Worried about indentations

[username2]

Hi

I had surgery approx. 3.5 weeks ago, and I am quite worried about my results. The tissue is gone, which is good, but both sides have a weird indentation between my upper chest and my nipple. The left side looks particularly bad at this point. I understand that healing takes time, but swelling has gone down substantially, and it has not made the problem less pronounced.

I have had a hard time finding pictures of guys with results like mine, and it's making me even more nervous. Is this normal? Or does it look like a crater/other contour problem in the making?

I've attached a photo of the left side taken 1 week after surgery (shows the initial swelling), as well as three photos from today. The photos make it look a lot better than it is. It is very pronounced in person.

[Dr. Schuster]

I see some of the irregularities you refer to but you are still very early in the healing process. it is important to follow your surgeon's instructions though you should also point out your concerns. Hang in there.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

I agree with Dr Schuster.  It is still early in the healing process and there can be swelling in different areas of your chest.  There is nothing to do at this point but wait it out for a few months until everything has settled down.  You should also return to your surgeon to discuss -- he knows exactly what was done.

If these irregularities persist into the future, then treatment with additional precise lipo and/or fat grafting might be considered.

Dr Jacobs

[username2]

Hi docs

Thank you so much for your answers.

I've taken your comments into account and I am trying to be patient. I am 10 weeks post op now, and I know that even now I am still healing.
At the same time I am just so disappointed and unhappy with how it looks. I feel like things are only getting worse, so I'm trying to be realistic about my expectations. I don't need a perfect chiseled chest, but this doesn't look right.

I haven't seen my surgeon since the day of the surgery but I have a follow up in about a month, and I'm very curious to hear their perspective.
I don't want to put this all on my surgeon without being properly informed about how things normally go with these surgeries, but browsing this forum I just can't help but wonder if they screwed something up.

What do you think - is this just how things go sometimes? Or am I justified in being upset. And do you still think it can be fixed?
I'm not sure I feel confident letting the same surgeon try to fix it (if they're willing) - but I also sometimes get the impression that letting the same person deal with it is better, as they know what went down. Do you think that's true in my case?

Also, and sorry for the list of questions, but do you think exercising my chest is safe/would help at this point? At 4 weeks I was told to wait due to swelling, but at this point I don't know if it's swelling or just the way things are going to look..


Thanks in advance, and thank you for providing this service.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

At this point, I don't think your situation will spontaneously improve to any acceptable degree.  You have a choice of returning to your surgeon to discuss the results and possible revision surgery, although he would rightfully request that you wait until at least six months have passed since surgery.  You might also benefit from a second opinion from another surgeon -- preferably a gyne expert.

Good luck

Dr Jacobs

[Dr. Schuster]

I agree with Dr. Jacobs. Your result could be better and you will probably benefit from a secondary surgery. But it is a process. Good luck.