it, so i'm going to stop taking that along with a bunch of other vitamins i take and my pre-workout. i will just be taking zinc, vitamin c, and a b vitamin complex. does that sound okay or do you think i should take anything else? i think my boyfriend is so sick of hearing about my surgery but i'm so excited that i can't stop. he really doesn't want me to have the surgery and was very against it at first, but is starting to understand that it's important to me and he needs to be at least somewhat supportive. my pre-op is in 4 days!

Updated on 1 Jul 2013:
I've been feeling so nervous & questioning wether or not I'm making the right decision by having surgery. Then I took this picture to put up here for my before pic & all my doubts went away & I want this so bad. Tomorrow is my preop & I can't wait. Ill let you all know what happens. :)

Updated on 2 Jul 2013:
i had my pre op this morning. we went over my wish pics and then i tried on sizers and it just confirmed that 350cc is what i'm going to do, up to 25 cc more in my smaller boob to even me out. i even tried on the 550cc and holy moly did that look ridiculous on me. then i paid the remainder of my bill and got my final few questions asked. she said i could take arnica and bromelain if i wanted but her patients don't usually end up with much bruising. i'm going to buy the arnica for sure as i've used it in the past and it really helped me heal. then, i walked over to the lab and waited and waited to get my blood and urine tests and then dropped of my prescriptions which are vicodin, anti-nausea, and ambien. hmmm. now i'm wondering about an antibiotic? does everyone take them or is it enough when they do it iv during the surgery?

Updated on 17 Jul 2013:


Updated on 17 Jul 2013:
so it's wednesday. i had my surgery on friday and first post-op on monday and my second post-op will be later today.
the surgery part was easy. my nurse was so nice and funny and after i got drawn on and walked and tucked into the o.r. i was out. then i woke up in recovery and my mom was there with my nurse. i felt good and they gave me some water and oatmeal to drink. i was a little too hungry because i threw up and then had to wait another hour to be driven home. i think i slept the hour drive back. i brought a pillow and a blanket and a trash bag in case i needed to puke again, which i didn't.
when i got home i felt okay until a few hours later when the heavy medications wore off. i started throwing up from being in so much pain. it really felt like all my rib muscles were pulled off my ribs every time i had to be moved. and also that my skin was going to rip open from not being able to hold these two new cannon balls in my chest. i was laying down on a 12" memory foam wedge with extra pillows but had to sit up more to drink, take pills, or try to eat something. the first 2 two days were really really painful. only second to having my cornea in my eye torn. my mom called the dr. and she said i could double up on my vicodin as the only option and take valium, which i have a prescription for for something else, since she isn't allowed to call in a narcotic prescription, it has to be written ( it was the weekend and i don't live in the same city as my surgeon). it did make it more tolerable and i think i just slept 3 days straight. my mom bought these giant wet wipes for sponge baths which she did every day to me and i would get in a bath of a couple inches of water to clean my V.
on monday, i went to my preop where i laid down and she took the ugly front snap bra off and said everything looked perfect. i didn't even see them :( although i was kind of too scared to because i didn't want them to look horrible and freak out.
on day 4 my mom used these antibacterial skin wipes on my armpits and then i woke up with horrible red painful welts. they are seriously killing me. when my dr. called, she said to put hydrocortisone on them and i'd see her today. i can't wait because they really look angry and gross. my boobs on the other hand, are finally just starting to feel really swollen and a much more bearable pain. sorry i didn't update sooner, but i was so out of it, i wasn't even watching t.v., just sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, and wanting to cry from the pain, but too afraid it would hurt. i think a lot of the problem is that vicodin does not take away pain for me and i should have been more proactive in asking for a different pain killer. oh, also, i talked to my pharmacist when i first picked up my medications and told her i was worried about being constipated. she picked out colate? it's a stool softener and i take 2 in the morning and 2 at night and haven't had a problem going to the bathroom at all. i highly suggest is as a preventative.

Updated on 17 Jul 2013:
so i went today and actually saw my boobs for the first time and they look great. not scary looking or squarish at all. my ps said i can wear any type of non underwire bra for the next two weeks 24/7 and to keep gauze on the areola incision between the bra. she suggested a panty liner cut in half for each boob. i can start driving as long as it doesn't hurt and i'm not on any pain meds. the last vicodin i took was 3 this morning and i hopefully won't have to take anymore although i'm still going to take valium when they start to bug me, which i did around 1 pm today (no driving of course). i can only lift 5lbs or less and nothing more than a meandering light walk. i have my next post op next thursday.
my armpits are still welted and killing me but i finally have the go ahead for a shower so hopefully that will help, but i'm not supposed to put anything on them aside from soap that i already know doesn't bother my skin. so basically, i will be hairy and stinky until this clears up.
after the appointment my mom took me to forever 21 where they had a million cute light sport bra cami type things between $4-$10. what a deal! and they are so cute and comfortable. i bought a few of those so i can get out of this ugly uncomfortable surgical bra. but while i was there, i got so exhausted that i thought i would collapse from walking so much. i couldn't believe how tired my body is from all this healing it has to do. i was blaming it on the painkillers before but now i just know that my body needs rest, rest, and more rest.
so here i am, lying in bed trying to take a nap while my mind races over all the things i want to be doing instead of sleeping. at least my cat makes a great nap buddy (except when he walks across my boobs).

