Author Topic: Surgery with Karidis: Completed (Updated 4th August 2019)  (Read 15069 times)

Offline yamahatrophy

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Update 0 - Introduction and consultation booked 23rd November 2018
Hi everyone :) This is a diary of my gynecomastia journey to help anyone suffering with the same issue. My intention is for this to be as detailed as possible with photos, grisly details, full cost breakdown etc. as reading the diaries of others has been comforting and helped confirm this is something I need to do to improve my life and I want to pay it forward to the community. So thank you all!

I first noticed I had a problem around the age of 19, looking in the mirror I noticed my nipples were pointy, protruding and larger than they should be. I figured it was just body fat, but after reducing it and the problem persisting I decided to see an NHS doctor. As you can imagine, it was incredibly productive (heavy sarcasm) and the appointment went something like this:

Doctor: You have gynecomastia. It is not an issue, you've developed breast tissue likely due to a hormonal imbalance.
(Me internally: I've grown actual t!ts...how is that not an issue!?)
Me: How can I resolve it?
Doctor: You can't. It won't cause any medical issues so it's nothing to worry about.
Me: Right...thanks

/end appointment

At least at this point I knew the name of the condition. Unfortunately I developed gynecomastia during puberty and it never went away - I'm now 24. I've had various people comment on my nipples over the years which has definitely made me more self conscious of them. I've decided it's now time to get this resolved once and for all, and get myself a nice, masculine chest.

I chose Alex Karidis due to the great feedback here and his experience in the field (he apparently performs an average of 120 procedures per year). Today I booked my appointment with him in one weeks time (30th November). The cost of the consultation is £200, but is redeemable against the cost of the surgery. They accept American Express, which is a plus. They emailed me a great document with FAQs which I've attached here. Also attached are pictures of my chest so you can see how things look pre-op,

That's all for this entry, I'll update again after the consultation in one week! Comments are much appreciated, so if you have any questions or found something useful, don't be shy.

Update 1 - Consultation 30th November 2018
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg214301#msg214301

Update 2 - Surgery Booked 4th February 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg214766#msg214766

Update 3 - Pre-Op Tests Complete 18th February 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg214825#msg214825

Update 4 - Pre-Op Tests Passed And Fees Paid 8th March 2019

https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg215005#msg215005

Update 5 - Preparation For Surgery 13th March 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg215048#msg215048

Update 6 - Surgery Completed 14th March 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg215053#msg215053

Update 7 - Day 1 Post Op 15th March 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg215062#msg215062

Update 8 - Day 4 Post Op 18th March 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg215088#msg215088

Update 9 - One Week Post Op 21st March 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg215120#msg215120

Update 10 - Two Weeks Post-Op 28th March 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg215159#msg215159

Update 11 - Four (and a half) Weeks Post-Op 15th April 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg216307#msg216307

Update 12 - 10 Weeks Post-Op 26th May 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg216590#msg216590

Update 13 - 5 Months Post-Op 4th August 2019
https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=34065.msg217026#msg217026
« Last Edit: August 04, 2019, 03:55:59 PM by yamahatrophy »

Offline hillary2005

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Good man for making the appointment!

You won’t look back!

Offline yamahatrophy

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Good man for making the appointment!

You won’t look back!

Thanks hilary2005! I read your diary a few days ago, great to hear you had such positive results. I hope mine goes as well as yours :) 

Offline yamahatrophy

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Update 1 - Consultation (30th November 2018)
Today I went to the Karidis clinic for the consultation. For those travelling to the clinic via the Undergound, it's a short 200m walk down a straight road to get there from St. John's Wood - easy :) The consultation was composed of two parts: the first with Alex Karidis, the second with their patient co-ordinator.

