Compression vest question

[Pioneer66]

I have thought about getting gynecomastia surgery for years, but have been apprehensive for different reasons. So I thought I would get a compression shirt to just mash them down, after getting many sizes that didn’t fit I got a 4xl that fit but it was extremely uncomfortable. I have neuropathy in my feet & legs from a failed spine surgery & the shirt irritated it severely. I was in pain from the waist down for weeks.
 My question is do you always have to wear a compression garment after gynecomastia surgery?  

[Justagirl💃]

No one has answered your question, and I'm not sure I have the correct answer either. 

 Have you thought about a sports bra instead?

There are hundreds if not thousands of styles to chose from, and you might get the smoothing effect with support you are looking for. 
Going into Soma or Torrid, the girls will get your fitted with just the right one without experimenting. The SA's in those stores are always very professional as well. 

On a side note, acceptance is always an option instead of surgery. 😉

Justagirl 💖

[p.r.1974]

Following surgical correction, having a stating point may be rather helpful. As experienced fitters are accustomed to providing more assistance that shooting in the dark on the net. I suppose it would depend on the extent of the surgical alterations for what is needed. Perhaps looking into post surgical bras may be a search route. Many of these places seem to provide compression garments as well. 

[FredL]

I did the same thing. In the year leading up to surgery I was really fed up with my breasts and wanted to try a compression shirt. It was terrible! So hard to get in and out of, and when it's on you can't feel normal no matter what. But it sure looked great. It was shocking to see myself in the mirror without the chest.

I wore a compression vest for 6 weeks after the surgery. It's not the same thing as the compression shirts I was trying to squeeze in and out of. The vest has Velcro and hooks and it wasn't nearly as constricting as the 3 compression shirts I bought. Those things are unwearable. The idea of wearing that thing for 6 weeks seems daunting, for sure. But it really wasn't that bad. It's a journey that leads somewhere so you just soldier through it. When I took it off for showers I felt naked and couldn't wait to put it back on. And when 5 weeks passed I was starting to leave it off for longer amounts of time.

My advice:
If you have the intention of getting surgery during this lifetime, then just get it over with. Don't put it off. Your life will turn into before and after the surgery, so you may as well get the future started asap. Don't be like me and wait until you're 57. My surgery was great but skin doesn't contract so well at this age. Wish I had done it in my 30's.

[Pioneer66]

Thanks for your reply. I have had gynecomastia since I was about 10 years old, I will be 60 in July. I had never heard the term gynecomastia until about 15 years ago. 
  It’s unfortunately not the only thing I’ve had to deal with over the years, I ruptured a disc in my lower spine when I was 27, I had surgery, then a few years later, I started having severe pain in my lower back & legs, I had another surgery to correct that, it failed, which has left me with neuropathy in my feet and legs that is getting worse all the time, then in 2009, I started having numbness in my fingers, I found out I had 2 ruptured disc in my neck, (I couldn’t make this stuff up), I found out I had spinal stenosis. Had surgery to fix that, so far it has been successful. 
 I have read where guys have had the gynecomastia surgery and developed neuropathy in the chest area that never went away, I have it in my feet & legs, so I certainly don’t want it anywhere else, that’s been my biggest fear of having the surgery, plus I know insurance doesn’t touch it, so I’m sure it is thousands of dollars. But on the good side, I have big curvy hips like a woman, so when the county fair comes to town each year, I pick up extra work as a sideshow attraction (no I’m just kidding). I live in Texas, so I have no idea who what surgeon to trust. In the meantime I wear sport coat when I go out (when weather permits) and try to be the best dressed man in the room, which in the small Texas town is not hard.
  I may or may not get the surgery, sorry I’m rambling, but Thanks again for your advice, it was very helpful.
 Rodney 
 

[Justagirl💃]

