MY TRIUMPH OVER GYNECOMASTIA: Surgery with Ostrowska-Clark on 02/11/2011 +pics+

[isambard]

About the shaving, I know, I'm hairy but it's difficult and a pain to shave my chest. I've got a lot of hair and will have to do it like every other day. I hate shaving my face as it is! Will have to settle with a trim,some manscaping.

I weighed myself today, SHOCKING! I've really piled it on these last 2 years because of this chrisis in my life. I'm 177cm (5'10'') and weigh 81kilos! That's about 12stone 10 pounds. Now that things are turning around I really need to get back in shape. I WILL! for reference here is a picture of me almost exactly 2 years ago. I weighed 70 kilos! Look how trim  and nice my torso looked, of course except for the gyne. It was poking out and looked even more incongruous with the rest of my slim body! Now I'll never have the gyne again, feels soo good!


additionally here are pictures of me today, 1 day after draining. the right nipple is nice and flat but the left nipple is still puffy albeit less so. Still, it really annoys me. I want it flat!

[isambard]

So it's been 11 weeks since my operation and I thought I would post an update for the silent few of those reading this thread. Firstly I still feel great about having surgery and think it was the best £1600 I've spend in my life. The swelling around the nipples never came back after I drained it. I have been a bit rubbish at massaging every day and I think because of this I still have quite a bit of hard scar tissue under my nipples. This causes my nipples to protrude a bit. Also both nipples are slightly indented where the incisions were made under the areola. This has been slowly improving over the last few weeks and I'm hoping someone will come on and assure me that it can go completely back to normal with time and massaging.

Now there is something I am concerned/unhappy about and that is a slight plumpness and fleshiness I have on the lower part of my right breast. I noticed this 2-3 weeks after surgery but thought it would go away. It's still there and I don't know what to make of it. You can see this in my pictures and in the linked video I made back in December. It isn't very noticeable when I have an upright posture but as soon as I lean forward you can start to see it, especially in 3/4 profile and from above.
I thought it was poor skin re-adhesion because the compression garment I used (which was given by the clinic) was tighter on the left side and hence the right wasn't as compressed. perhaps this caused an unsuccessful bonding of the skin with the fat and connective tissues beneath the skin? Perhaps because of this there is a void which is either filled with fluid or is now filling in with fat!?

A dr in the "ask the doctor" section of the forum said that as I have worn my compression garment most of the time every day for weeks then it shouldn't be poor adhesion. I wonder if she didn't liposuction enough fat from that area? I haven't really gained any weight since the op either.

The downside to having your surgery at a foreign clinic is that going back for check-ups and re-assurance is difficult and expensive. I am going to send these pictures to Katarzyana and try to chase her for a phone consultation because I'm worried. This plumpness is also appearing now on my left breast albeit to a lesser extent.

YOUR THOUGHTS WELCOME GUYS!!!

VIDEO FROM DECEMBER, cut and paste on to browser:
s1081.photobucket.com/albums/j344/isambard1/?action=view&current=rightchestfleshy.mp4




OK with upright posture but still noticeable on palpation:

more pics 11 weeks post op

[properanon78]

Hi Mate,

Theres more positives here than you realise.

1)  You have made alot of post op improvement since the first week or two, thats really evident from pics.

2)  you still have another 3 - 4 months of waiting for post op scar bulging to go from under the nips.

3)  Its natural for fat to deposit back onto the chest area even after lippo.  Your chest isnt looking too far out relatively to the rest of you, you look normal.

However:

4)  If you are already training at the gym, up the intensity and drop your sugars and white carbs (bread white pasta etc) out your diet. with high protein diet.  Getting some quality muscle on your chest, will completely transform your shape. Train hard.  Go and pump some iron, and do some rowing etc.  Your body and chest will transform in 3 months.  I promise.

I think your chest is making good progress.

GYM GYM GYM my friend!!

[isambard]

Hey Properanon78,
Thanks for the very positive and encouraging reply. it made me feel much better the day I read it. I have rejoined a gym and do intend to really go at it this year to get back to my ideal weight around 72-74 kilos.  I hope the contours of my chest normalise as I get closer to that goal.

I managed to get in touch with Katarzyana and her response was similar to yours. I have swelling, I should hit the gym, it's too soon to tell the final appearance of my chest, I need another 6-9 months, blah blah blah. I suppose there's only so much that can be said from a phone consultation but she said she looked carefully at the video and pictures I sent her. In closing she said she is very happy with the results of the surgery on my chest. I'm still waiting for improvements before giving my final verdict.