The consultation with Alex lasted 20 minutes. It began with me briefly going over my history with gynecomastia, when I first noticed it etc. followed by a physical examination. He asked me to tense the chest which makes the excess fat and gland very noticeable and gave things a squeeze. He then explained the procedure, expectations for recovery, possible complications etc. The whole thing felt quite scripted in a way, but I see that as a good thing - Alex has done so many of these consultations and surgeries (averaging around 120 per year) that they're second nature to him. I asked him a few questions and then we finished. Here are main points of interest:
  • If revision surgery is required (unlikely), Alex does not charge any fees. Only hospital fees need to be paid.
  • His new stitching method has reduced risk of haematoma from 7% to below 1%. This method has recently received an award and is expected to become the gold standard adopted by other surgeons soon
  • Unfortunately no pre-surgery anxiety medication can be given as it may interfere with anaesthetic
I then had the consultation with Stephen, the patient co-ordinator. Stephen is a lovely guy and made me feel at ease, great customer service :) He ran me through all the other logistics such as pricing, timeframes etc. and this also lasted about 20 minutes. Here are the main points of interest:
  • Karidis fee is £4,461, hospital fee £1,483 bringing the total to £5,944. Note: The fee they provide for Karidis already has the £200 consultation fee redeemed against it.
  • A deposit of £1,500 is required to secure dates for surgery
  • The full balance for Karidis must be paid at least 15 days prior to surgery and the hospital fee paid at least 7 days before surgery
  • A blood test is required before surgery and is valid for 1 year. This will test clotting screen, full blood count, urea and electrolytes. This can be done at the same clinic for £169
  • An MRSA test is also required before surgery with swabs from the nose, groin and armpit. This can also be done at the same clinic for £97 and is valid for 6 months
  • Karidis will have a second consultation free of charge if required before surgery
  • Wait time before surgery is typically around 6 weeks
I was then given a print out of all the necessary info, Stephen's business card with contact information, a small card with a photo of the compression vest worn post surgery, and another card explaining the Karidis app (photo attached). I downloaded the app earlier and it's fantastic - it walks you through exactly what needs to be done pre and post surgery, i.e. it sends you a reminder not to eat 8 hours before surgery so I'd highly recommend downloading it after the consultation.

On the back of all this, I've decided to go for the surgery and I believe Alex will do a great job. I'm going to be booking in for April due to work constraints. Unfortunately April is too far ahead to book in yet so I'll be proceeding things further around January / February time. Once booked in, I'll look to get the blood and MRSA tests done so I'll provide an update when that happens. In the meantime, if anyone has any questions or comments then shoot away, otherwise - see you in 2019!

Offline Cristalis

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Good, keep us posted please!

Offline yamahatrophy

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Good to see you Cristalis :) Happy new year to everyone. Just a small update. I'm currently in talks with the patient coordinator to secure a date for surgery (looking at mid April). I should have something confirmed by Friday next week so I'll post another update then.

Offline yamahatrophy

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Update 2 - Surgery Booked (4th February 2019)
I've just paid the deposit (£1,500) to secure a date for surgery. I was originally going to get the surgery done mid-April but decided to do it sooner so I'm booked in for March 14th at 7am. Not going to lie, it's quite easy to talk about it and make decisions at the consultation stage but when you go to pay the deposit it really hits you that this is real and is going to happen. I've never been under general anaesthetic before and am not looking forward to the recovery. I'm sure these worries will go away and are a result of the reality of this hitting me. My biggest worry is that I won't get the cosmetic result I'm after, which would suck after spending £6k and going through surgery. But Alex is a skilled surgeon so I feel like I'm in good hands.

I'll be going in for the blood and MRSA tests on February the 18th. Stephen, the patient co-ordinator will meet me and take me to the right place. I'll provide another update once this has happened. As always, if you guys have any questions shoot below otherwise you'll hear from me again in 2 weeks!

Offline Cristalis

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Scared about the outcome im too, one of the reason why i postponed the surgery so much. Seen so many cases that i dont like, adhesions and wavy looking areas, big scar tissue that resembles glandular tissue and so on. 

Im 41 now and i need to do the surgery, i need to take this chance, i want to enjoy time at the beach without being self conscious and pinching on my niples so that they shrunk, or staying in cold water all day, suck to worry so much and not to feel uncomfortable in your own skin. God damn, i was not fortunate this life, i have so many rare conditions, not life threatening but untreatable ones that make your life shit.