Updated on 18 Jul 2013:


Updated on 20 Jul 2013:
So my bf finally wanted to see my boobs this morning & he was shocked. He said that looked so good & turned him on. Yay! So happy considering he was determined to hate the new girls. I'm having a hard time sleeping since I'm off all meds for the 4th day now & I just want to be able to sleep flat & on my side, plus the morning boob which really feels that way all night. I'm starting to feel slight sloshing or some sort of movement in my right lower outside boob. I think because the swelling is starting to go down a bit & they aren't so rock hard everywhere. The incisions are really starting to heal up nice & I have feeling in both nipples. Overall, it's going to be a great day. :)

Updated on 21 Jul 2013:
So I'm starting to soften up but with that, I can start to feel my right implant almost sloshing around or moving inside the new pocket. This is the bigger implant side & my dominant arm. I don't know if either of those things have anything to do with it but I'm pretty sure it's kind of normal & expecting the left to feel that way soon. I probably overdid it a little today by dusting the house & doing a light cleaning on 2 bathrooms, & making 2 beds. Oh, & i tried on about 12 shirts to see if they still fit, which they didnt. :) I never had any sort of pain while I was moving, maybe a little strain during the shirt changings but I hope I didn't mess anything up. Tonight I'm starting to have some new pains which I think might be the nerves starting to reconnect that everyone describes. At least that's what I'm hoping and not that I hurt something. It's so hard to stay so inactive & useless.

Updated on 24 Jul 2013:
My incisions are almost healed up & don't bother me at all. I have my 3rd post-op tomorrow. I had a deep a hey pain in my right boob near my armpit all day yesterday. I think it might have been gas build up. I have lots of sloshing in both boobs from the gas & fluid so I hope that means that I'm still swollen & these babies will get a little smaller. They look perfect under clothes but when I'm naked, they look huge but I'm also used to having nothing. Both boobs seem to be the same shape & dropping at the same rate & have softened up so much this last week.

Updated on 25 Jul 2013:
This morning I went in for a quick check-up. I can start taking all my vitamins, any medication, & sleep in whatever is a comfortable position (which isn't really anything yet). But Yay!!!! She said things are healing great. I told her the only thing bugging me is at night with the tightness & pressure. She said to take a Valium before bed & that should help loosen everything up & all my sloshing in my boobs is normal & will eventually go away & I might experience random pains for a while. I can also start doing light lower body exercises. I just did some squats, donkey kicks, side leg raises, & clams. Woohoo!!! It felt so good to drive myself somewhere today too. I even went to my dads to do some billing for our work & brought him lunch.

Updated on 30 Jul 2013:
After my 2 week post op I got the clearance to do lower body workouts. I've been doing a lot of walking but today was my first day back to the gym. I'm still afraid to do my regular lower body workout since I use a lot of weights. So today since its my first day back I only did 10 min stairclimber, 130 walking lunges, 75 squats, & 75 sumo squats. I really felt spent after that which makes me realize my body is still healing. Then I probably overdid it by washing my filthy car. I'm feeling really tired & a little strained in my boobage area. I'm loving my results more & more every day & my scabs are gone from the incisions. Sloshing is also a lot less & I've been able to sleep on my sides more comfortably.

Updated on 10 Aug 2013:
so yesterday was my one month since surgery. i got the clearance to do light upper body workouts at my post op last week. i feel pretty good. i've been doing at least half of the weight i usually do and higher reps along with 15 minutes of cardio at the beginning. i've done 2 upper body workouts this week and took a valium those nights to help relax the muscles in case they spasmed.the other days i do lower body workouts. my muscles are sore but my boobs feel pretty good. only a few exercises that felt like they were straining along the bottom crease of my boob, so i stopped those when i felt the strain, but never felt any pain. it feels great to be back at the gym. i'm really happy with how my boobs are looking. if they stayed like this, i would be thrilled but i know they will just get better and softer. i'm still doing my massages 4xs a day or more. i can finally sleep on both sides like normal. it's heaven! my right boob is still the one that gives me some odd tightness and sometimes some wierd pains but they don't last more than a day.

