Should I expect good results?

[a019283ba]

I've had Gynecomastia since I was in 4th grade. I've always been a bigger kid (mostly broad) -- but I could not go out without a sweat shirt, or tucking a t-shirt as tight as I could into my jeans and putting a shirt over it. It's been a horrible, rocky road, and the depression caused from it resulted in me dropping out of school. Now that I am 18, my physician recommended me to a plastic surgeon who has been in the game for 15 years. He agreed to take my case and make a claim to the insurance company as I can not afford the surgey. My claim got turned down, but I got a shocking call when they agreed to eat the bill and do the surgery free of charge. It is scheduled for October 29th, and I could not be any more excited..but at the same time...very nervous. My current "stats" are 6'3" 215lbs.

I would like to know, if I can expect good results? and if I could get any advice in terms of what I will experience post-operation. Picture's are below:


http://imgur.com/W913j.jpg
http://imgur.com/B7mDA.jpg
http://imgur.com/sL6rN.jpg

Thank you for your time.

[Whiff]

Hello x1,

Depends on the skills of your plastic surgeon but assuming he knows what he is doing there is no reason why you shouldn't get good results. Obviously the more experience your surgeon has with this procedure the more successful he is likely to be. Ask the surgeon to show you some before and after pictures of previous patients. You are only 19 you have a long time to live with the consequences so son't rush into anything. If it means saving up for a few years to get the right surgeon and right result it will be worth it  in my opinion.

If you check out my previous early posts there are some before and after pictures of my case. I think I had a similar level of gyno to yourself so you can see what you can expect with the right surgeon ( I had the one in the UK with the most experience although a bit dear). I'm now about 7 months post op and pretty much back to normal ( it does take a while) I still feel a bit of tighness when i stretch but I can work out without any pain ( that took about 3 months). Best thing now is that I never have to think about what I wear, I can go swimming without feeling self concious and other than the odd visit to this forum I never think about it anymore.

[a019283ba]

Hey! Thanks for the reply. Do you happen to have a link to your case? I tried skimming through your posts but you have quite a few in the "User Photos" section so It's somewhat hard to find which case happens to be yours.

The tightness was somewhat expected. How about right after the surgery? I heard the pain varies but the wake up seems to be painless which is good to hear (I'm sure the anesthesia has you all numbed up ).

Do they end up prescribing pain medication or is it bearable without it? I'm not a big fan of pills but if I do happen to be in excruciating pain, I'm more than willing to take it at that point.

I'm sure I could find my answer to a lot of my questions just skimming the forums so I'll probably take some time to do that. I knew about gynecomastia.org as a great source of information but was unaware of their message boards until recently.

Thank you!

EDIT: I found your post. Looks great bro! Congratulations! I'm really hoping I can get as good of results as you! I will definitely check into my doctor a bit more in terms of his experience with Gyno surgrey itself. Otherwise, I'm going to http://www.gerigsurgical.com/. They have 8 surgeon's on the board and all seem to have great resumes/degrees. I'm very stoked!

[kwl04]

I hope your results turn out great and you enjoy the new life that's just around the corner.

Start working out like a madman assuming your surgery is months away.  Try to lose some weight (safely).

Best of luck to you and keep us posted.

[Whiff]

Not too much pain involved , its nothing really. You will feel a bit wiped out the first week or two ,I did. You should check out the reviews of surgeons on here by post ops. I live in the UK and theres only 2 really that have a significant amount of experience but they are goos I think. I guess there's a lot more in the US. Dr Bermant posts a lot on here and seems to get good reviews not sure where he is based though but its a starting point.

[a019283ba]

I hope your results turn out great and you enjoy the new life that's just around the corner.

Start working out like a madman assuming your surgery is months away.  Try to lose some weight (safely).

Best of luck to you and keep us posted.

Thank you! My surgery is 19 days away. I work out regularly but don't do much cardio (primarily running) due to self-consciousness in terms of my chest and bouncing. On the otherhand, I have a rather healthy diet and plan on getting in the best shape of my life post-op. I'm really looking forward to the changes in my life that are to come!

