Help Me Justify the $9,000 Worth of Surgery...

[c3ntralp3rk]

hey man. please, relax.. i honestly doubt that you have klinefelter.. but you could always go and check with an endo to be sure, i mean 9 g's is quite a sum of money to pay if there are underlying issues causing your gyne..

regardless.. i've seen a bunch of people, guys who have kids, with bodies like yours.. and point to be noted, nearly 100% of males suffering from klinefelter synderome will be sterile.. so those guys who were walking around with a body like yours, yet having kids.. that pretty much rules out the possibility of klinefelter in them.. hence, giving you the benefit of the doubt.

try to relax. i know how such responses can freak you out, but only ONE person on this post thinks that you got kline.. so just chill.. see an endo, and take things calmly..

[wbrooks]

Thanks all!  I'm going to see my general practioner on Monday.  I'll ask him more questions and if he feels necessary, have him refer me to an endocrinologist.  

I just hate to have the surgery and then have it all come back again later or whatever!

I also don't think I have Klines.  But was concerned that I look like a female.  Well, I know the gyne doesn't look good but otherwise figured I was just a regular male (well...) with a spare tire.  

[milk_caps]

Okay, some I'm feeling pretty justified.  I know I'm not the most attractive...but a "chic" body.  Oh dear God!  I didn't think I was that bad.  Maybe I've just been deluding myself all these years.  

Anyone out there have/had a similar body like mine?  Will surgery help?  I'm pretty thin...well for the most part.  I'm 180, 6'.  I was down to 165 last summer but looked like a rail.  It was all in attempt to get rid of the gyne but it didn't go away.  My "love handles"
diminished some but still there.   :-/

i am 5-11/6-0 ish 160

but i have muscle tone, and even though i weigh 20lbs less, i think i would look bigger next too you because of my muscle definition ?

i was a skinny dude, but i've really been trying to gain mass in my arms, shoulders, back..

in doing so, my chest (especially upper) has really taken on some nice shape.. (so when i get my surgery, i should be good to go)

my abs are getting well defined and my arms are getting bigger.. all that seems to make my chest blend in..

i just think you need to hit the gym "HARD" work the upperbody..

and if you don't want to put the work in at the gym- get the lypo

there is no way i would pay an extra 3 grand for the lypo.. i would just work it off at the gym

if i could do the same with the gyne at the gym ? :-/ i would..

[c3ntralp3rk]

good for you wbrooks. always better to be safe than sorry eh?

oh yes, you can confirm that you don't have klines, because regardless of the varying symptoms of klinefelter syndrome, one common symptom that affects all the variants of this disorder is small, tight testicles.. so basically if your testes are fine (4.5-5.1 cm in longitudunal width being average) then the possibility of klines is pretty much eliminated.. remember, that being over weight often increases the production of estrogen, hence giving you a chic-like body.. remember that only one person on this forum said that you have a 'chic's body' - personally, and you can confirm this, if you look up male fat storage.. males typically store fat around their abdomen & hips (love handles). which is primarily your case.. i mean, your waist is slightly narrow with respect to your hips, but hey, we're all different man.. so don't worry about it. lipo would take some pretty good care of your love handles, but i've burnt love handles before.. it just takes time.. but you can do it, not too difficult with a properly maintained diet & cardio workouts..

[chicagobuffed]

This is to Wbrooks. It's quite possible your female to male hormone ratio could be off. But that doesn't mean it's a sign of a serious condition. If you're past 40 your testosterone levels naturally decline, and this in turn will allow the estrogen or other female hormones to dominate.  I'd recommend getting a panel done of all male female hormones. If it's out of wack then you can go from there to find out the source. And possibly take anti estrogens to put your profile back in check to reflect that of a man with a sronger testosterone profile.
And to the guy who went off the deep end suggesting you had a serious disease and a female body:
I think you owe wbrooks an apology and you are insensitive and downright rude. And I don't think you know what you're talking about.

[c3ntralp3rk]

yeah, i second that..!

[wbrooks]

I feel sooo much better.  Thanks!

I hit the gym hard last year.  What I thought was hard 6x a week (3 cardio/3 weight training).  I was down to 165lbs and 12-14% body fat.  But I still had the gyne and still had the love handles.  I think it's just extra skin, flabbiness.  I'm so embarrassed by it.   Now up to about 180lbs.  I can comfortably maintain about 175lbs.  

Should I lose weight before surgery?  Try to get down to 170-175?

Well, thanks so much for the support.  I really appreciate it.  I'll let you know what my primary care physician recommends about hormone levels etc.