Updated on 10 Aug 2013:


Updated on 29 Aug 2013:
I went in today for my 6 or 7 week post-op. I can't believe I've already had boobs for this long! I can't even tell you how much I love my decision to do this for myself. I went back to work last week shoeing horses but only doing a very minimal amount, with my dad having to pick up most of my slack...Poor guy. When I do to much I feel tightness in my peck muscles on the outside and was worried that i was hurting my boobs, but today at my appointment, my ps said it was fine and just part of the process of getting the strength back. She rides horses and is very familiar with how intense my job can be. I have also felt like at the bottom crease, like the muscle was tearing a little when I overdid it. The big news is that I have no restrictions anymore. I can wear any bra I want and do any exercise I want. She said that if it hurts or feels strained, then back off, but that I'm out of the danger zone for damaging my boobies. I'm really excited and feeling so much less nervous about pushing myself too hard at the gym and at work. I don't really notice too much of a change in the shape since they never really needed to drop but they are getting softer every day and laying on my side to sleep doesn't bother me at all. It still feels a little weird to lay on my stomach or get a tight squeezed hug though. I'll post some new pics when I go out and get some new bras. :)

Updated on 14 Sep 2013:
So i went on my first undreaded trip to Victoria Secrets. For the first time in my life, I was actually excited to try on bras. I got measured there: 32c, but their bras were too small in that size so I wear a 32d there! that is crazy. I guess it's true that they are a cup bigger than what you measure. I just got 2 bras. A cute black one and a nude strapless one that you can put straps on to any position. I wish I could afford to buy more but that will have to wait.
I'm now back at work full time and soooo busy. I'm still weaker than I used to be so it's hard for me physically to do all the things I used to do and sometimes my pec muscles feel reallly tight after a day full of shoeing horses. Sometimes I get a dull ache towards the outside part near my armpits.
I also sometimes get a numbness in my left thumb and forefinger. I'm not sure if it's from the surgery or because my pecs are so tight. I have to ask about it at my next post op next month.
At the gym I started increasing the weights. I'm up to 10lb dumb bells and 40lb barbells for shoulders, arms, and back. It's still lighter than I used to do, but I don't have my strength back all the way. I'm not planning on doing chest exercises ever again because I use my pecs at work and I think that's enough work for them. I don't want them to get overworked and have the implant move.
It still feels weird to give someone a tight hug or lay on my stomach, like I'm laying on water balloons or something and sometimes there are weird aches and nerve pain but my ps told me that it's all normal in the long healing process so I don't worry about it.
I'm still so happy I did this for myself. Do I feel totally normal? no. Do I get weird pains and does it feel weird and creep sometimes? yes. Is it worth it? hell yes! I love the way I look and feel about myself now.

Updated on 14 Sep 2013:


Updated on 26 Sep 2013:
I have been feeling so good lately. I'm almost back to where I was before surgery in terms of weight lifting. I did biceps and back on Saturday, legs on Sunday, pilates on Monday, Tuesday was a rest day, and Wednesday I woke up with a pretty nasty pain on my right boob from halfway down to the crease right were it attaches at my sternum in the center of my chest as I propped myself up on my elbow to turn over in bed. It almost feels like a torn muscle attachment. I went to work, shoeing horses and was able to get through the day without too much pain. It mostly hurts when I'm just walking, tightening my core, or laying on my side. I called my ps in the afternoon but the office was closed. I called this morning and she is out of the country until Tuesday, which I got an appointment for. Today, it was bothering me more at work. I definitely think I'm aggravating it but I can't take any more days off right now. I'm icing it and putting arnica on it. Say prayers for me please that it's nothing more than a strained muscle and isn't anything serious.

Updated on 6 Oct 2013:
News was good about my weird pain. It's just a strained muscle and not affecting my implant. The more I think about it, I'm pretty sure I did it during Pilates. I'm still having the pain in my pec where it attaches at my sternum & the outside under the boob. I can't really rest the muscle because of my job but I have been icing it every day & using arnica to help it. I'm still lifting weights because it doesn't seem to hurt with those movements. I wonder how long it will take before our bodies are completely healed & feel normal again. Also, it still feels so weird to lay on my stomach or get a tight hug. It feels like my water balloons are going to squeeze out of place. Ick. I really want a massage but don't think I could lay & get pushed on a table for long. But aside from those things, I absolutely love my boobs & still think it's all worth it.

Updated on 17 Dec 2013:
I didn't want to update until I had anything different from my last post. I can now get hugged and lay on my stomach comfortably. Time for a massage!!! I don't know if it will ever not feel like I have water balloons under my muscle but at least it isn't uncomfortable anymore. I am back 100% working out when it comes to strength, but not doing chest exercises. I still do have about 2 days a week per boob in which I have some weird mild achy pain, usually on one of the outside areas. I think it's from sleeping on it and squishing the implant against the pocket created under the muscle. I usually just rub it throughout the day while it hurts. People probably think I'm a total boob wierdo. As for the look, they keep getting better. I couldn't have imagined such perfect results. I'll add some photos soon.

Updated on 16 Jan 2014:


Updated on 16 Jan 2014:


Updated on 16 Jan 2014:


Updated on 16 Jan 2014:
Sorry I can't figure how to crop my butt out.