Hi,
First off, I would like to thank this community to push me towards having this surgery. I have been struggling with self-esteem issues for as long as I can remember because of my gynecomastia, and now I finally feel like I have my so much weight lifted off my chest (literally and figuratively). Thus, I would love to give back to this community for all the support. I know that this meant the world to me, and so I can definitely empathize with the psychological and mental agony gynecomastia can bring to ones' life.
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I booked my gynecomastia surgery with Dr. Fielding in mid-December of 2016 because I finally made enough to financially support myself. I called into the office through the number found on his website and I was able to book an appointment for a consultation in approximately 2 weeks.
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First Consultation:
At this appointment, Dr. Fielding went through my medical history and then examined my chest. For this surgery, you can either have local anesthesia or general anesthesia depending on the severity of the gynecomastia. He will tell you whether you need local or general at this consultation. At this consultation, he will also go through the pre-operative, interoperative, and post-operative plan with you and will answer all your questions if you have any. After this, he lead me to his secretary that will give the quote/bill for the procedure. I was billed for hospital fees, anesthesia fee, surgeon fee for approximately $3,300 CAD. If you would like the procedure done, you can put down a deposit of 10% to book the surgery day. This way get you a surgery day and also a pre-op appointment with Dr. Fielding 3 weeks before the surgery day.
Note: *Fees vary with use of local of general anesthesia
Pre-Op Appointment
Dr. Fielding goes through the plan for the procedure and answers all your questions once again. You pay the rest of the 90% of the surgery fee at this time. There isn't much to this appointment but it's imperative because the secretary and Dr. Fielding goes through what you need to prepare for on the surgery day and the weeks following the surgery. Bring your workplace forms for absence post-surgery on this day if you need to get them filled.
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Operation Day
On the operation day, you are NPO at midnight, meaning that you are not to eat/drink anything after midnight before the surgery. You must arrive with a friend and go home with a friend so make sure you have someone there with you. You then enter into the registration desk, sign in, wait in the waiting room, get checked by the pre-op nurses, wait again for the surgery, and then the anesthesia physician will come fetch you in the waiting room.
The nurse and anesthesiologist also do their checklists and lead you to the Operating Room where you take off your gown, lie on the table, receive an IV and warm blankets. After all this, anesthesia runs through your lungs through a mask and you're knocked out.
I found myself lying in the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) with one of the nurses that monitored me. I was bleeding on my left chest and the nurse was worried so she called the physicians to reassess. I was in around 6/10 pain so I received some morphine, fentanyl and percocet. All in all, great care in the PACU for 1.5 hrs, then I was sent to the day surgery unit for another 1.5 hr until I felt ready to go home with my friend.
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Post-Op:
First day was painful so I took a percocet but then the following days were alright. Not much was done for the week post-op except a lot of rest and a lot of eating. The vest is a bit itchy by day 5/6 without a shower (you're supposed to keep the vest on at all times for the first week), but it was alright. A follow up appointment is made within a week or so to check for seromas, increased bleeding or infections.
Post Op Appointment
One of Dr. Fielding's residents came to peel of the padding and assessed for what I mentioned above. As I looked down I had a smile to my face because it was my first time seeing my chest without those big foam blocks covering your chest. Swelling remains for the coming months but it comes down. Even with the swelling, it looked so much better than it did before. I couldn't wait to go home to shower and try on a shirt.
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Now:
I literally just got back from the post-op appointment. I have yet to set up another last follow-up appointment with Dr. Fielding in 3 months. I am to continue with the compression vest for the next 2 weeks, and I'm allowed to return to working out then also. As for now, I am happy with the decision I made, and I am looking forward to a better life.
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If you have any questions, please ask away! I am going to attach some photographs so that you can see my results.
Topic: February 2017 - Gynecomastia Surgery w/ Dr. Craig Fielding (Read 6891 times)
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