Gynecomastia Support Forum
Gynecomastia Forum Doctors => Ask a Doctor => Topic started by: seb01 on March 11, 2016, 08:26:31 AM
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I have had gynaecomastia surgery just under 6 weeks ago. I suffered from puffy nipples.
Post surgery, my concern is that on one side of my chest I seem to have a crater. This becomes even more apparent upon movement, when I flex the chest muscles, or when I raise my arms. Upon raising my arms the nipple seems to pull inward and there is an area around it that caves in.
My surgeon is telling me I need to wait for everything to heal and that it's to early to say anything. Unfortunately, upon searching around, I cannot find any examples of people who have had the same issue, seeing it eventually even out whereas I have found plenty for whom it didn't really get better. This is quite disheartening.
Another worrying thing is that I found a person with the same issue presenting his problem to the realself website and a lot of surgeons suggested that his surgeon could not be board certified. Does this mean that this is an ameaturish mistake?
I have attached two photos,unfortunately, they don't get show how bad it actually is, but hopefully, it gives you an idea.
I would be very grateful for the advice of the surgeons.
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Unfortunately, I have to agree that there appears to be a depression on your left chest. Craters are often seen better with the arm raised.
I am doubtful whether this will improve spontaneously -- but giving it adequate time to heal would be wise -- probably 4-6 months. At that time, you should return to your surgeon to discuss the situation and if it has not changed or improved, you may indeed need a revision. You should also get a second opinion from a gyne expert in your area --= or consider traveling for such expertise.
Dr Jacobs
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You are still early in the postoperative recovery phase.You will need to wait several months to see how things settle and determine the appropriate course. The key view is with your arms and hands at the side .
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Thanks so much for your replies. Do you reckon this is a sign of sloppy work by the surgeon?
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I see the depression. think it is too early to get overly stressed about it. This is because even if it does not go away, it is too early to do anything about it now. I would recommend massage throughout the entire chest. It won't hurt. I would wait till about 6 months post op to re-assess. Hang in there.
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Thank you Dr Schuster, for your kindness, and for taking the time to reply to me.
I am now two months out, and, unfortunately, there is little to no improvement. I hope this doesn't suggest that it won't get any better.
The indentation and scarring kind of follows the line the surgeon drew around my nipple pre-surgery. The skin is kind of darker and looks like surgery scar. It is visible even when my arms are by my side. It is weird because when I am close to the mirror or looking down on my chest I can hardly see it, but step back a few steps and suddenly it's unmissable.
I don't need to be perfect, if only I knew it will even out, get better, and become less noticeable, I'm sure I'd be happy.
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I agree with the other docs here. You need to wait a full 6 months and then re-assess. Try not to dwell on it - easier said than done I know. But there's nothing you can do about it now, and it seems to be much less noticeable with your arms at your side- take comfort in that.
Fat grafting, if needed down the road, is not a terrible procedure to undergo. No one wants revision surgery, but at least if you need it, it's pretty low risk with easy recovery. But you may not need revision at all - still too early to tell, as others have said.
Keep us posted-
Dr. Pope, MD