In these videos, Dr. Killeen's patients talk about their surgery in their own words, including the parts that did not go to plan. Each video has a transcript underneath.
Breast reconstruction patient · Direct-to-implant reconstruction · October 14, 2026
“Direct-to-implant was very important to me, just having one operation.”
She wanted her mastectomy and reconstruction done in one operation. Dr. Killeen placed her final implant, wrapped in a surgical scaffold, at the time of the mastectomy, so there was no tissue expander and no time without a breast. She had radiation afterward, which can be hard on an implant, and the implant came through soft. The surgical footage and the before-and-after photos in the video are of other patients.
Patient: Direct-to-implant was very important to me, just having one operation. The nice thing about that, having the one surgery, it didn't impact radiation, and everything just seemed very seamless, and Dr. Killeen and the practice made me feel very taken care of.
Dr. Killeen: So with the direct-to-implant breast reconstruction, what we do is place the final implant at the time of mastectomy. So we placed an implant which was wrapped in a mesh material or a surgical scaffolding to help hold the implant in place, and it's very nice for patients because you leave the operating room with your breast. So your breast is removed and you don't have to go through the process of a tissue expander or not having a breast at all. You get to leave the operating room with your breast.
Dr. Killeen: We did a direct-to-implant breast reconstruction after her mastectomy, so same surgery, one surgery. And after she had her reconstruction, she had radiation, which is always something we're a little worried about, how it's going to affect the implant, but she did great. The implant made it through, and it's soft and looks beautiful. And I'm so glad to see you on this side of her cancer treatment, and all done and ready to forget this whole horrible thing ever happened.
Breast reconstruction patient · Direct-to-implant reconstruction · October 2, 2026
“I'm back to my regular life, and I don't even think about it that much most days.”
She went looking for a mastectomy and reconstruction she could complete in one operation, after surgeons at two large centers could not tell her why she needed a two- or three-step process beyond that being how it is usually done. Six months out, she describes a recovery whose worst pain was about a four out of ten, post-op nurses who answered within minutes, and how rarely she thinks about any of it now.
Patient: The first time I took off my surgical bra, I was really scared of what I was going to see, and I just kind of saw boobs. I'm back to my regular life, and I don't even think about it that much most days, which for six months out is amazing.
Dr. Killeen: So my patient here underwent a direct-to-implant breast reconstruction. She was having a mastectomy, and at the same time as the mastectomy, we did a reconstruction with an implant. She had one surgery and was able to do everything in one step.
Patient: I honestly thought I was going to be in horrific pain, but honestly, the worst that I ever got was about a four. But their nurses were amazing. They would always respond in like minutes and calm me down and tell me what to do, so that was very, very helpful.
Dr. Killeen: And we always feel that anxiety is the enemy of healing, and that's why we have a post-op nurse practitioner with my team, so that we have that person to reach out to in case I'm in the operating room or not immediately available. I want my patients to always have reassurance or assistance if there's any concern.
Patient: You know, they're wonderful. Even when they would reassure me, so I was still anxious, they just let me come in on a random day, take a look at me. You even ran in between surgeries one time to reassure me that I was going to make it.
Dr. Killeen: And she made it.
Patient: That was really based on the fact that even though we live in like one of the surgical capitals of the world, almost nobody does direct-to-implant surgeries, as far as I can tell. And I saw a couple of doctors at Cedars, at UCLA, and none of them could tell me why I needed the two-to-three-step surgery process, other than that's how we do it, and I really did not want to do that. So I found Bedford and you guys, and you were like, no, we can do it. You'll be under once, you'll recover once, because the idea of having to do incisions multiple times and anesthesia multiple times and drains multiple times just seemed to add an unnecessary level of horror to the process.
Patient: It honestly wasn't that life-changing for me, which is, I think, a good thing.
Dr. Killeen: And that's what I love to hear. I always tell patients that the greatest thing for me is patients aren't thinking about this all the time, that it's in their rear view and not in the horizon, and then they can move on from the whole experience of going through the mastectomy.
Lacey · Breast lift · September 10, 2026
“My results are absolutely life changing.”
After losing 60 pounds over about a year, Lacey wanted a lift that kept a feminine, teardrop shape and fit her frame. A year after surgery, she talks about her consultation, her recovery, and how clothes and swimsuits fit her now.
Hi, my name is Lacey, and I am a patient of Dr. Killeen's. I had actually lost 60 pounds over the course of about a year, and so my breasts were in major need of some zhuzhing.
