what really is this?

[dav242]

what really is this?




after several consults, i've heard i need lipo, but no excision. does that sound right? there's definitely no hard fibrous tissue that i can feel (doctors apparently haven't felt fibrous tissue either) but that's just from pinching... is it possible that there's major fibrous tissue underneath?

i'm scheduled for surgery (lipo) this wednesday - does anyone think i should get the doctor to do more than lipo?

thanks

[Allan7865]

normal, perfect male chest

I actully have to agree with you this time.

[dav242]

hey guys - thanks for the responses - i really appreciate and value any opinions out there.

the problem i have, in addition to how full and disproportionately huge it looks, in relation to my arms and body, is that there's quite a bit of fat in the lower part of my chest (more than most guys i've seen), and it's bothered me for my entire life.

i used to be fairly thin and the extra flab was still present (and even more noticeable) then.

i've spent this past year or so trying to build up my chest (especially lower chest with declines/dips), in an effort to hide or do away with the flabbiness of some of it, and in doing so, ended up going bonkers with my diet, probably eating more than i should have, thinking that would've helped muscle growth

i think the added muscle growth (albeit marginal growth) and the extra pounds have just made my chest area more full/prominent.

i could try to diet more and do more cardio, but even before i started working out and eating more, i had always struggled with the extra fat in that area, depsite my scrawny/skinnyish build -

in relation to the many "normal/flat" chests out there, i feel deformed and, given that this probably isn't full-on gynecomastia, i feel even more left out, without a real notion of what is wrong with the shape of my chest.

sometimes i think, my genetics just screwed me over, in terms of the way my body developed, my chest bone structure, and how my fat is distributed

i don't mean to sound disingenuous, and i really appreciate every single response i've gotten on this site - it's just been such a huge struggle for me and i've dealt with years of feeling so ashamed and embarrassed

that said, i have surgery scheduled (and paid for, at this point) this upcoming wednesday (that was, in itself, a huge decision for me to make). i'm prepared for the worst (an even worse shaped chest) and for the added scars, but maybe going through surgery will give me some inner peace. at least i won't have the regret of not having done this. at least i'll feel like i've done everything i can and i'll have to just accept my body shape for what it is...

hopefully, though, lipo will take care of some of it, but if the doctor finds glandular tissue, that's another story... and i guess i'll have to schedule another surgery as this one unfortunately doesnt cover it

any more thoughts?

this has been just incredibly stressful and i really do appreciate allt he responses you guys have posted  - here and elsewhere on these boards

i'll try to post more photos that might help show the weird shape of my chest

[dav242]

closeup:


the droopiness bugs me and the fullness in the chest is all pinchable, except for right near the nipple, where it's not as pinchable but not really hard either (it seems like most of it is fat)

[ruinedlifenew]

IMHO, your chest looks huge (in the good way)...

I'd kill for a chest like that.  Has someone said something about your chest, because it really looks totally normal (and pumped), to me.

[Worrier]

You chest looks a little like mine.Except with me one side is a little flatter than the other .

I have been to two PS's in the UK one said she wouldn't do anything as the benefit of surgery wouldn't be worth a surgical procedure. The second one said it was a borderline surgical case.

Lipo is what I have been told I need , just on the one side, by the second one. If I saw you say in the gym I wouldn't even give your chest a second glance to be honest. You just look like you work out. But I think we are all more critical of our own bodies.

[dav242]

i guess my problem is that when i see my chest in the mirror and i see other guys' chests, i know something's wrong with mine...

i had my pre-op today, had cold feet about it all, and after thinking about it, i realized my biggest issues are:
1) my chest is oddly huge in relation to my arms (disproportionate size)
2) there's still pinchable fat in my lower chest that i simply cannot get rid of (even when i was thin, it was there - and that's a horrible feeling because most thin guys have flat flat nonpinchable chests)
3) it's really my bone structure that makes my chest look even more prominent (but my bone structure is not something i want to correct with surgery), so any fat on the chest adds insult to injury, so to speak

i asked the doctor at the preop what types of results to expect, and he said that it probably wouldn't be noticeable but that there's a 95% chance i'd be satisfied

i've honestly been having major issues with all of this and am even thinking that i might cancel tomorrow - i might just have an anxiety attack on the spot as they put the IV in me

but a part of me wants to give this a shot, to finally feel like i've tried all that i can to attain that normal chest, to know that i've given it my best shot, and then - once this is all over - to just be OK with accepting how my chest is shaped and accepting this life. at that point, i'll know that i've done everything and that i've hit the end of the road.