I wish you best of luck and keep us posted, march is nigh.

Offline yamahatrophy

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Scared about the outcome im too, one of the reason why i postponed the surgery so much. Seen so many cases that i dont like, adhesions and wavy looking areas, big scar tissue that resembles glandular tissue and so on.

Im 41 now and i need to do the surgery, i need to take this chance, i want to enjoy time at the beach without being self conscious and pinching on my niples so that they shrunk, or staying in cold water all day, suck to worry so much and not to feel uncomfortable in your own skin. God damn, i was not fortunate this life, i have so many rare conditions, not life threatening but untreatable ones that make your life shit.

I wish you best of luck and keep us posted, march is nigh.

Yes, unfortunately no matter how skilled the surgeon there can be no guarantees for cosmetic result. If it was guaranteed, I'd have no hesitation at all getting the procedure done. But a different way to look at it - not doing the surgery means a 0% chance of having the chest you want, at least surgery gives a good chance. That is what is keeping me going. All you can do is choose an experienced surgeon to maximise those chances.

12 days until the pre-op tests!

Offline yamahatrophy

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Update 3 - Pre-Op Tests Complete 18th February 2019

I had the pre-op tests this morning at the Hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth from where Karidis operates. I met Stephen who kindly took me to the right location in the hospital and handed over the necessary form. From there I had blood drawn to test full blood count, urea & electrolytes and coagulation profile. The nurse also swabbed each of my nostrils, both armpits and both sides of my groin. The results should be available in a day or two and are sent directly to Karidis. Total cost: £265. I've attached a photo of the breakdown on the invoice. Only 24 days till surgery now! Feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

Offline yamahatrophy

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Just a quick update. All pre-op tests passed and have just paid the final fee to Karidis. 22 days to go!

Offline dk1000

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Hi Yamahatrophy, thank you for detailing your journey so far! This has been extremely useful as I'm booked in for a consultation with Dr. Karidis next month and am very excited to finally be sorting out my gyno

Would I be right in thinking that the total cost of the consultation, bloods and surgery is around £6409 (£ 200 + 265 + 4461 + 1483)? Are there also additional costs for post-op medications and compression vests?


Wishing you the best, not long to go now!

Offline yamahatrophy

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Hi Yamahatrophy, thank you for detailing your journey so far! This has been extremely useful as I'm booked in for a consultation with <a class="underlinelink" href="https://www.gynecomastia.org/doctors/alexkaridis/profile">Dr. Karidis[/url] next month and am very excited to finally be sorting out my gyno

Would I be right in thinking that the total cost of the consultation, bloods and surgery is around £6409 (£ 200 + 265 + 4461 + 1483)? Are there also additional costs for post-op medications and compression vests?


Wishing you the best, not long to go now!

No problem, glad I've been able to help. This forum provided me with so much information and support it's only right to pay it forward. Yeah, that £6409 figure is accurate. Extremely expensive all things considered, however that's the price for a top surgeon - it's more or less the same cost in the US if you want the best. Cosmetic surgery is definitely not something to cheap out on, I'd rather get it right the first time than get some horrific result and have to go through revision surgery which may end up costing more. And the way I see it, £6.5k is a small price to pay to never have to worry about gyno ever again. I'm not too sure about additional costs for post-op stuff but I'll let you know when I get there. Only 16 more days to go!

Offline dk1000

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Thanks for confirming & I agree, there are cheaper surgeons out there but I believe Karidis is the best and his experience and success rate justifies his fee.

Keep us posted :)

Offline dk1000

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Had my consultation on Wednesday, both Dr. Karidis and Stephen were great and answered all my questions. It was also interesting to find out that Dr. Karidis trained with Paul Levick, who was the other big name in gyno surgery before he retired.

My quoted fees were the exact same as yours and the fees do include the compression vests and antibiotics. I'm happy to say that I'll be paying the deposit when I get home tonight and am very excited about it ;D


...How have you been feeling with just a few days to go? Have you had to prepare in any way e.g. make changes to your diet/exercise?


 

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