Surgery booked, now getting cold feet... (with pictures!)

[ap123]

Hey man, I also had a minor case and had my surgery done in Canada. There was no lipo so it was covered for me through OHIP (you only need to pay for lipo). So seeing as all I needed was an excision it is pretty obvious my case was minor. Seemed to me a lot smaller than any other picture I have seen, but like you as well, I felt the same emotions. Being a slim male with puffy nipples looks so noticable and off to me so I hated it. only 19 now and had gyne for about 4 years. Had my surgery in February and am about 6 months post op now. I am not yet pleased with my results yet, but I am still healing. I've come to realize I am one of those slow healers.

My chest seemed flat at first, and then boom... puffy again due to a bunch of scar tissue which is healing oh so slowly. I noticed these last couple months the scar tissue has been deplenishing quicker, so I ham hoping to have my wanted results within the next couple months.  Right now it is still noticeable to me but definitely looks better then b4 and is constantly getting better now.  I hear that it even takes a full year for some. But if I don't have my wanted results I will go back to my surgeon and get a revision for the tiny bit thats left (hard to tell now if it is extra gland or healing scar tissue).

So main point here, the other guys here are right about your nipples not magically looking great over a night. It will take time, more time for some than others. But the sooner its done the sooner it will look good. Working out most definately won't get rid of the gland, it will only help deplete some fat on your body. The decision comes down to you, but I would recommend going for the surgery. I know I will be miserable without my nipples back, so I was willing to take the risk.  Good luck with everything, and feel free to ask me anything.

[rasputin]

Hey buddy, to put my answer simply - I wouldn't worry about it.

I'm going for surgery this Saturday for what I would consider to be a pretty minor case of Gyno (relative to what I've seen here!).

My biggest problem is with puffy nipples which poke through any lightweight tshirt. Every day I go outside I consciously worry about what I'm going to wear because of it. I hunch over to try and hide them and roll my shoulders forward as well. I'm 24 years old and have had this for over a decade, now the way I see it is:

1. I don't wear clothes that I want to.
2. I don't stand up straight.
3. I certainly don't take my top off for anyone other than my GF.

So of all the main complications from surgery - uneven chest, inverted nipples, scarring - both 1 and 2 are still fixed anyway. #3 isn't fixed but who gives a crap, that wasn't going to get fixed by not having surgery either!

For me, the risk of something going tragically wrong is so slim that it's not worth thinking about. If it was, then I should also worry every time I step in a car or walk to the shops.

Anyway, good luck with your decision whatever it is! Some people come to terms with gyno and can just move on with things, unfortunately for me it's not happened for 10 years so I figure it never will without an op.

[Supersonic123]

Thanks for replies, really helps. Rasputin, whats worse for me is the fact I live in Sweden and we dont have great gynecomastia surgeons like karidis here so its more of a gamble with surgery here

I think about my gyne everyday and I guess I will do surgery sooner or later.

[rasputin]

Totally agree with you there, I've heard so many people on this forum talk about 'cheap' options for surgery. It's about getting the right surgeon not the right price!

If that's the case in Sweden, I would definitely look at saving up to travel to London. You only need 1 or 2 nights in a hotel and can probably travel relatively cheaply (relatively compared to the surgery!). I've also seen a couple of people looking at taking out interest free loans for their surgery, I would look into that too.

You're thinking about gyno every day so it's worth doing something it. Speak with your family, if you're fortunate enough you may be able to borrow some money - people are surprisingly supportive once you come out and explain how much trouble this has caused you.

[Showtime620]

Rasputin is spot on - you want to right SURGEON.  If you choose one surgeon over another to save $500bucks and he does a subpar job, you will have wished that you paid the extra money.  Be sure to spend a good bit of time researching and finding the right man (or woman) for the job.

[Hi_Top_Guy]

I'll chime in as well, and both Rasputin and Showtime have got it right. You really do want to see a specialist who deals with cosmetic/plastic surgery and gynecomastia, so that you can get the best results possible.

I looked at the link you provided above and yeah, I wouldn't be happy with those results either. I put my before and after pics up on my other thread:

www.gynecomastia.org/smf/12/surgery-in-2-weeks!/

I'm not sure if you saw them but my results are very different than Misterbob and I'm past the six week point. In fact, last Saturday (08/04/12) was my two month mark  

[Supersonic123]

Yeah saw your pictures man, been really buissy forgot to say thanks, so thanks alot! Results looks great imo! Congratulation!

