Those having surgery, please be careful and hear my story.

[scope]

About three years ago, I had surgery with a well respected doctor on these forums, Dr Fielding. My gynecomastia was a bit different than normal--in the addition of breasts, I had big, puffy nipples. But regardless for now, everything went smooth in the beginning and even during surgery. The price was cheap since OHIP covered a portion. I didn't have to take pain killers since I was not in too much pain. It was a success, or so I thought. After I removed my vest, I noticed two problems. I will repost my issues from an old post:

I had a moderate case of gyne that showed big, puffy nipples. I had surgery about six months ago and when I saw my post op after three days I was really happy. Boobs finally gone. But as weeks went by, I began to have the same feeling I did over six months ago... with gynecomastia. I still can't take off my shirt. I still can't swim. I'm afraid to go to parties or any social gatherings because if there's any way people see my nipples they will freak out.

My nipples are still just like the ones I had during gynecomastia -- they erect when it's cold. Instead of being puffy normally tough, they are flat, concave wrinkled and pitted. The surgeon also made an incision just ON the nipple, not the edge, so I have a huge incision mark that sticks out and it's obvious that I had surgery there. Along with that, I am still not completely flat on my chest. The doctor did a good side below the nipple but the top still has fat. Now, I'm a relatively skinny guy and when people see fat like pecs sticking out of me it just looks very unsymmetrical.

Next week I'm going to get a follow up with the surgeon and see what he can do. From the posts on the forum it doesn't seem that anyone else has fixed the "pitted nipples" problem.

During that follow up the doctor stated that it will fix on his own. I was hoping it would, but it never did. I also searched the forum deeper and realized the crater deformity and sunken nipple effect happened to a few others by the same doctor. A year passed by and then I made this post:

I had surgery with Dr Fielding about two years ago. The surgery went fine, no hemorrhage and did not bother to take any medicine as there was no pain. However, after a few months my nipples were still flat and sunken and the doctor didn't properly cut on the edge of my areola, leaving a semi circle skin coloured ring on the inner edge of the areola.  I still can't take off my shirt. Dr Fielding said that the incision line will disappear and the nipples won't be sunken after a year but nothing has changed.

I don't know what to do now. He is a nice doctor and I am not sure if I would want revision of him as from what I've seen he did not do a procedure to flatten the chest properly and was off on the incision. I paid approximately $1200 for this surgery which was my entire savings. This has made me uncomfortable as I am an athlete who goes to the gym and refused many encounters because of this. I am willing to get a loan just to have this revision with a much more experienced doctor in America. But still, I am not sure. I really do not want to risk anything right now. I will post pictures soon.

Eventually I was able to make enough money to have surgery with Dr Bermant. He has a great detailed site and I was impressed and am happy to say that he fixed my crater deformity as well as improved my scar. Please keep in mind that some "errors" by surgeons cannot be fixed but I was fortunate enough.

If you want to read more about my revision surgery, please see my thread here in the revision forum: http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=21502.0

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me here or PM me. I don't want anyone making the same mistake that I did. There a lot of people having surgery with this doctor and I really don't want to frighten anyone. He has done many successful surgeries with many happy patients but also has caused crater deformities in some. If I can go back in time I would have done more research, worked all summer, saved up money and have surgery elsewhere. The risk is up to you.

Best wishes to all of you.

[lamp]

may i ask what you guys had done? just a gland removal? or gland removal and lipo? because this post really scares me as i have a surgery booked with dr fielding in september.. i need gland removal, no lipo and will be getting it done through local anesthesia. do you guys have any pics to show what it looks like? i dont want to have an unsuccessful surgery.

[scope]

may i ask what you guys had done? just a gland removal? or gland removal and lipo? because this post really scares me as i have a surgery booked with dr fielding in september.. i need gland removal, no lipo and will be getting it done through local anesthesia. do you guys have any pics to show what it looks like? i dont want to have an unsuccessful surgery.

I had excision as well as liposuction, and it was done under general anaesthesia. If you look at my post history you'll find many pictures.

[lamp]

im glad you were able to successfully do a revision with dr bermant, what i see in the pictures pre-op didnt seem so bad to me. when i saw the post-op with dr fielding, it looked like your nipples were deflated so i guess thats how it became crater like. but was it really really bad? did you lose any feeling in the nipple or was the feeling of your crater nipples noticeable?

anyways do you think there would be a same case if i only got glandular removal? this is my picture, and he said i was lean and would not require lipo at all.

http://img829.imageshack.us/i/dsc00346.jpg/

[lamp]

also in your post-op with dr bermant, what did he remove for you in the revision? or did he just fixed the deformity.

[scope]

The pre-op pictures don't seem bad because they were taken in room temperature. It was definitely bad and noticeable when it was above room temperature but as said many times it's very hard to show in pictures. I did lose sensation when it was not cold. With Dr Bermant, I had scar tissue and gland removed, and he countered my chest correctly while replacing the visible scar.

Anyways, I personally think you look great and don't need surgery.

[lamp]

ha i think our opinions go both ways and how we view each other. my puffy nipples have really tortured me through the years but mostly during college when i noticed it more and got into bodybuilding. my case afterall isnt quite severe or even mild its a small case of gland that makes my nipples puffy. because im only getting gland removal im optimistic that it will be highly successful at the same time im trying to prepare for the worst. i think that the lipo increases the chance of the sunken nipple, so im glad i dont need that done. thanks for your help scope and enjoy your new found nipples!