Thanks for your reply. I have had gynecomastia since I was about 10 years old, I will be 60 in July. I had never heard the term gynecomastia until about 15 years ago.
  It’s unfortunately not the only thing I’ve had to deal with over the years, I ruptured a disc in my lower spine when I was 27, I had surgery, then a few years later, I started having severe pain in my lower back & legs, I had another surgery to correct that, it failed, which has left me with neuropathy in my feet and legs that is getting worse all the time, then in 2009, I started having numbness in my fingers, I found out I had 2 ruptured disc in my neck, (I couldn’t make this stuff up), I found out I had spinal stenosis. Had surgery to fix that, so far it has been successful.
 I have read where guys have had the gynecomastia surgery and developed neuropathy in the chest area that never went away, I have it in my feet & legs, so I certainly don’t want it anywhere else, that’s been my biggest fear of having the surgery, plus I know insurance doesn’t touch it, so I’m sure it is thousands of dollars. But on the good side, I have big curvy hips like a woman, so when the county fair comes to town each year, I pick up extra work as a sideshow attraction (no I’m just kidding). I live in Texas, so I have no idea who what surgeon to trust. In the meantime I wear sport coat when I go out (when weather permits) and try to be the best dressed man in the room, which in the small Texas town is not hard.
  I may or may not get the surgery, sorry I’m rambling, but Thanks again for your advice, it was very helpful.
 Rodney
 

I'm a fellow Texan!

I had a lumpectomy on my left breast in 1989 that basically deflated half my breast. They left a big "gaping hole". I was lucky enough that I didn't get neuropathy from that surgery, and amazing enough the breast tissue grew back over several years.

Yes, breast tissue can grow back! 

Sometimes accepting our bodies for what we are dealt is our only option. It's a tough pill to swallow sometimes, but it is what it is. 
I really speak from experience in this one because I haven't walked since 2012. 
I understand that the compression shirt wasn't a good choice for you, It wasn't for me either because of other issues. But there are sports bras and many options available. A trip to Torrid might be in order. The SA at Torrid said 30% of their clients are men, so you won't be alone. 

[gotgyne]

Hi Rodney,
you've joined the forum for a question regarding gynecomastia surgery. Well, I read that you are not very fond of it because of neuropathy issues. Trust your guts! At your age and with your experience even as a sideshow attraction (not to mention the costs of surgery of several thousand dollars) you may try wearing a bra.

[brock123]

@Pioneer66, I've been absent from here for quite a while, but to me you are in a similar position as I have been for many years at this point.

The decisions you make need to be based upon a clear understanding of what you want for you. This might not be easy and might even require professional help to work through. My attempt at a value-add here for you is:

• How do you actually feel about your chest? Is it something you'd like to just chop off and be done with it, or is it more "this is just how I am"?
• If society considered men with enlarged breasts as normal, would this still be a problem?
• Are there female persons in your life that have noted your chest as being an issue for them, if you are "straight" of course (no offense intended otherwise)?
• How do you feel about the surgery / post-op path (yeah, you'll be wearing a compression bra for a long time) compared to just "dealing with it?
• Have you considered that you may need to opt into and deal with female medical tests (Mammograms), and there will be all kinds of shade thrown your way (I experienced this)?
  
  To me, you need to be you, you will never truly be happy until you come to that conclusion. Do what feels right to you, don't repeat my generation's mistakes. If you have breasts and can benefit from wearing a bra, go for it!

[FredL]

I want to add one more thing about the compression vest.

The Dr supplied the vest, and after the surgery he told me that it's important to keep my back straight. No hunching over. I didn't realize how bad I was with that. I always had a sore upper back after sitting. And when standing, I did the thing where you sink your chest in and push the shoulders forward trying to minimize the chest.

The vest was most comfortable when my back was straight. I couldn't hunch if I tried. And I'd walk around with my chest out and shoulders back. After the vest came off I stayed that way and it made a big difference. I look taller, my shoulders look bigger and I rarely have a sore back. If your posture isn't great, the compression vest might fix it.

[benusa]

Hi Fred,
Do you remember what type of compression vest it was or maybe what brand? I’ve tried some in the past.
-Ben

[Gino]

Justagirl's suggestion regarding a sports bra is spot on.