On tonight’s Botched on E!, doctors Terry Dubrow and Paul Nassif meet a young woman named Alysia — who underwent a double mastectomy when she was just 15.
In their office for a consult, she reveals her past medical records, which she believes may show she had the procedure unnecessarily.
As a teenager, Alysia had the operation after being told about her mother’s medical history with breast cancer.
The trouble is, Alysia thinks her doctors may have given her the surgery when she didn’t need it at all.
Composed and focused, Alysia begins her story by telling the doctors: “When I was 15 years old my mom told me she had breast cancer and her doctor said that her kids should get tested.
“I went and had the BRCA1/2 mutation gene test done and I was told that I tested positive…and he suggested that I have a double mastectomy.
“I went ahead and had this surgery. They put the expanders in that day…[then] probably about six months after that I had the second surgery which is the replacement of the expander with the implants…it didn’t work out. There was just all this extra skin at that point.
“The plan was to do a nipple-sparing mastectomy…[but] it still didn’t work out [and] didn’t look good. I was crooked at that point. I requested my records from my doctor so I could see a new doctor when I got the — I didn’t see this before, but it was saying ‘no mutation’.”
Looking aghast at this revelation, Dr. Nassif says to Dr. Dubrow: “Oh my God…”
Also incredulous, Dr. Dubrow looks at Alysia as he takes her medical records into his hands for review, saying: “So you had an unnecessary double mastectomy?”
Still reeling, Dr. Nassif leans in and asks: “Can I see?”
The two doctors review her records carefully. Dr. Dubrow reads the charts out loud, saying: “It says that in terms of the 5-site rearrangement panel which is an area on the BRCA gene, there was no mutation detected and on the BRCA2 sequencing there’s no mutation detected. But I will tell you the BRCA1 Signet sequencing says it’s deleterious. You have this mutation…so you do have the BRCA gene.”
Alysia is left beside herself, as Dr. Dubrow continues his thoughts.
He says: “You did need a double mastectomy. The bad news is that you had to have these procedures, but the good news is is that you had to have these procedures…you had the appropriate surgery done, so you can rest easy.”
Seeing how bowled over Alysia is at this news that she did, in fact, need the double mastectomy after believing she had not needed it by misreading her medical records is almost too much.
Dr. Dubrow says: “I know how emotional this is…”
“I’m absolutely shocked right now,” says Alysia. “I feel like I’m finding out I have the gene mutation all over again.”
Botched airs Wednesdays at 9 PM ET/PT on E!