Swelling after 3 months

[HenryLacroix]

Hi Doctors,

I had gland and tissue removal about 3 months ago.  I realize it takes about 6 months to see the final result but I was wondering if it's common to still have this much swelling.  I have unfortunately put on about 12 pounds since surgery due to a new medication, but even considering that, the area between my armpit and nipple still seems quite large.  It seems a little soft to be fat.  Also, the slope from my collar bone to my chest is still quite pronounced, and when I press down on it it feels firm not too far beneath the skin (not scar tissue).  Is the chest wall sometimes just shaped this way?  I am about 5'11 175lb and my chest still looks huge with a tee shirt on.

For the record I went to a reputable surgeon and feel like he did an excellent job.  I just think my progress in recovery seems a little unusual and would love any input you may have.  

Too large to upload so here's a link: http://imgur.com/hSfS43V

The pics are all of my left side.  I can post different angles if it'd be helpful.

Thanks,
Henry

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Part of what you are seeing may be some fat deposited on your chest when you gained 12 lbs.  Can't fault the surgeon for that.

Overall, though, I see a nice improvement from your pre-op photos.  Best to wait for the six month mark and then return to your surgeon.  Most surgeons have to leave a little bit of tissue in order to prevent crater deformities.  The overall object is to provide you with a trim and contoured chest which is consistent with the surrounding areas of the body.  To that extent, I believe your surgeon has achieved that result.  It looks great and it looks normal and not over-done.

Dr Jacobs

[HenryLacroix]

Great, thanks for the response Dr. Jacobs.  That is encouraging.  I'll drop the weight and see how it looks in a few months.

[Litlriki]

I would agree with Dr. Jacobs that the results look good at this point.  You have good pectoralis muscle development, and I have had non-bodybuilding patients who express concern over how "big" their chest is.  A few times, they continue to have this feeling post-operatively, and the only thing I can ever determine is that they are bothered by the fullness of the muscle, since there's no gynecomastia left to remove.  There's not really much that a surgeon can say in this instance other than to discourage chest workouts and push-ups, and hope for some atrophy of the muscle.  You only provide a single view, so it's hard to say for sure anything beyond that. 

[DrPensler]

Give it some time and most importantly get back to your preop weight.Surgical correction of gynecomastia should not be an invitation to binge eat. Typically my patients after surgery lose weight because they like their new look and are working to make things look even better.