Not too much pain involved , its nothing really. You will feel a bit wiped out the first week or two ,I did. You should check out the reviews of surgeons on here by post ops. I live in the UK and theres only 2 really that have a significant amount of experience but they are goos I think. I guess there's a lot more in the US. Dr Bermant posts a lot on here and seems to get good reviews not sure where he is based though but its a starting point.

Glad to hear that the pain isn't excruciating or anything. I've been checking reviews and before/after pictures quite a bit since I joined up. I'm going to look into my doctor a bit more and ask if he can provide any pictures of past gynecomastia operations. I have many questions but I'm sure the day of the surgery, I will get everything cleared up. But as of right now, since the operation is going through and I won't be seeing a bill, I'm not really trying to find a non-local doctor as I've been living with the condition for over 10 years and it has held me back on so much that life has to offer.

Question:
I read somewhere that you shouldn't take a Multivitamin or supplements such as Omega 3/6/9 fishoil prior to the surgery..but I just checked out http://www.orangecountycosmeticsurgery.org/breast-reduction-male/prior-breast-reduction-surgery.htm (came across it on Google) and the doctor there RECOMMENDS a Multivitamin prior to surgery, and post surgery. Does anybody have anything that could back up these accusations? I stopped my Multivitamin for this reason alone and was wondering if it was, in fact, safe to take it.

Thank you for the feedback!

[Whiff]

seriously do your homework and if necessary postpone until you find the right surgeon. You might have lived with the condition for 10 years but you have another 50 or 60  years to live with the consequences if he does a bad job

[a019283ba]

seriously do your homework and if necessary postpone until you find the right surgeon. You might have lived with the condition for 10 years but you have another 50 or 60  years to live with the consequences if he does a bad job

Yeah. I definitely plan on it. I've been researching non-stop so if he can't answer all of my questions profusely along with provide proof of past gynecomastia clientele I WILL back out. I'm not letting him butcher me. Promise.

What I meant with my last comment of "not trying to find a non-local doctor" is I'm not trying to find a new surgeon until I get this one cleared away.

Thank you.

[DrBermant]

I've had Gynecomastia since I was in 4th grade. I've always been a bigger kid (mostly broad) -- but I could not go out without a sweat shirt, or tucking a t-shirt as tight as I could into my jeans and putting a shirt over it. It's been a horrible, rocky road, and the depression caused from it resulted in me dropping out of school. Now that I am 18, my physician recommended me to a plastic surgeon who has been in the game for 15 years. He agreed to take my case and make a claim to the insurance company as I can not afford the surgey. My claim got turned down, but I got a shocking call when they agreed to eat the bill and do the surgery free of charge. It is scheduled for October 29th, and I could not be any more excited..but at the same time...very nervous. My current "stats" are 6'3" 215lbs.

I would like to know, if I can expect good results? and if I could get any advice in terms of what I will experience post-operation. Picture's are below:

Thank you for your time.

No you cannot "expect" good results. Not all surgeons have the same skills. Pick the wrong surgeon and you can end up with a mess such as these patients with a Crater Deformity After Bad Gynecomastia Surgery.

I posted here on how to pick a surgeon for gynecomastia surgery:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=16474.0

Hey! Thanks for the reply. Do you happen to have a link to your case? I tried skimming through your posts but you have quite a few in the "User Photos" section so It's somewhat hard to find which case happens to be yours.

The tightness was somewhat expected. How about right after the surgery? I heard the pain varies but the wake up seems to be painless which is good to hear (I'm sure the anesthesia has you all numbed up ).

Do they end up prescribing pain medication or is it bearable without it? I'm not a big fan of pills but if I do happen to be in excruciating pain, I'm more than willing to take it at that point.

I'm sure I could find my answer to a lot of my questions just skimming the forums so I'll probably take some time to do that. I knew about gynecomastia.org as a great source of information but was unaware of their message boards until recently.

Thank you!

EDIT: I found your post. Looks great bro! Congratulations! I'm really hoping I can get as good of results as you! I will definitely check into my doctor a bit more in terms of his experience with Gyno surgrey itself. Otherwise, I'm going to http://www.-.com/. They have 8 surgeon's on the board and all seem to have great resumes/degrees. I'm very stoked!

