Best breast surgeons in Los Angeles?

Loveandlight- I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the surgeons in LA, I'm in Orange County. BUT- One thing I would highly recommend in your search is to seek out a team that works together. My oncologist, breast surgeon, radiologist, and radiology oncologist all meet weekly (along with other Dr's on the team) to discuss each patient and treatment plan. It is so difficult to work with them in a silo (my mom would see the surgeon, have surgery, and then see the oncologist who would recommend a different course!). If you have a team, you have multiple eyes on you and they're all on the same page regarding your treatment. Good luck, so sorry you've had to join us.

Hi love and light-

I am in orange county as well. So I can not help you with doctors but I would reccommend you look into an NCI treatment facility ( national cancer institute ). There is a very stringent process to earn that classification. They will have all the most current research and technologies. In orange county, UCI is the only facility. But I think there are 2 or 3 in LA. If you go on national cancer institute website it will list your locals.

Good luck

Do you have an oncologist (MO) that you are seeing? I went with the surgeon that my MO recommended as they work well together and I trust her recommendations. I did not have specific breast surgeon as I did not have reconstruction. My general surgeon was Dr. Kenneth. Adashek, who works at Cedars-Sinai. A wonderful surgeon.

Hi, LoveandLight ~ I'm just seeing this thread tonight. Not sure why you had a hard time getting through to UCLA. I've been going there since 2008, and have never had that problem. I'm wondering if maybe something was going on with their phone system the day you couldn't get through?

At any rate, while Helena Chang is head of the department and has rave reviews from patients and medical colleagues, I personally used and absolutely love Dr. Raquel Prati. And Jaco Festekjian was my PS. He's also top notch, and the coordination between the two of them was very easy and professional.

I'm so sorry about your diagnosis. Feel free to PM me if I can give you any additional information about UCLA. I live out in the Palm Desert area, so never interviewed other L.A. docs when I went to UCLA for a second opinion initially, so can't compare it to your other options. But I've always been very impressed with and grateful for the care I get there, including my onc, Sara Hurvitz, in the Santa Monica office. Deanna

Hello everyone! Does anyone have any recommendations for Medical Oncologists...preferable in Orange County, but open to LA? I would like someone who is willing to discuss benefits/risks of using Tamoxifen in light of my Oncotype score and history of cysts.

I highly recommend Dr. Dennis Holmes in Los Angeles. He works at Good Samaritan and St. Johns. When I was first diagnoses a few months ago, I met with many surgeons, including City of Hope. The best thing I did was meet with as many surgeons as possible, and speak to as many breast cancer survivors as I could. I learned that every case is so drastically different and that you have to chose the surgeon that's right for you. I was 40 years old when I was diagnosed with cancer in my left breast. Every surgeon I spoke to recommended mastectomy with reconstruction. Even double mastectomy as a preventative measure, and for better reconstruction results. Implants are just not for me, and it didn't seem right to remove the healthy part of my breast, and certainly not my perfectly health breast! This choice is very personal and I completely understand why women choose to go all the way with mastectomy and reconstruction. It just wasn't right for ME. Dr. Holmes was the only surgeon willing to do a partial mastectomy on me. (He agreed only under the caveat that I also get radiation.) No one else could accept that I would be happy with a less-than-perfect breast, nor would they honor my choice to take the chance of preserving my healthy breast tissue. I am beyond appreciative that Dr. Holmes chose to respect my decisions. He also did a wonderful job making my breast look as "good" as possible! He does oncoplastic surgery, which is a very specialized method of moving existing breast tissue around to compensate for the cancerous tissue he removes.

His staff is also awesome. Alba (she books all of his appointments) is beyond lovely, accommodating, and on the ball. Always a nice combo when you are dealing with the shock and urgency of a cancer diagnosis.

Does anyone here have Kaiser (Inland Empire) in California? If so, what was your experience?

Thank you,

Ja

Hi RJintheOC, I live in the OC. I highly recommend Dr. Lincoln Snyder at Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach. He did my lumpectomy in 2014. He has a wonderful team. Also the following breast surgeons are highly respected and recommended to me:

Dr. Michelle Carpenter

Dr. Jane Kakis

I had onco surgeon Dr. Maggie DiNome and plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Crisera both at UCLA Breast Center. So far, good experience and pretty easy scheduling with them. I had MBX with TE surgery on Feb 1st 2019 and recovery was pretty easy. Waiting for expansions on TE and replacement to implants in a few months.

I contacted Dennis Holmes because he knows about doing radiation during the lumpectomy surgery. I had asked my BS about this possibility, and she gave me his name as one of the best to do this. IORT did not wind up to be the right course of action for me, so I stuck with the BS I already had in my home area. But I have to say Dr Holmes was incredibly nice, very responsive and quick, answered all my questions, and I thought he seemed like an excellent doctor in terms of his responsiveness and kindness.

thank you-what type of reconstruction did you do?

my breast surgeon was Christine Dauphine, and my plastic surgeon, a breast reconstruction specialist is Mytien Goldberg. They are both awesome, esp. Dr Goldberg, just excellent! Both in L.A. area