Ep. 11 - Lactation: From Myths to Mastitis with Special Guests Dr. Katrina Mitchell and Dr. Helen Johnson

Cabbage leaves? Antibiotics? Breast Milk Ice Cream? Mastitis? Neoadjuvant treatment? As breast surgeons, how much do we really know about lactation. Join the co-hosts as they welcome lactation experts Dr. Katrina Mitchell and Dr. Helen Johnson for an insightful myth busting breast surgeon's conversation about lactation. Show referenced link: https://physicianguidetobreastfeeding.org/ SPECIAL GUESTS

Helen M. Johnson, MD, IBCLC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Breast Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is a graduate of Brown University's Program in Liberal Medical Education, East Carolina University's general surgery residency, and MD Anderson's breast surgical oncology fellowship. She is passionate about providing patient-centered, evidence-based breast surgical care and teaching surgical trainees. Dr Johnson has a special interest in oncolactation - the intersection of breastfeeding and cancer - and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Her clinical research focuses on pregnancy-related and postpartum breast cancers.

Katrina B. Mitchell, MD, IBCLC, PMH-C is a breast surgeon, lactation consultant, and perinatal mental health provider. She has authored over 50 academic manuscripts and multiple book chapters on lactation and the intersection of breast cancer and breastfeeding. She lectures in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. She is the creator of the Physician Guide to Breastfeeding, an evidence-based website for breastfeeding families and the communities that support them. It can be found at physicianguidetobreastfeeding.org or katrinamitchell.org. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Go with the Flow: The Definitive, No-Nonsense Physician Guide to Breastfeeding, expected August 2026 with the Simon and Schuster publishing house.

MEET THE CO-HOSTS

Michael Berry, MD is a breast surgical oncologist at the West Cancer Center in Germantown, TN. After practicing general surgery for 6 years, he completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at UT Southwestern in Dallas in 2002. Upon leaving Texas, he moved to the Memphis, TN area where he was the first fellowship trained breast surgeon in the region; and this is where he remains today. Dr. Berry has long taught breast ultrasound diagnosis, intervention and ablation. However, his particular interest is in education, as he currently serves on the Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship Training Committee, which oversees the fellowship programs in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Berry is currently the president-elect of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and will begin his term as president in May of 2025.

Susan K. Boolbol, MD, FACS is the system chief of breast surgical oncology and breast program at Nuvance Health. She is a board-certified, fellowship-trained breast surgeon and performs a variety of breast cancer surgeries including lumpectomies and mastectomies. She has a special interest in oncoplastic surgery and nipple-sparing mastectomy; she is also a Hidden Scar certified surgeon. Dr. Boolbol's personal mission is to diagnose and successfully treat breast cancer and breast conditions while caring for the whole patient – emotionally and physically – every step of the way. Dr. Boolbol is the immediate Past President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. She joined Nuvance Health after serving as chief of breast surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center. She completed her breast surgery fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center after her residency in general surgery at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center. Dr. Boolbol earned her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine.

Carla Fisher, MD, MBA, FACS is the Division Chief of Breast Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine and an Associate Professor of Surgery. Dr. Fisher is also the director of the IU Dept of of Surgery Breast Surgical Oncology fellowship. She earned her medical deg