Have you checked what type of surgeons are in that practice? General Surgeons do not have the training nor experience of Plastic Surgeons. Have you checked for any before and after pictures of their gynecomastia work? Have you read the recent thread of someone trying a similar option (an oncologist surgeon is another general surgery speciality)?

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=20487.0

Waiting for an in office discussion to find out what a surgeon's skills is an option. But I prefer to put what I offer online for anyone to see and evaluate before spending time, money, or travel to understand what I offer.


Comfort After Gynecomastia Surgery also varies by surgeon skill and technique. Although my patients are given a prescription for strong pain medication, they usually tell me that plain Tylenol alone is enough for their comfort. Yet some of my many revision patients tell me of a very different story of their first doctor's surgery: pain and misery for days to weeks even with medication!

That is why careful investigation and understanding what a surgeon's skills and sculpture results are like can be so critical before even having a consultation!

Hope this helps,

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

[a019283ba]

I've had Gynecomastia since I was in 4th grade. I've always been a bigger kid (mostly broad) -- but I could not go out without a sweat shirt, or tucking a t-shirt as tight as I could into my jeans and putting a shirt over it. It's been a horrible, rocky road, and the depression caused from it resulted in me dropping out of school. Now that I am 18, my physician recommended me to a plastic surgeon who has been in the game for 15 years. He agreed to take my case and make a claim to the insurance company as I can not afford the surgey. My claim got turned down, but I got a shocking call when they agreed to eat the bill and do the surgery free of charge. It is scheduled for October 29th, and I could not be any more excited..but at the same time...very nervous. My current "stats" are 6'3" 215lbs.

I would like to know, if I can expect good results? and if I could get any advice in terms of what I will experience post-operation. Picture's are below:

Thank you for your time.

No you cannot "expect" good results. Not all surgeons have the same skills. Pick the wrong surgeon and you can end up with a mess such as these patients with a Crater Deformity After Bad Gynecomastia Surgery.

I posted here on how to pick a surgeon for gynecomastia surgery:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=16474.0

Hey! Thanks for the reply. Do you happen to have a link to your case? I tried skimming through your posts but you have quite a few in the "User Photos" section so It's somewhat hard to find which case happens to be yours.

The tightness was somewhat expected. How about right after the surgery? I heard the pain varies but the wake up seems to be painless which is good to hear (I'm sure the anesthesia has you all numbed up ).

Do they end up prescribing pain medication or is it bearable without it? I'm not a big fan of pills but if I do happen to be in excruciating pain, I'm more than willing to take it at that point.

I'm sure I could find my answer to a lot of my questions just skimming the forums so I'll probably take some time to do that. I knew about gynecomastia.org as a great source of information but was unaware of their message boards until recently.

Thank you!

EDIT: I found your post. Looks great bro! Congratulations! I'm really hoping I can get as good of results as you! I will definitely check into my doctor a bit more in terms of his experience with Gyno surgrey itself. Otherwise, I'm going to http://www.-.com/. They have 8 surgeon's on the board and all seem to have great resumes/degrees. I'm very stoked!

Have you checked what type of surgeons are in that practice? General Surgeons do not have the training nor experience of Plastic Surgeons. Have you checked for any before and after pictures of their gynecomastia work? Have you read the recent thread of someone trying a similar option (an oncologist surgeon is another general surgery speciality)?

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=20487.0

Waiting for an in office discussion to find out what a surgeon's skills is an option. But I prefer to put what I offer online for anyone to see and evaluate before spending time, money, or travel to understand what I offer.


Comfort After Gynecomastia Surgery also varies by surgeon skill and technique. Although my patients are given a prescription for strong pain medication, they usually tell me that plain Tylenol alone is enough for their comfort. Yet some of my many revision patients tell me of a very different story of their first doctor's surgery: pain and misery for days to weeks even with medication!

That is why careful investigation and understanding what a surgeon's skills and sculpture results are like can be so critical before even having a consultation!

