DOCS, PLEASE COUGH UP SOME OF YOUR COMPETITORS NAMES!

[biggerboy]

(I am paraphrasing a post in reply to a surgeon recommendation generously made to me by Dr. Pope).

Doctors, everyone who comes to this forum needs the information only you have.

It is very difficult for those of us considering the surgery to know who to trust and where to go - on this site all signs I've interpreted lead to true specialists Dr. Pope, Dr. Jacobs, Dr. Delgado who owns the site and previously Dr. Bermant before he retired.

Additionally, there are many doctors who advertise on this site - some surely magnificent, others maybe not so much.

For those of us seeking a surgeon it is near impossible to ascertain who might really be the right choice. Am I supposed to go by the doctor's personality or nicely posed picture? I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to analyze any doctor's prowess in this procedure. At the risk of being negative, will any doctor tell you whatever you're inquiring about is not a specialty? I mentioned in a previous post that virtually every plastic surgeon in America seems to specialize in EVERYTHING judging by their Web sites and they're all the best according to their own publicity.

What would be so helpful to all of us who suffer from this humiliating condition is if you doctors could at least identify your colleagues that truly specialize in this field - it appears there are not that many and I would think you gentlemen would know at least some of your colleagues. We wouldn't expect you to rank each other or put yourself in the referral business, but it would be enormously helpful to know who the true specialists are. I realize each of you is in business and wants all the business you can generate and naming other doctors appears counterproductive, but wouldn't it be better if we chose from you elite rather than just pick some local yokel that doesn't specialize and will not have the experience and expertise we all seek? Certainly you are all losing more business to these non-specialists than you are to each other.

I know I want the best doctor I can find and am willing to travel a great distance if I can't find someone local that is an expert in this field.  WHO ARE THE TOP GYNECOMASTIA SURGEONS NATIONALLY?  That's the one question everybody who comes to this site looking for a surgeon wants to know!
   

[Litlriki]

I don't think that you're going to get the sort of answer you're looking for, in particular since most of us only know one another from this site.  What I would say, however, is that those of us who participate in the site have specifically opted to support the site, both financially and with our input on the forum, because we focus our practices at least in part on gynecomastia patients.  Some of us also write articles and do presentations about this condition, both in peer-reviewed journals and in popular magazines.  That doesn't guarantee a perfect outcome, but chances are, that if you work with one of the surgeons involved with the site, you'll find a surgeon who does a lot of gynecomastia surgery, at least compared to other plastic surgeons, and who at least has experience in dealing with the many ways the condition presents itself.

Rick Silverman

[biggerboy]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post, Dr. Silverman.  Obviously I am not getting the answers I was seeking and I appreciate that you are the first person to post a reply. Frankly, I thought more doctors and Forum members would get involved in this discussion. I know I joined this Forum to find a great surgeon who specializes in this field and it makes business sense for those of you doctors who do this surgery on a regular basis to be here in the midst of so many potential patients. This is not to imply you are all here solely for financial gain - that is clearly not true and those of us who suffer from this condition are very grateful for all the information you doctors share on this Forum and the thoughtful posts you all make. 

I perhaps naively thought that more of you specialists are familiar with each other and that perhaps the names of the consensus top guys in the field would become clearly defined for those of us wannabe patients. We are all afraid of falling into the hands of the legions of surgeons in every city who claim to be the world's best choice for any procedure under the sun and in actuality would not be the intelligent choice for those of us with gynecomastia.           

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

From what I can glean, there are actually very few plastic surgeons in the US, Canada and Europe who have a particular interest and demonstrated expertise in gyne surgery.  You are right, there are many forms of this condition -- and each requires a different approach in order to achieve optimal results.

Dr. Silverman is correct -- for most of us, this forum serves to "connect" us as well.  There are no clubs of "gyne surgeons" who meet (professionally or socially) at a national plastic surgery meeting.

As for the bigger problem that you pose, that is, finding a qualified surgeon if every surgeons claims to be "the best," that goes with our society.  That is why Board Certification came about.  It is just one step in a process -- but a major one.  It at least provides you with knowledge that the doctor has had the requisite amount of training and has passed some very tough qualifying exams in order to call himself "board certified."  It is not a guarantee of a perfect outcome for your surgery -- but it is a start.

I always recommend visiting 3 (or even more) plastic surgeons, looking at their before and after photos, etc, before making a choice.  And then go with the surgeon who make you most comfortable and confident.  And even then, given the unpredictable nature of surgery and the even more unpredictable nature of an individual's tendency to heal, be prepared to accept the fact that your operation may not end up absolutely perfect.

As I tell my patients, I hit a "100" sometimes, but most of the time I hit in the "90s".  How many people do you know that graduated high school with a 100 average??  I don't know any.

Dr Jacobs

[George Pope, M.D.]

This is an interesting thread.  The other docs here are right; there's not a big group of gynecomastia surgeons who meet or even communicate regularly.  We all attend local, regional, and national meetings, but plastic surgery is such a diversified field; there are so many subjects covered at these meetings.  As Dr. Silverman said, surgeons who financially and intellectually support this site have a real interest in gynecomastia and want to add value here.  I was actually introduced to this site by my anesthesiologist who went to medical school with Dr. Silverman and therefore knew about it. On occasion Dr. Jacobs and I meet at national meetings and share our experiences with gyne patients.  I have even purchased a couple of special gyne cannulas that Dr. Jacobs designed.
As I mentioned on a previous thread that you referenced here, the best you can do is talk with a plastic surgeon about his experience with gyne surgery, including number of cases performed.  Look at before and after photos, and ask to talk with patients who have undergone the surgery. 

Dr. Pope, MD 

[Miguel Delgado MD]

This is a good question that most patients as comsumers must address with  regard to any surgery especially a seriuos medical condition.  The other plastic surgeons have address this question very well. 

Gynecomastia.org is a small group of plastic surgeons who  have developed a particular interest in this condition.  We all have varied experience and may look at a case and have a differrent approach to solve the problem.  Gynecomastia surgery is an art and plastic surgeons can envision different ways to correct a condition.   As such, you must do your home work on the plastic surgeon.  Certification, before and after pictures, discussion with othe patients, reputation, medical board actions.....  The list can go on.  No one can tell you  who is best because i believe that does not exits.  Our society is very supportive of each other.

The plastic surgeons on gynecomastia.org  perform this procedure well.  However, ther are are many other plastic surgeons who are talented as well.  This is the first year that Gynecomasti.org will be at a national convention ,in Canada, to recrute more plastic surgeons with an interest in gynecomastia. We hope to have plastic surgeons join us in the United States and around the world.  We will report back after the meeting.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.