[DrBermant]

The pre-op pictures don't seem bad because they were taken in room temperature. It was definitely bad and noticeable when it was above room temperature but as said many times it's very hard to show in pictures. I did lose sensation when it was not cold. With Dr Bermant, I had scar tissue and gland removed, and he countered my chest correctly while replacing the visible scar.

Anyways, I personally think you look great and don't need surgery.

The subtle nature of the Bursa Crater Deformity can indeed be difficult to document with still pictures. In person, moving, and during examination, the contour deformity is obvious. The issue here is the floating areola nipple skin. Lie down and the lack of support lets the tissue sink in. A cold room and the thin areola muscle tenses and hides the defect. Warm and relaxed this hole again shows.

What really counts is the chest looking good in real life, while playing sports, swimming, and enjoying ourselves without being afraid to have our shirts off. Preventing such deformities is so much better than needing revision surgery.

also in your post-op with dr bermant, what did he remove for you in the revision? or did he just fixed the deformity.

Despite this being a crater defect, there was still scar and residual fibrotic gland behind. On Revise Crater Complication from Canada, go to the gland and scar tissue removed to see pictures during surgery. You can also see before and after pictures and movies of the problem and early results.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Revision Gynecomastia and Chest Surgery

[Grandpa Bambu]

Scope 'feeling' the need for further surgery (to each his own):

Looks okay IMO tho...




And yet...... scope says that Lamp 'looks GREAT and doesn't need surgery'?

Anyways, I personally think you look great and don't need surgery.

Pic of lamp....  http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/4686/dsc00346.jpg  Looks like a case of puffies if you ask me... In need of some improvement...  

So... scope... you are saying that your JCF post-op pics are 'worse off' than lamps pre-op pic...  How do you justify that dude...    

By-the-By.... Do you have any pre-op JCF pics?

GB...

[Grandpa Bambu]

'ANY' SURGERY IS A RISK....

That my friends, is a FACT!!!


No matter who your surgeon is guys... No surgeon is 'PERFECT'.... Although some, may 'think' they are...   I'm sure all surgeons are 'off-their-game' from time to time, just as you and I... After all, we are merely mortals in the grander scheme of things...  Dr. Fielding has had many successful G surgery results. DON'T LET THIS THREAD DISSUADE YOU from considering having surgery by JCF... He is an EXPERIENCED and very TALENTED plastic surgeon IMO!!!

That being said... if you want to spend $6000 plus travel/lodging expenses on the PS south-of-the-border, go for it....  

The choice is yours....  

GB...

[appledude]

Those pics Grandpa posted looked amazing.  I wish my surgery turns out like that.
Although it's hard to tell from images how they'd look in real life, I'm pretty sure no one gives them a second glance.

[Grandpa Bambu]

Those pics Grandpa posted looked amazing.  I wish my surgery turns out like that.
Although it's hard to tell from images how they'd look in real life, I'm pretty sure no one gives them a second glance.

You are right there dude...

However, scope has had further surgery... so it's a moot point now my man...

Good point none-the-less...  

GB...

[scope]

Scope 'feeling' the need for further surgery (to each his own):

Looks okay IMO tho...




And yet...... scope says that Lamp 'looks GREAT and doesn't need surgery'?

Anyways, I personally think you look great and don't need surgery.

Pic of lamp....  http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/4686/dsc00346.jpg  Looks like a case of puffies if you ask me... In need of some improvement... 

So... scope... you are saying that your JCF post-op pics are 'worse off' than lamps pre-op pic...   How do you justify that dude...    

By-the-By.... Do you have any pre-op JCF pics?

GB...

I said it in my other topic but I'll say it again: pictures don't show everything. Here's a pre-op picture that may make you rethink:



Lamp has a minor case and from my experience of going through the troubles of visible scars and craters from surgery and revision, I would never lay a knife on that unless I am 100% sure the result will be good. I would rather have his case than the post op after surgery JCF had done. Having deformed nipples with a crater is worse than looking like a normal person who would be perceived most as "overweight".

Those pics Grandpa posted looked amazing.  I wish my surgery turns out like that.
Although it's hard to tell from images how they'd look in real life, I'm pretty sure no one gives them a second glance.

You don't understand how horrible this complication was. It may look good in picture, but trust me, lying down or in warm temperatures makes it look deformed. And at some angles it actually pushes the entire areola inside and I really don't want to talk about that. All you guys need to know that revision fixed the problem and is all good now, and for those having surgery please be careful. This is something that can affect the rest of your life so do your research and make the right decision.

[gyneco_1001]

to each their own... but to me... even that pic doesn't look bad... obviously gynecomastia is a multi-dimensional problem... but one of those dimensions is the work of mother nature post-op... which is in large part unpredictable, the surgeon may have assumed that the area behind ur nipples would fill themselves out more and more over some time.... whatever the case may be.. at least you're finally happy looking at yourself in the mirror now... that's really what counts in the end... in the grand scheme of things though, IMHO.. your case still doesn't discredit Fielding as being a top notch gyno surgeon.

[Grandpa Bambu]

to each their own... but to me... even that pic doesn't look bad...

x2... 

IMHO.. your case still doesn't discredit Fielding as being a top notch gyno surgeon.

x2... 

GB...