Questions about pre op

[DeeDubStyle619]

What do you have to go through before you can get the surgery? After the free consultation, do you have to get a bunch of tests done, and does that cost anything?    I would prefer to just get surgery after one consultation, and no tests. Is that an option?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Most doctors will require a modicum of blood and urine tests just to check on your general health.  It is not a matter of expense -- it is a matter of safety.

For example, within the past year, I have detected diabetes and leukemia in two patients who had absolutely no symptoms -- the diseases were picked up with routine pre-op blood tests.  Are the tests a waste?  No way!

Dr Jacobs

[Litlriki]

Presuming that you're young and healthy, there is a standard protocol in our institution which dictates what studies are done.  Typically, most of my young patients don't get any specific studies routinely for pre-operative purposes unless indicated by history. 

Rick Silverman

[DrBermant]

What do you have to go through before you can get the surgery? After the free consultation, do you have to get a bunch of tests done, and does that cost anything?    I would prefer to just get surgery after one consultation, and no tests. Is that an option?

I agree with Dr. Silverman. For my patients I use clinical history and age to determine if any testing is indicated. For the average Gynecomastia patient, this typically means no testing.  Safety is critical, but at what point should what testing be done? This has been studied in the literature quite extensively. Here are 2 of many articles on this subject:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8629194

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12575882

However, a patient with a history of a medical issue like bruising, liver disease, or other concern. Lab testing is then critical to insure patient safety. For the gynecomastia patient with tender growing breasts, there then is the factor what is the underlying cause. Gynecomastia Testing For Diagnosis can be of great value in determining such issues.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

[Dr. Cruise]

At a minimum, most surgeons will require at least a complete blood count to measure your hemoglobin level. If you have your surgery performed under local anesthesia, pre operative blood tests may not be necessary.  However, if you have any health problems, more lab tests may be necessary.