Reviews you can trust, from real people like you.
How it works
- Our highly-trained Review Moderation team evaluates all reviews before they're published to ensure they're written by people like you and not a member of a doctor's office.
- This multi-step process takes up to 24 hours from review submission to publication.
- Doctors can't pay to have reviews removed or hidden.
- Reviews are only removed at the reviewer's request or if they violate our Terms of Service.
If you have questions or believe we should re-evaluate a published review, let us know.
Sort by:
*Treatment results may vary
Amazing Surgeon!
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, has a mastectomy with implant reconstruction. If you've had this you know the process. I was told to do daily exercises, form a nice pocket for my implant and if capsular contracture was going to happen it was most likely going to occur within 6 months.
In 2017, I was struggling with some tightness on my right side, some hardness. I went to a breast surgeon and I was then sent to physical therapy to see if they could break up the bands of scar tissue that had formed. A painful process when your breast has no feeling, it definitely felt this. By the 2018/2019 I was experiencing pain in my shoulders, my upper back, right arm and pretty much my upper right front side of my body. It got worse. My breast became rock hard and distorted in shape. I couldn't even look at myself naked, it looked so bad now. My skin around the contracture became blotchy and pinkish in color. I woke every morning in pain and tried to move and reposition my implant to no avail. I tossed and turned all night, never sleeping through the night. Couldn't sleep with the shoulder pain, was taking Advil, stopped exercising, was tired ALOT. Depressed over my appearance either in clothes or out of them. I was a mess. I asked one of the PA's at my primary care, surgeons and they all downplayed it. I knew what I was experiencing and no one seemed to care or understand.
After a couple years of searching I HIT GOLD. Dr Lisa Cassileth is an amazing surgeon and was empathetic towards my struggle. She's heard this from other patients I am sure but for once I wasn't made to feel that all my experience had no relevance. I ended up with stage 4 capsular contracture. Every doctor I had seen or talked two offered me the same options I had 13 years ago. Replace the implant or DIEP. So what did this entail? We'll cut open the capsule, remove the implant and replace the implant. Hmm, what about this mound of scar tissue that developed...leave it in me. That never set well with me. The implant was never the issue, it was the capsule that formed around it. DIEP, you get a tummy tuck out of it. But you also get 4 days in ICU to ensure your new tissue takes and doesn't die. It involves micro surgery to bring blood supply to the new tissue. Months to recover. I wanted to talk to other women and although they were all very happy to have had DIEP, it was their tissue, no implant, they all had a long road to recovery. I also consider what are the long term ramifications of this? Taking blood supply, would I need that in the future if I had a different health issue? The tummy tuck in nice in theory but scared me beyond other's experiences. Well not everything is for everybody. But these seemed to be my only options. I just couldn't believe we had not come further in 13 years or more.
I searched every reputable website and clinic to find anything I may have been missing when I came across this procedure called SWIM flap and Dr. Lisa Cassileth's name kept appearing.
Dr. Cassileth is on the leading edge. I am so GRATEFUL to have found her, met her and have her as my surgeon. With COVID lockdown my first meeting was by telehealth video call. Over a couple months all my questions were answered, we drove 1200 miles, met her in person the day prior to surgery. I wish I could broadcast what a great experience I had with her entire staff and what a personable surgeon she is. Being a woman, I truly appreciated a female surgeon that could understand my concerns as she did. Without a doubt I made the right decision and highly recommend Dr Cassileth.
If I knew her and her techniques were available when I got diagnosed in 2007 (which weren't at the time) I would have gone to her but I am grateful for a technique she was involved with early on and have benefited from her talent, skill and she's given me so much more back in the process.
On my right side (mastectomy side) I had a capsulectomy. Mine was "like rubber" so imagine leaving that in my body, the source of all my pain and agony. I had pectoral repair (again no other doctor I had talked to offered or suggested I would need to consider it) and to my surprise I had a serrates muscle that needed repair, the source of my rib pain. SWIM flap and fat grafting to rebuild my breast to about a healthy A cup along with a nipple graft from my left side as my previously reconstructed nipple had not only flattened out but did not look anything like my left side (natural breast).
The great thing is within about 3 days of surgery I woke to no shoulder pain. GONE. I am still healing but I also no longer wake or go through the day having to readjust my right capsule or massage daily to help with the tightness which I would never be rid of until the capsule was removed.
My new reconstructed breast is real, it is me, fat grafted from my body. NO IMPLANT. It will either grow or shrink with me (weight loss or gain) now. I didn't have to go DIEP option, implant was not on the table. If you have capsular contracture every one I talked to said you will get it again. I didn't want to go through more of this in another 13+ years. I wanted to be done with it.