So I came into the consultation. It was super easy, and I think the thing that was the most important was just her sheer knowledge, and meeting my expectations and being realistic, from where my baseline is to where I could actually be. And the most important thing I said to her is, I still want to have that feminine look, that teardrop look with my breasts, but I also want it to really fit my frame.
The whole process with Dr. Killeen and her team was seamless. Recovery was easy. I mean, sleeping on my back was easy. I used exosomes topically to help speed up the recovery. I used everything that they told me to. And then ultimately, Dr. Killeen's bedside manner: I was instructed from day one to even now, a year later, exactly what I need to do to have the best result.
My results are absolutely life changing. I've had women at the gym come up to me and say, you know, not to be disrespectful, but who did your breast implants? And I'm like, no, I don't have breast implants. This is my natural tissue. And just in general, the way clothes fit me now, the way bathing suits fit me now, I feel like I look petite, I look put together, I feel still very feminine, and I'm so happy. The scar, the lollipop incision, is basically gone.
Breast reconstruction patient · Direct-to-implant reconstruction · September 1, 2026
“It was unexpectedly long, but the team here was incredibly supportive.”
A BRCA carrier who found Dr. Killeen the week of her diagnosis chose direct-to-implant reconstruction. One implant later had to be removed and was replaced a few months afterward, and she and Dr. Killeen talk openly about how that complication was handled.
Dr. Killeen: This is one of my patients. We've known each other about a year now, and last year she had a breast reconstruction.
Patient: I am a BRCA carrier, and I was told I had multiple tumors in my lymph nodes and in my breast, and so I didn't want to go through multiple rounds of treatment, including chemo and everything. I researched, and I found Dr. Killeen the week that I found out that I had tumors. I didn't even know that there was a one-step process to have reconstruction. I always thought there were two steps at least. So I was thrilled when I found this practice, because I don't have to have any treatment for any tumors anymore.
Dr. Killeen: So we did a direct-to-implant breast reconstruction, and then we had to remove one of the implants and remove a little bit of skin, and then the implant went back in a few months later. How was the process for you?
Patient: It was unexpectedly long, but the team here was incredibly supportive. I didn't think I was going to have complications, but I couldn't have had a better medical team to provide me support and make me not worry about the process.
Dr. Killeen: We can't prevent all complications, and with plastic surgery, we are the managers of problems after a mastectomy. Our goal is to manage them swiftly and as well as possible, and get lovely patients like this through it as quickly as we can.
Capsular contracture patient · Capsular contracture treatment · July 6, 2026
“It took the pain away. And so just feeling like myself, having my body back and being pain-free.”
A year after Dr. Killeen treated her severe capsular contracture, she has soft breasts that no longer hurt. She describes the whole process as easy, with little pain, and talks about what it meant after implants she first got following a major weight loss. Dr. Killeen adds that many women are told to live with a contracture, and they shouldn't have to.
Dr. Killeen: So my gorgeous patient here has severe capsular contracture that we took care of about a year ago. So she's a year out from surgery, and I can't tell her what surgery she had, since she's a study patient, but it worked, and now she has soft, non-painful breasts. And she looks gorgeous.
Patient: Best decision ever.
Dr. Killeen: We're so happy.
Patient: Yeah. It's the best.
Interviewer: How was the whole process for you?
Patient: Easy from step one to today. It didn't even feel like a process at all. It just, it was easy, easy to talk to, easy to ask my questions. And I've not felt much pain, if any, going through all of this. So it was easy.
Interviewer: And how did it change your life, the outcome?
Patient: It took the pain away. And so just feeling like myself, having my body back and being pain-free.
Interviewer: And how was your experience with Dr. Killeen and the whole team?
Dr. Killeen: She has to say that because I'm right next to her. But people don't realize how horrible contractures are. Many women are told they should just live with it. But you shouldn't. You deserve to feel like this, and not how you did when I met you.
Patient: Well, and that you get your implants initially because you want to feel like yourself. My first surgery was after a huge weight loss. And so then going through that, where all of a sudden you feel pain and thinking this is off, and being able to fix it and feel like myself again was absolutely top of mind. So thank you.
Dr. Killeen: You're welcome. My pleasure.
Capsular contracture patient · Contracture repair after radiation · June 24, 2026
“It felt very tight on my chest, and if I had a cough or a sneeze, it would really seize up my left breast.”
