Dr. Naomi Jean Kalliath, DO

Dr (Wiens) Kalliath’s quiet confidence makes her the calm center of your chaotic storm. She is a wonderful doctor and surgeon, and I am very glad that I had her to guide me through a very scary and unexpected bilateral (double) mastectomy. I first met Dr Kalliath after being referred to her for a bilateral mastectomy. As most women are, I was completely caught off guard and very upset when given my prognosis. She explained everything extremely thoroughly and in terms I could understand. She went over exactly what the results were from my biopsy and even drew diagrams so I could more clearly understand what was being explained. I never felt rushed and Dr Kalliath sat with me for as long as I needed to understand what was going on, what my options were and what to expect during the surgery and the recovery afterwards. She answered all my questions and then took the time to meet with me again when I inevitably had more. The morning of my surgery she held my hand to help keep me calm.… Can you imagine a surgeon caring enough and taking the time to do that?! Yet, she did. During a time in my life when I wasn’t feeling very lucky, I knew I was lucky to have Dr Kalliath as my surgeon, and anyone else should feel lucky to have her as their surgeon too.

Dr. Kalliath is amazing. Extremely thorough in explaining health issues, findings, medical & surgical procedures and follow up. She made me feel extremely comfortable with my exams, health issues, surgery and post surgery. She is extremely responsive to questions and any post surgical concerns. Highly recommend. If all doctors could be this wonderful!

How lucky am I to have been placed in the hands of such a skilled surgeon!!! Where do I begin? After my diagnosis of DCIS, I was given an appointment to see a surgeon the very next day! My partner and we met with Dr. Kalliath for approximately one hour—a meeting in which she explained “ductal carcinoma in situ.” She used a series of diagrams which she created to explain how the calcification is “situated” in the mammary duct, it is small (6mm), “approximated half the width of the tip of your pinky,” and it is estrogen and progesterone positive “a good thing,” which she explained why later. Then, she reviewed the options for surgical removal of the abnormal cells, partial and full mastectomy. After completely reviewing the two surgical procedures, we discussed what I felt was a viable option for this type of cancer, a partial mastectomy (lumpectomy) and we were in agreement that this is a good option based on my cancer. This procedure requires a locator to be placed in the breast… and there were options here too—either a wire on the day of surgery or a SAVI placed in the breast prior to surgery. I had no preference so I turned to Dr. Kalliath to see if she had one. She preferred the SAVI. The SAVI it is! The final aspect of the discussion was about post operative treatment plans for this type of cancer. As I mentioned earlier, my pathology revealed that the cancer cells were hormone positive. With this type of cancer, anti-estrogen drugs like tamoxifen are available as treatment. She further explained that radiation therapy may also be used for a period of 1-7 weeks. These treatment options have low rates of recurrence. By the end of the meeting, we were confident with the decision for surgery and that I was in the hands of a good surgeon. Dr. Kalliath turned us over to her Breast Navigator, Ann, who explained the scheduling process for the SAVI and the lumpectomy. Also, I left with a wonderful book written by an Oncology Nurse which has information about all types of Breast Cancer and treatment plans. What a great resource this has been for me! My next visit was with Dr. Kalliath for a pre-op meeting (2 days before the surgery). She reviewed the procedure for the implant of the SAVI, which was taking place later that day. Next, she reviewed my upcoming surgery procedure and what to expect on the day of surgery. On the day of surgery, Dr. Kalliath checked in with me in the pre-op room, seeing how I was feeling. As I was being wheeled into the operating room, she asked me if I had a favorite song that I would like to listen to during surgery. I responded, “All of Me” by John Legend because it is the song that was the first dance at my wedding. After the surgery, she called my wife to let her know that the surgery went well. Then, she told her that I had asked for our wedding song to be played during the surgery. So sweet! I had my follow-up with Dr. Kalliath 10 days after surgery where she reviewed the types of follow-up treatments for this cancer and she referred me to two oncologists for my potential treatment plan. The entire process from mammogram to surgery to oncology has been fluid—every person within this realm has been highly competent, professional and kind. I am truly grateful for all that they have done to make my healing journey a positive one! THANK YOU ??

After a diagnosis of recurrent breast cancer, I was lucky enough to be referred to Dr. Kalliath (previously, Dr. Wiens). My wife and I spent 1 hr and 40 min with Dr. Kalliath at our first consult, during which time we listened to her potential plans of care and freely asked questions. I was impressed by her approach; she was clearly highly knowledgeable, cited statistics and studies that were pertinent to my diagnosis, and spoke with a gentle authority that set me at ease. Importantly, I felt listened to and comfortable asking a range of questions, all of which she answered with patience and compassion. As a surgeon, she seemed to strive for perfection, which is surely what you want when someone is removing a body part! We are lucky to have such a competent and compassionate surgeon here on Cape Cod!