I asked so many questions when I was first diagnosed. What I didn't know that I wish I had known is implants under the muscle will result in either a cut and or tear of the pectoral, the pectoral will be stretched by the implant and not in it's natural position. In my case, I had damage to another muscle that probably just occurred in time as I developed the contracture. Now Dr. Lisa Cassileth fixed me, all my issues. She has been very straightforward on expectations, the process and what can be expected.
In 2017, I was struggling with some tightness on my right side, some hardness. I went to a breast surgeon and I was then sent to physical therapy to see if they could break up the bands of scar tissue that had formed. A painful process when your breast has no feeling, it definitely felt this. By the 2018/2019 I was experiencing pain in my shoulders, my upper back, right arm and pretty much my upper right front side of my body. It got worse. My breast became rock hard and distorted in shape. I couldn't even look at myself naked, it looked so bad now. My skin around the contracture became blotchy and pinkish in color. I woke every morning in pain and tried to move and reposition my implant to no avail. I tossed and turned all night, never sleeping through the night. Couldn't sleep with the shoulder pain, was taking Advil, stopped exercising, was tired ALOT. Depressed over my appearance either in clothes or out of them. I was a mess. I asked one of the PA's at my primary care, surgeons and they all downplayed it. I knew what I was experiencing and no one seemed to care or understand.
After a couple years of searching I HIT GOLD. Dr Lisa Cassileth is an amazing surgeon and was empathetic towards my struggle. She's heard this from other patients I am sure but for once I wasn't made to feel that all my experience had no relevance. I ended up with stage 4 capsular contracture. Every doctor I had seen or talked two offered me the same options I had 13 years ago. Replace the implant or DIEP. So what did this entail? We'll cut open the capsule, remove the implant and replace the implant. Hmm, what about this mound of scar tissue that developed...leave it in me. That never set well with me. The implant was never the issue, it was the capsule that formed around it. DIEP, you get a tummy tuck out of it. But you also get 4 days in ICU to ensure your new tissue takes and doesn't die. It involves micro surgery to bring blood supply to the new tissue. Months to recover. I wanted to talk to other women and although they were all very happy to have had DIEP, it was their tissue, no implant, they all had a long road to recovery. I also consider what are the long term ramifications of this? Taking blood supply, would I need that in the future if I had a different health issue? The tummy tuck in nice in theory but scared me beyond other's experiences. Well not everything is for everybody. But these seemed to be my only options. I just couldn't believe we had not come further in 13 years or more.
I searched every reputable website and clinic to find anything I may have been missing when I came across this procedure called SWIM flap and Dr. Lisa Cassileth's name kept appearing.
Dr. Cassileth is on the leading edge. I am so GRATEFUL to have found her, met her and have her as my surgeon. With COVID lockdown my first meeting was by telehealth video call. Over a couple months all my questions were answered, we drove 1200 miles, met her in person the day prior to surgery. I wish I could broadcast what a great experience I had with her entire staff and what a personable surgeon she is. Being a woman, I truly appreciated a female surgeon that could understand my concerns as she did. Without a doubt I made the right decision and highly recommend Dr Cassileth.
If I knew her and her techniques were available when I got diagnosed in 2007 (which weren't at the time) I would have gone to her but I am grateful for a technique she was involved with early on and have benefited from her talent, skill and she's given me so much more back in the process.
On my right side (mastectomy side) I had a capsulectomy. Mine was "like rubber" so imagine leaving that in my body, the source of all my pain and agony. I had pectoral repair (again no other doctor I had talked to offered or suggested I would need to consider it) and to my surprise I had a serrates muscle that needed repair, the source of my rib pain. SWIM flap and fat grafting to rebuild my breast to about a healthy A cup along with a nipple graft from my left side as my previously reconstructed nipple had not only flattened out but did not look anything like my left side (natural breast).
The great thing is within about 3 days of surgery I woke to no shoulder pain. GONE. I am still healing but I also no longer wake or go through the day having to readjust my right capsule or massage daily to help with the tightness which I would never be rid of until the capsule was removed.
My new reconstructed breast is real, it is me, fat grafted from my body. NO IMPLANT. It will either grow or shrink with me (weight loss or gain) now. I didn't have to go DIEP option, implant was not on the table. If you have capsular contracture every one I talked to said you will get it again. I didn't want to go through more of this in another 13+ years. I wanted to be done with it.
I asked so many questions when I was first diagnosed. What I didn't know that I wish I had known is implants under the muscle will result in either a cut and or tear of the pectoral, the pectoral will be stretched by the implant and not in it's natural position. In my case, I had damage to another muscle that probably just occurred in time as I developed the contracture. Now Dr. Lisa Cassileth fixed me, all my issues. She has been very straightforward on expectations, the process and what can be expected.
Provider Review
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
436 N. Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, California