Radiation for breast cancer had firmed up the implants she already had, leaving her chest tight and her left breast seizing up when she coughed or sneezed. Dr. Killeen repaired the contracture on both sides with implants rather than a flap, explains what that takes, including hyperbaric oxygen and changes in the operating room, and is open that the risk is somewhat higher than without radiation. They are still refining the contour of the radiated side.
Patient: I had implants that reacted to radiation that I had due to breast cancer, and it firmed them up. It felt very tight on my chest, and if I had a cough or a sneeze, it would really seize up my left breast, so it was uncomfortable. So I needed Dr. Killeen to remove and do some plastic surgery, so my breasts looked more natural.
Dr. Killeen: So we ended up going to the operating room to do contracture repair on both sides, and it's more complicated with radiation, but we were able to get you through it with a nice soft breast. And then now we're still working a little bit on the contour of the radiated side, but I think everything looks really good. It's remarkable.
Interviewer: How did you find Dr. Killeen?
Patient: I did a lot of research, and I met many plastic surgeons, and I liked her approach the most. Her verbalization of what I was going to experience was very clear, very thoughtful on her behalf, how she was explaining things to me. Had excellent care. All the staff was amazing. Originally, my implants were put in by a gentleman, and he had retired, so I had to start the process over of looking for a new plastic surgeon, and I'm glad I found Dr. Killeen.
Dr. Killeen: And often patients are only given a flap as an option with radiation, and we can do it without and use an implant. It takes more work. You have to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and there's certain things I have to do in the operating room different, but I do think it's very important that women know this is an option, because a lot of people don't want a flap. They don't want that surgery, and we do have other options. There's a bit more risk than if you didn't have radiation, but we can mitigate some of that by the other things we add.
Patient: Exactly. Yeah, happy patient.
Dr. Killeen: Yeah, we love that.
Breast reduction patient · Breast reduction · June 11, 2026
“It's the best thing I did. I should have done it far sooner.”
Six months after a breast reduction, which always includes a lift, Dr. Killeen walks through how she has healed: a size proportionate to her frame, and scars that look good for this stage and will keep improving over the next year. The patient says it has helped with her cervical spine and shoulder pain, and that after previous surgeries, this was the most comfortable recovery she has had.
Dr. Killeen: All right, so we are six months post a breast reduction, and with every breast reduction you get a lift. And I am so excited about your results. Can we show our friends on social media?
Patient: Sure thing.
Dr. Killeen: Okay. She has healed absolutely beautifully. Her breasts are now more of a proportionate size that fits her frame, which always helps with back and neck pain, and patients are more comfortable, easier to find clothing. Her scars look fantastic for this stage, and they'll just look better over the next year. And how do you feel? How did it change your life?
Patient: Fantastic. It's the best thing I did. I should have done it far sooner. It's helped with cervical spine and shoulder pain, and I'm ecstatic with the results.
Dr. Killeen: How was the recovery process?
Patient: It was amazing. It was so easy. I knew what to expect the whole way along, and the [unclear] was a game changer. I've had previous surgeries before and never had the comfort that I had with this one. It was easiest surgery ever.
Dr. Killeen: I love that.
Capsular contracture patient · Capsular contracture treatment · June 4, 2026
“I can exercise again. I was in a lot of pain from the contracture.”
She came in with a capsular contracture in her right breast, after an augmentation she wasn't in love with. She saw Dr. Killeen on TikTok talking about a study on capsular contracture, booked an appointment, and took part in the study. She is no longer in pain, can exercise again, and says that this time the breast size was chosen to fit her body.
Patient: I came in because I'd had a breast augmentation done, and while I wasn't in love with it, I also realized I had a capsular contracture in my right breast. And I saw Dr. Killeen's profile pop up on my TikTok saying that she was doing a study on capsular contracture. So I contacted the office, set up an appointment, and was a part of the study.
Patient: And the difference from my first surgeon to my second surgeon to Dr. Killeen has been insane. Just the care and attention that she provides, the entire team here at the office. I am so grateful for not being in pain anymore, and very, very satisfied with the way that my second augmentation looks.
Interviewer: And what way did it change your life?
Patient: I can exercise again. I was in a lot of pain from the contracture. I also feel more confident because Dr. Killeen took the time to make sure that the breast size was the right size for my body, which I don't think happened the first time. And so I wasn't in love the first time. This time, I just feel so much more confident in my clothing and also not my clothing.
Shared with each patient's permission. Individual results vary, and your consultation is where Dr. Killeen will talk through what is realistic for you.