gynecomastia surgery post op (about 4 months after surgery) questions

[xhobbesx]

HI, i am new to this forum.  I wished I had registered much earlier...anyway, i am concerned with the results of my gynecomastia surgery.  I had gynecomastia only on my right breast and it was pretty extreme at that.  the area was quite pink compared to my left and much more pointy.  so i decided to seek surgery. 

since i am in the military the good is that surgery such as this is covered under tricare, however, the bad thing is that its not done by a surgeon who "specializes" in gynecomastia surgery.  the operation i underwent was "right subcutaneous mastectomy."  The surgeon had to remove almost entire breast tissue (which i did not think was necessary, but im no surgeon).  After the surgery, i had seroma formation.  The first time i went to the surgeon, he drained it.  but the second time, the surgeon was gone for vacation and i saw a different surgeon and he advised me that i should just leave the seroma and that my body would absorb it.  well that last visit was about september.  well the swelling has since gone down and my body did reabsorb the most of the seroma (i think). 

the questions/complications i have are:
1) the complication i am still having is that my right breast surgery area is vrery hard.  i was told that this is the result of the scar tissue.  can i expect this area to ever get soft again?  perhaps with another surgery?
2) my left nipple is an "outie" and my right nipple (post op) is now an "innie." again would this require additional surgery?
3) lastly, there is an extreme loss of sensation on and around the nipple.  i know there was a nerves that were cut.  Will i ever regain sensation? 

Thank you for reading this.

[DrBermant]

HI, i am new to this forum.  I wished I had registered much earlier...anyway, i am concerned with the results of my gynecomastia surgery.  I had gynecomastia only on my right breast and it was pretty extreme at that.  the area was quite pink compared to my left and much more pointy.  so i decided to seek surgery. 

since i am in the military the good is that surgery such as this is covered under tricare, however, the bad thing is that its not done by a surgeon who "specializes" in gynecomastia surgery.  the operation i underwent was "right subcutaneous mastectomy."  The surgeon had to remove almost entire breast tissue (which i did not think was necessary, but im no surgeon).  After the surgery, i had seroma formation.  The first time i went to the surgeon, he drained it.  but the second time, the surgeon was gone for vacation and i saw a different surgeon and he advised me that i should just leave the seroma and that my body would absorb it.  well that last visit was about september.  well the swelling has since gone down and my body did reabsorb the most of the seroma (i think). 

the questions/complications i have are:
1) the complication i am still having is that my right breast surgery area is vrery hard.  i was told that this is the result of the scar tissue.  can i expect this area to ever get soft again?  perhaps with another surgery?
2) my left nipple is an "outie" and my right nipple (post op) is now an "innie." again would this require additional surgery?
3) lastly, there is an extreme loss of sensation on and around the nipple.  i know there was a nerves that were cut.  Will i ever regain sensation? 

Thank you for reading this.

Unfortunately, experience can make a major difference in what a surgeon offers.  Cost savings do not pan out when more expensive revision surgery is needed.

Posting Standard After Gynecomastia Pictures can help others better understand your concerns.

Fluid collections after surgery such as seroma or hematoma complications after gynecomastia surgery can slow the healing process down.

How Tissues Evolve After Gynecomastia Surgery depend on many factors. Firm tissues after surgery can be residual gland, but also can just be healing tissues or scars.  Different surgical techniques injure tissues to different degrees.  The body typically needs to heal before considering revision surgery. Rushing into secondary surgery can be a mistake unless there are complications that need to be addressed or the next surgery is component of a staged procedure.  Time to tissues softening can vary depending on the original problem, what was done, after surgery care,
Scar Care, After Surgery Compression Garments, and many other factors. Options depend on the problem to be treated. Time can range from 6 months to a year but can vary depending on many issues best explored with your doctor.

An Male Inverted Nipple complication of gynecomastia surgery is a subtle form of a Crater Deformity After Gynecomastia Surgery. I have been able to repair such deformities with revision surgery when there are sufficient local tissue resources.

Some loss of sensation can occur with any surgery. The degree of loss depends on the problem treated, what was done, skill of the surgeon, and many other factors.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Revision Gynecomastia Surgery