Hope you're progressing well. Still waiting on those post op pics!

[f22]

Could you post some more pics please?
You happy with the results now?
Thanks

[f22]

??

[isambard]

??

I haven't got any new pictures yet as it was a month or so since I last posted and therefore things look similar. The fleshiness I was complaining about is still there but doesn't seem as bad. I have joined a gym. the area above my left nipple seems sunken which concerns me. I am worried she 'liposculptured' the area a bit to vigourously! I contacted Katarzyana and she said that the final results will not be apparent until months 6-12 post operative. I am now 4.5 months post op.

Overall I am happier with my chest now than how it was before surgery. I am just trying for the best possible outcome.

When things change significantly (and when I get time) I will take and post some new pictures.

[mart]

Excellent results mate massage is the key here if you have scar tissue, i know it's a real pain and i hated doing it but it worked wonders for me. Just do 30mins or so while watching the tv and it will fly by.

I've put a bit of weight on my chest since being lazy after the surgery but this will go with excercise, you still have time left to heal you are not even half way at 4.5 months so relax, massage and let nature take it's course. I keep saying it but patience is key.

Mart.

[isambard]

Thanks Mart for the reassurance. Will try to be patient and massage etc. The depression above my left chest is now what concerns me. I hope things will even out over the next few months. Today marks 5 months post op.

[pauldrayton]

Sorry to hear you're not happy isambard.

Please do keep us updated with what the surgeon says.  Hopefully it'll all work out how you want it to.

All the best.

[isambard]

Thanks Pauldrayton for your response and support. I have decided to give a serious effort of weight loss and gym training for the next month. Thereafter I shall evaluate my progress before writing to Katarzyana. I will update here with pictures or news from her when I have done this. good luck with your upcoming surgery.

[pauldrayton]

Good luck isambard.

I've been training to get my body fat as low as possible recently and have had a lot of luck with the following regime - the fat has been dropping off.

1. Run in the morning before breakfast (not long, just 10-15mins).
2. Bowl of cereal for breakfast
3. Carbs & protein for lunch (sandwich/jacket potato with tuna etc).
4. Weight training in the evening (30-40mins).
5. Protein shake after workout.
6. No carb evening meal - just meat & veg/salad.

Most importantly, stay away from snacks, crisps, chocolate, junk food and alcohol if possible.

Of course it's not possible to do this all the time but it definitely gets results.  I'd give yourself 3-4 months though.  1 month is when you should start seeing results but it does take time.

[Poland2012]

Agreed. 1 month likely won't be enough.

[isambard]

It is now past the 1 month period of my original 'challenge' so I would like to post an update. As you guys have said 1 month was not sufficient to see a considerable difference. As always work and other obligations prevent me from fully devoting my energy to diet and exercise but I have some good news.

I have lost a few kilos! I have noticed small improvements to my chest but so far only on certain occasions: When I get up in the morning, I am dehydrated and appear slimmer in my torso, this apparent slimness reduces the contrast between fat around my nipple and the depression under my nipple. Also, the days proceeding a heavy gym workout sees my pectoral muscles become swollen. This helps to fill in the void spaces in my chest and pushes everything out.

These minor changes give me hope for the future but it is not an expectable improvement YET.  I feel strongly that I shouldn't have to blow my pectoral muscles up like that to get a normal appearance to the nipple after this surgery. At least this gives me hope that in my youth, as long as I loose the weight and keep the muscle build on my chest, I might just be able to have a normal looking chest! But of course when I get older and less inclined to gym things might not be so ideal.

My gym has a pool and on better days I feel confident enough to take my shirt off. At least for the brief walk from the changing room to the pool. So I think I will be making use of these facilities soon and hopefully the swimming will help me trim down. My ideal weight is around 74 kilos and I still have some way to go to get there. I was 70 kilos in 2009 but I think that weight is unsustainable and I actually start looking like a deflated ballon at that weight.

I will continue the regime and will update again. Most likely on or near December now.

[pauldrayton]

Thanks for the update isambard.  Whether you lose weight or not, there is no reason to hide your chest - I'm sure you're being over-critical and nobody else would notice anything.

But good luck with your weight loss efforts - it's hard work I know but well worth it as you'll feel better about yourself regardless of your nipples.

Please do keep us updated.