For the Singaporeans: SGH

[abdrah]

Hi Bro,

Congrats...on your successful operation.

I have been living with worser gynecomastia than you....and have tried to live with it. But today, i decided im going for the surgery......i would like to gather some information.

-Was there a need for your family members to sign off any documents for this operation? or it is totally just involving you alone? I would really like to keep the operation a secret if it is possible....

-It is possible to discharge from the hospital just after 1 day?

Thanks

Hi troubledman, I understand how you feel. Whether it's slight gyno or worst, its still gyno and it affects us in many ways, chief of which is the feeling of emasculation that most of us feel, robbing us of our confidence and social life.

In Singapore, once you're above 21, you can sign off for any medical procedure, so no family member need be present. So I went through everything myself before telling my dad about the upcoming procedure. I had the same thoughts as you of not telling anyone initially, but my dad was really supportive when I told him. If there's a problem and its fixable, why not?

The doctor will advise you to stay for one night after the surgery, in case of bleeding or hematomas. It's going to be hard to hide the binder after surgery, cos you'll be in it for at least a week. Its the white spongy picture above. Perhaps you could discuss this with the surgeon, on whether you could buy a Design Veronique First Stage Garment and have them put it on for you right after the procedure while you're still under, instead of using the binder, which will be visible under any shirt.

If you really want to be discharged right after surgery, someone will have to pick you up because... trust me, the effects of general anasthesia is still present a few days after. I was awake at 1040 and kept drifting in and out of sleep up until the next day!


Update: 6 weeks post op.
I started jogging yesterday! Chest feels tight and not bouncy pre-op. I've been massaging the scar tissue twice every day and it's slowly reducing in size, although there is still some adhesion on my left side. Areola has shed fully, but my left nipple is still flat somewhat. Anyway, I was realistic prior to the op and wasn't expecting perfection.

My expectations were:
1) I'm able to wear a fitting shirt without anyone noticing or friends pressing my protruding areolas.
2) I'm able to go swimming without the stares of people labelling you a freak, mentally.

I'm kinda pissed off at the hospital pressure garment though. It has a large velcro at the back, running vertically down which is plenty visible! A few friends have asked and its getting worst as the material gets frayed. I ordered 3 pieces of GC2 compression tanks, now expecting delivery. Plan on keeping the surgical site under compression for as long as it takes, until the scar tissues aren't hard anymore.

[maestro]

hi bro, one more question..from polyclinic to actual surgery, how long was the wait for whole process?

[abdrah]

For me, the Polyclinic arranged a consultation with the Clinic J surgeon within 2 weeks. Once at Clinic J, surgery can be done in less than a month or 2, depending on the surgeon's availability and slot. So total from Poly to surgery would be about 1.5 - 2 months earliest.

Update: Scar tissue is still present on the left. The ones on the right have totally dissolved away.

Thank goodness for GC2.. It fits snugly and provides quite good compression while looking like a singlet. The hospital pressure garment had a vertical velcro which is visible through certain shirts, while the Design Veronique second-stage vest looks like a bra from the back due to the cutting being quite low!

Life is pretty much back to normal now. Jogging every alternate days, coupled with some weight training. I still wear the GC2 compression even though more than 8 weeks have passed, simply a personal preference and it feels comfortable nonetheless.

For those thinking of whether you should have surgery or not, you should go for it! The feeling of waking up and not obsessing about whether your gyno is visible or not, is priceless!

[time2change]

Hi bro. I have been living with a worse case of gyne than yours, for a long time now.. So thankful that i bumped into this site.
I have booked an appt with the specialist in SGH that u mentioned. I'm just worried about the cost of everything. do they do installment plans and such?

[larry22]

hi timetochange, i also booked with dr tan last fri, im booked for surgery on first week of aug, go for it.

[abdrah]

Yeah, you should go for it. If you're Singaporean, expect to pay about 1.5 - 2.5k in total, with govt subsidy. I don't believe hospitals in Singapore have instalment plans for procedures. You will have to finance it through other means such as Medisave or outside loans such as GE Loan.

Get this weight off your chest and start your psychological recovery fast. I still suffer some psychological setbacks these days, but its better than before, when I obsessed over my gyno.

[abdrah]

You know, I've been wondering lately.. Seems that gynecomastia is quite prevalent in the male community. Some may not be aware of it as its symmetrical and/or insignificant in size or shape. Just take a breather and take a look around. It doesn't just affect obese people, even lean athletes have some degree of it.

Could it be our food or water source, introducing hormones into our system? As you know, food production these days pay particular attention to production time and yield; e.g. some chickens are injected with hormones to yield bigger breasts (meat). Our water supply is chemically treated to achieve potability. Perhaps some individuals are more susceptible to these extra additives, which cause changes in our bodily functions, even though we do not suffer from anything (normal hormone levels, etc).

Oh well, just a rant. Maybe its been prevalent all along, or perhaps its only in our generation that it is slowly becoming widespread, or fully understood.