8 month post-op and I'm incredibly disappointed, depressed

[Jg15]

Hey guys,

I had Gynecomastia surgery approximately 8 months ago in Toronto. When I first saw the results after taking off my vest, I was ecstatic. I could wear fitted shirts and not worry about my chest/nipples poking out. My confidence level was at its pinnacle - I was so relieved.

About 2-3 months after my surgery I started noticing that my chest was getting bigger, almost pushing out of my shirt, but it was still tolerable. I could walk around without a shirt and not feel insecure. I was still happy. It was around April heading into May where things started spiraling downwards. My chest, especially my left side, started getting bigger to the point where it looked like I was getting gynecomastia again. Shirts that were fitting in Jan-Feb started feeling tight and giving me the man boob appearance.

I’ve been an absolute mess these last two months and I can’t tell you how much it’s affected my life. I wake up depressed, go to bed depressed and haven’t felt genuinely happy for months now (I’ve spoken to a therapist but it doesn’t really help with my current reality).

I’ve been taking Finasteride since I was 22 (I’m 30 now), and I read online how that might be a contributing factor for recurrence. But I had an ultrasound done and my doctor said there isn’t any recurrence. I also smoke marijuana 1-2 times a week but even when I stopped for a few months, I didn’t notice any change.

I sat down with my surgeon in June and he didn’t see any recurrence either. The part that killed me the most, though, was that he thinks I don’t need revision and that it’ll eventually flatten on its own. There’s no way this thing is gonna heal on its own. He suggested trying to get more lean and working out my chest but I feel like that will compound the issue. I’m 5’8”, 147 lbs so I’m not that big of a person, I just don’t know what it could be? Did he not take out enough breast tissue and fat? Maybe too much excess skin? How could it go from being so flat to how it looks now?

I really, really want to get a revision surgery done, but what do I say to my surgeon to push him towards that direction? I would consider doing revision with another surgeon but the price range can is really high (6-8K). There's no way I can continue walking around like this and be happy. I desperately need help.

I’ve attached some photos (thanks to the admin team for the help) for further context. Middle composite is approximately 1-2 months post-op, the other two are current photos.

[Jg15]

I was able to add some photos that hopefully adds some context. If anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears. 

[Miguel Delgado MD]

Jg15
I am sorry to hear that you are not happy with your surgery.  You have given it sufficient time to heal and i would discuss this with your surgeon and explain you are not happy with the outcome. Hopefully, you can explain and show him your concerns. Most plastic surgeons will provide a complimentary revision within the first year if they feel it is warranted.  Look at your consent and paperwork. Good luck. 

[Dr. Schuster]

It's very hard to tell from your photos what's going on. Sometimes some scar tissue can form which can cause a little fullness though tis usually does not keep getting larger. Steroid injections are usually very effective for this. Also without knowing exactly what was done might implicate incomplete removal. But the early photos show an excellent result.