[chicagobuffed]

I would imagine your best bet is to lose as much fat as you can so by the time you're ready for lipo suction there isn't as much to remove for him and the over effect will be more dramatic, more effective.

[DrBermant]

Klinefelter's?  Never thought of it.  Don't you have small gentials with that?  I don't think I have that.  But never thought of getting tested.  I mean I'm pretty good size in that department.

Now I'm concerned....

You can find pictures of what REAL patients with Klinefelter's Syndrome look like here.  Check out out this post here:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/cgi-bin/gyne_yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1124051303

Concerns about your gynecomastia are best explored with a doctor who can examine the problem.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

[gynosucks1]

ok i know i must sound like a total not a nice person

but, i've never seen a male with that kind of fat distribution.. like the guy in those pics.

again, go see an endocroncologist before the surgery.  

[Grandpa Bambu]

Anyone out there have/had a similar body like mine?

Yep! I do....  I get similar 'love handles' and the same   hard-to-get-rid-of   pudge at the navel. In the early 90's I got down to 148 pounds ( at 6 feet ) while trying to bannish the Gyne and the navel fat was the last to go. It's very difficult to get rid of  :-/.

I may have Klinefelter Syndrome as I have many of the suggested characteristics. Small testicles, Gyne ( did have ), female pattern fat tissue formation ( hips, butt, thighs ). I also have very wide hips and a narrow waist, very small wrists and smallish hands.

As for your original question.... Personally, I think you are paying way too much for your two surgeries. Sounds like Plastic Surgeons in the US are gouging their patients. And... the US government will, in the near future ( or may have already ), slap a heavy tax on Cosmetic Surgery as the demand has grown considerably in the past several years.

I paid $1200 Canadain for the Lipo portion of my Gyne removal proceedure. My operation was partially subsidised by OHIP ( Ontario Health Insurance Plan ). OHIP pays for everything except Lipo. I have read that the full cost of Gyne removal ( Gland + Lipo ) by my PS is $3300 ( CND ) or $2800 ( USD ). That's a difference of $3200 ( USD ) on the $6000 that you are paying. But then again, we are talking two different countries here....

On the other hand, my hard earned money is taxed to death and some of those tax dollars goes towards funding OHIP.

Anyways..... don't worry too much about how much you are paying. The main thing here is that your Gyne and navel pudge will soon be eradicated from your body!  

If you are happy with the operation results, which you probably will be, then it will be worth every last penny that you spent.

Best of luck Dude!

John.

[wbrooks]

Thank you Dr. Bermant.  This is very helpful.  

I had an appointment with my primary care physician (Dr. Bruce W. Smith of Hamilton, MA) this morning and he ran some blood work to test for gyne.  He does not think I have Klinefelter's.   But God, some of the pictures you show on your web site look pretty normal.  I mean some are chubby (and some fat) but this Klinefelter's thing seems pretty vague.

[c3ntralp3rk]

see wbrooks! you didn't have klines.. klines is more than simply fat distribution in males..

i'm no doctor.. heh. i'm still in 2nd year engineering, but logically speaking.. there are approximately 3 billion males on this planet.. statistically speaking, theres gotta be several males with a "pear" shaped body (just like you) without klines!

klinefelter syndrome is a mixture of a lot of symptoms.. i mean, i know a lot of guys with long arms & legs.. but that doesn't necesarily mean that they have klines..

i mean, whenever i tend to pack on excess fat, it gets stored around my lower abs (a bit on the upper), and mainly around the 'love handle' area.  just like you!! but i really don't think i have klines, i mean, i pack on muscle mass very easily..  and retain it after not working out for long periods of time too. have more bodyhair than other family members.. perfectly normal looking testes. i study engineering at one of the most prestiguous schools in canada, so no learning disabilities there..

if however you want to confirm 100% that you do not have klinefelter's syndrome, you could always get a genetic karyotyping done - which would see if you have the chromosomal abnormality.. which i highly doubt that you do..

anyways, do keep us posted. and go ahead and get that surgery done. you've been through a lot of stress recently due to the whole hype about you having a "chic" body.. but man, trust me.. statistically speaking, there are a LOT of other guys out there with bodyshapes just like you, and perfectly normal hormones.

[wbrooks]

I've been so concerned about my gyne, I never took time to worry about my pear-shaped body.  Just another thing I guess.  My doctor thinks $9,000 is insane!  He's refering me to another guy Dr. Moore of Peabody.  I'll check him out as well.  

[jack9]

Please let me know how you make out with him.  I've got alot of tuition bills going on right now and would'nt mind spending less.  I'm also considering Silverman but would consider someone else if they are good.