Author Topic: couple questions  (Read 3389 times)

Offline chestgottago

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hello all, ive just recently found this site. ive been a member at the bodybuilding forums for years but its honestly never dawned on me til just recently that i have slight gyno. its not from steroids just from puberty. ive had an overly large chest for a couple years now but as i start losing weight its becoming more noticeable and honestly starting to bother me constantly. i finally got the urge to make a call to my doctor and i have an appointment for in a week or so. i just want to know basically what i should ask about and such things like that. im kinda nervous. also i live in california and have blue cross insurance, if my doc is positive about surgery is there any way my insurance will cover it? what if i say it hurts or something? i really wanna get this taken care of somehow it bugs me like no freaking other. i can post pics if needed also im 19 and hoping to join the military :/

dr bermant? anybody? any help?

DrBermant

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hello all, ive just recently found this site. ive been a member at the bodybuilding forums for years but its honestly never dawned on me til just recently that i have slight gyno. its not from steroids just from puberty. ive had an overly large chest for a couple years now but as i start losing weight its becoming more noticeable and honestly starting to bother me constantly. i finally got the urge to make a call to my doctor and i have an appointment for in a week or so. i just want to know basically what i should ask about and such things like that. im kinda nervous. also i live in california and have blue cross insurance, if my doc is positive about surgery is there any way my insurance will cover it? what if i say it hurts or something? i really wanna get this taken care of somehow it bugs me like no freaking other. i can post pics if needed also im 19 and hoping to join the military :/

dr bermant? anybody? any help?

We see many Gynecomastia Patients form California and around the world who prefer my techniques and are glad to help you explore your concerns during a consultation or a Preliminary Remote Discussion.

Gynecomastia does not prevent military service. I have seen many patients come to me while in the military, before service, or after serving their country with gynecomastia. Many have told me that their bare exposed chest in the military did cause embarrassment. Now this is not just our fine military forces, many of these patients have come from abroad serving in other countries services!

Weight Loss can help with the fat of gynecomastia but gland and skin can remain contour problems. Actually fat loss can unmask the gland component. Yes, there can be a great deal of Emotion and Stress Living with Gynecomastia.

Pain and tenderness are Symptoms of Gynecomastia that are common for gland under hormonal stimulation and should be evaluated and stabilized before surgery. Giving your doctor false information can blind side his / her judgment and should result in possibly necessary evaluations and costs and delays in treatment. Surgery does not stop such tenderness and so I have no idea why some surgeons use that as an reason for insurance coverage. Most insurance companies do not cover cosmetic operations. Jane is my office manager and can better discuss insurance issues.  She can normally be reached at our office by phone Monday - Friday 9-5 Eastern Time at (804) 748-7737.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

Offline chestgottago

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well even if my insurance doesnt cover it, is there a way to just be billed? i gotta find some way to get help

DrBermant

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well even if my insurance doesnt cover it, is there a way to just be billed? i gotta find some way to get help

Some patients choose to obtain a loan for their surgery. Jane, my office manager, can also discuss payment options. She can normally be reached at our office by phone Monday - Friday 9-5 Eastern Time at (804) 748-7737.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia Surgery

Offline Litlriki

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Many of my patients come to me through bodybuilding circles, some who developed gyncomastia during puberty, many who have developed the condition from steroid or pro-hormone use.  It's important to be aware of the factors that cause the condition before you have the surgery, since if you are using a product that might impact your condition, and you continue to use it after the surgery, it may come back. Many bodybuilding supplements are completely safe and don't have an effect on the tissue in the chest.  Some products, however, may contain hormonally active ingredients, even though the product is not marketed as such, either due to contaminants from the production process or inclusion of a "proprietary blend" of ingredients--which could mean just about anything.  Similarly, black market steroids are not always the "low risk" product that you think you bought, but rather some other steroid with unexpected side effects. 

If you have used any sort of hormonal supplementation, it's likely that liposuction alone will not correct your gynecomastia adequately, so be skeptical of any surgeon who suggests that that will certainly be enough.  Even if steroids or pro-hormones weren't involved, you still want your surgeon to plan a comprehensive procedure which will address all elements of the gynecomastia, not just the fat. 

Regarding insurance coverage, at least in Massachusetts, Blue Cross has very specific criteria for male breast reduction, including many of the same criteria that qualify women for breast reduction.  This includes a volume requirement that the majority of my patients would never meet--In other words, the volume of tissue that must be removed to satisfy the criteria is such a large amount that most patients wouldn't meet it.  Also, a significant problem with using insurance is that you need to get prior authorization, and some insurance plans won't give the authorization on some procedures such as gynecomastia.  They will only decide afterwards if the procedure will be covered or not.  In fact, even if insurance does give prior authorization, they may still deny payment, and you are stuck with the bill that you didn't expect to get!  You may be better off planning to pay for the procedure, and then afterwards submitting to see if you can get anything back.  Surprisingly, I recently had a patient who was denied authorization pre-operatively, but did get partial coverage when he submitted the paperwork afterwards. 

Because the surgery is cosmetic in nature, you'll likely be required to pay up front.  Some offices can provide financing in the office, or through cosmetic surgery finance companies.  We work with Care Credit in our office, and there are other similar options available for short-term cosmetic surgery loans. 

Many other questions that you might have are answered in the FAQ on my site:

http://www.ricksilverman.com/gyno-faq.html

There is also information about working out after surgery, which I provide to my patients, but you should be sure to speak wtih your surgeon about specifics, since he or she may approach this topic differently.

http://www.ricksilverman.com/getting-back-to-training.html

Good luck. 

Rick Silverman
Dr. Silverman, M.D.
Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
29 Crafts Street
Suite 370
Newton, MA 02458
617-965-9500
800-785-7860
www.ricksilverman.com
www.gynecomastia-boston.com
rick@ricksilverman.com

Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery


 

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