Hope this helps,

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

Thank you for your post. It was a real eye-opener. I'm going to be looking into everything and will post my findings.

Thanks for the feedback.

[DrBermant]

Thank you for your post. It was a real eye-opener. I'm going to be looking into everything and will post my findings.

Thanks for the feedback.

You are quite welcome.

Here is a post from that other thread:

How bad can this cancer doc mess me up? He said it would take 30 minutes to remove and I wouldn't see a scar. He's the head division oncologist surgeon. I have a large amount of glandular tissue behind the left nipple and a pea size behind my right. It's on my mind everyday, it may not be as bad as some of these other cases but it has messed me up psychologically severely.

When I put my arms straight out you can see it a lot better. Do you think excision only will suffice?

I cannot conceive on how a 30 minute operation can leave a patient with a refined contour of the chest and no scar. After all of my decades of doing this surgery and working with up to 8 gynecomastia patients a day, I do not tell my patients that my surgery will not result in a scar. All surgery results in scars, the trick is how to make the scar as not noticeable as possible.

Puffy Nipple Gynecomastia Surgery is an art form. Excision alone can cause a Crater Deformity Complication. Oncologists are cancer doctors and may be medical or surgical in background. Plastic Surgeons have cancer training but also specialize in reconstruction. Not all Plastic Surgeons have the same skills.

I have posted how to pick your gynecomastia surgeon here:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=16474.0

So when a doctor makes a claim that they can do something, look for adequate documentation (such as many before and after pictures / movies) of their technique to verify they can offer what they say.  Look for actual examples of the type of gynecomastia you have. The quality of a scar is in how it moves. A truly invisible scar will not show from multiple angles and on animation.

Hope this helps,

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

Choosing a surgeon for this operation is like picking an artist. Without seeing what their work is like, you are inviting a potential disaster. This artist is not just sculpting flesh, but designing a methodology for comfort, healing, and recovery. That is why understanding the whole picture is so important and why I spent so much time showing what my methods offer in exceptional detail. It may be why we see so many patients from around the world who prefer my techniques.

Good luck on your learning experiences.

Hope this helps,

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

[DrBermant]

I've had Gynecomastia since I was in 4th grade. I've always been a bigger kid (mostly broad) -- but I could not go out without a sweat shirt, or tucking a t-shirt as tight as I could into my jeans and putting a shirt over it. It's been a horrible, rocky road, and the depression caused from it resulted in me dropping out of school. Now that I am 18, my physician recommended me to a plastic surgeon who has been in the game for 15 years. He agreed to take my case and make a claim to the insurance company as I can not afford the surgey. My claim got turned down, but I got a shocking call when they agreed to eat the bill and do the surgery free of charge. It is scheduled for October 29th, and I could not be any more excited..but at the same time...very nervous. My current "stats" are 6'3" 215lbs.

I would like to know, if I can expect good results? and if I could get any advice in terms of what I will experience post-operation. Picture's are below:






Thank you for your time.

I am updating your original post so your before images can be seen in the new site format.

I call this a butchered job. I got advice on this forum to NOT go to a person who isn't a specialist and .. well, being 17 at the time and wanting to get my man boob's gone, and family talking me into it saying that there's no risk....Here's what I got. I'm speechless. Surgery was in October. Well over 6 months post-op these picture's are. I...I don't really know what to say. I have shocking pains sporadically, burning sensations (I assume that's the nerves...they are everywhere. When I run my finger down the middle it sends a tingling sensation to both sides.) Umm..I don't really know what to say. I'd like an expert's opinion. I went to the doctor for 2 Post-Op appointment's before almost getting into a physical fight after a verbal one and I'm just torn. He told me all Gynecomastia surgeries look like this and everything is healing great...lol. The flash is a little bright but the left side indents about an inch, maybe 1 1/2 & the other .. I don't know. The nipples are shot apparently. I don't know if anything can really be done for me now. Expert opinion's only please.

https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=23310.msg154849#msg154849

has my most recent answer. So sorry that you had such experiences.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.

[a019283ba]

Locking this thread. Go to Dr. Bermant's link above if you have any input.