Whats my best option if I have to travel abroad for surgery? USA definitely too expensive with flight costs etc. Maybe karidis? Whos the best surgeon in the uk?

[rasputin]

The UK is probably your best bet - you should check out the UK forum here, it's full of success stories. There are two surgeons that are popular on this forum - Dr. Karidis and Mr Levick, in London and Birmingham respectively. Karidis is costing me (including blood tests) about £4,200.

[Supersonic123]

Wow, thats about 46000 swedish kronor vs 26000 kronor to do it here :/

(and the 26000 is at the higher level price range here)

[Supersonic123]

The surgeon in Stockholm does something called smartlipo (+ removal of gland). Anyone know if its good with smartlipo for gynecomastia surgeries? Also he only does local anastethia, will it hurt much?

[rasputin]

The surgeon in Stockholm does something called smartlipo (+ removal of gland). Anyone know if its good with smartlipo for gynecomastia surgeries? Also he only does local anastethia, will it hurt much?

I'm not sure exactly what 'smartlipo' is, but lipo is generally recommended even if you've got a low body fat just to make sure the contouring is all OK. Also Karidis' logic is that by doing the lipo first he is able to get a clearer look at the gland.

In terms of pain - you won't feel a thing. You will just get pushed around the table as they go in and out with the lipo! That also explains the cheaper price, local is cheaper than general (but can't say how much).

[Supersonic123]

Here's pictures. Please help with comments. Is it just TOO MILD to risk surgery complications?

When I was younger it was more that I hated the size of the nipple, not as much the contour like I do now. Now I feel I have developed larger breasts since I gained some weight 1.5 years ago (from around 76kg to 85kg, then back to 78-82kg where I've been since). The left side is notibly worse.

Should I do surgery or talk to psychiatrist? My girlfriend for example thinks it's ALL in my head and see absolutely NO PROBLEM. Every day for a year since I found out there are something called gynecomastia I have squeezed my breast looking for gland, looking in the mirror hating my breasts. Beeing very self consious wearing tight t-shirt. I've always been self consious and hating wearing no shirt at all in public, now I even hate wearing just t-shirt. 

Pic taken with flash.


Left side.


Close up.

[ap123]

your case is probably a little bit more mild than my minor case and I still got the surgery done. But almost 6 months post op I am still healing and hoping these results aren't final because now my puffyness is probably at your level when pre op it was just a little bit worse than yours. Im hoping he didn't leave too much gland behind and that this is all scar tissue still healing. But yea if you can save up and get your surgery done with an experienced surgeon, I would suggest you do that, like what the rest have said. And not to put you down or anything but I read another dr on a post say that just because a patient has a minor case of gynecomastia, it doesn't make the procedure easier, so to speak. Things can still go wrong. And I only had gland removal, no lipo at all. So theres most likely issues with any case and different healing times depending on procedure and patients, but if you feel you will never be happy with your chest, you should get it done.

[Supersonic123]

your case is probably a little bit more mild than my minor case and I still got the surgery done. But almost 6 months post op I am still healing and hoping these results aren't final because now my puffyness is probably at your level when pre op it was just a little bit worse than yours. Im hoping he didn't leave too much gland behind and that this is all scar tissue still healing. But yea if you can save up and get your surgery done with an experienced surgeon, I would suggest you do that, like what the rest have said. And not to put you down or anything but I read another dr on a post say that just because a patient has a minor case of gynecomastia, it doesn't make the procedure easier, so to speak. Things can still go wrong. And I only had gland removal, no lipo at all. So theres most likely issues with any case and different healing times depending on procedure and patients, but if you feel you will never be happy with your chest, you should get it done.

Thanks for reply. But only gland removal = bad results. Lipo nessesary for shaping of the breast and skin to be tighter...

[Hi_Top_Guy]

You're welcome, Supersonic, and thanks for the comment.

Definitely look at the UK board to get advice and it sounds like Rasputin is going to Karidis, so he should be good for letting you know how it goes (good luck Rasputin  . And the price sounds about right; here in the US mine was $6500, but prices vary and can go up to about $8000 depending on how much work is needed.

I'm not sure what "smart lipo" is but maybe it's not as invasive as regular lipo.

I had general anesthesia but I did read that some other members only had local and they were fine with it.