again, i honestly cannot see how my chest shape is normal (just logging into this thread with my photos makes me shudder), and i've felt so top-heavy (never really been able to wear tshirts, etc) ever since high school (and i'm now in my twenties)

the doctor i'm going to get the surgery with did tell me at my very first consultation that if this issue didn't bother me, that i shouldn't have the surgery - but that if it was something that bothered me alot, then i should have it...

that hit home with me and is one main reason i'm on my way to surgery

just to give some history - the first doctor i saw was in the LA area, when i lived in california two years ago. she saw my chest, told me that i DIDN'T need to have surgery - although she could perform it, if i really wanted.

at the time, i wasn't sure what i wanted, and so she told me NOT to have the surgery and to be happy about that. if anything, she recommended maybe going to the gym more or getting a personal trainer

when i left her office, i felt somewhat better that i didn't really need surgery, but the next few months, i still couldn't shake my dissatisfaction and shame at my chest - sure i was relieved that i didn't *need* surgery but the prospect of having to continue to live with my weirdly shaped chest felt worse to me (as i'm sure alot of folks can identify with)

so, i left surgery as a last resort, and i did the personal trainer thing a few months later. that became expensive, and so i started working out on my own, trying to be as disclipined as possible, coming in 3-4 days a week, consistently, and focusing on my upper body. in an effort to make sure i was eating enough (i used to be pretty thin and my personal trainer even told me to just eat more), i think i went overboard and gained more weight than i really needed to

the other problem with working out - my gains never really matched my level of commitment and the amount of time i spent weekly. and to this day, i still wonder if my body simply can't handle the type of muscle gains i want - and i have a suspicions that i just grow muscle slower than most people...

i still try to keep a regular gym schedule (each day i go in, i have to my feelings of embarrassment aside - i remember early on, i'd go in with a hoodie and stay in that hoodie the entire time, working out next to guys in their wifebeaters or tees or cut-offs tees or whatever - i built up enough focus and empty headed-ness to just go in with this one shirt that really masks my chest and not care about the weird looks i'd get from all the "normal shaped" guys or whatever... but i still occassionally struggle with feelings of embarrassment at the gym)

most recently, i got blood tests - estradiol, free testosterone - all within "normal" range, but not as high, maybe, as guys who put on muscle easily. i even tried using some testosterone gel - and that, if anything, only helped a marginal amount...

i apologize for this novella, but just wanted to explain where i find myself now and why i feel like i should go through with this surgery - if for no other reason than to exhaust my options...

i know that sounds bad, and i'm still struggling to justify this surgery, to justify the weeks of recovery, the trauma of having to deal with surgery in itself, to justify this emotional stress i'm dealing with right now

if anyone has any encouraging words - from experieence or otherwise - i could certainly use it before really committing to this surgery tomorrow

but at this point, i don't know what else i can do to find some peace and to be OK with my chest

**WORRIER - have you considered the surgery option? or are you planning on just moving forward with your life, as is?

if there's anyone out there who has a similar chest structure and has had some sort of lipo, was it worth it???

i'll definitely keep this updated and i'll try to add photos after the surgery (if i can get myself to go through with it tomorrow)

thanks again for all the responses and the advice

[dav242]

just as a side note -
one of the worst things about this experience is that i have to keep it to myself - i'm too embarrassed to talk about it with friends, coworkers, etc (if not for the type of problem itself, then just for the sheer fact that it's a "cosmetic" surgery)

it's easy to feel isolated and alone (especially when you think about people who break their legs, for instance, and go through surgery but are greeted afterwards by all these balloons and their friends come in to sign their casts, telling them to get better, and stuff like that). this corrective surgery can be a lonely pursuit, and i really do thank god for this board and for all the comments and advice.

[Worrier]

Dav ,I do not have  the money for a private PS . In the UK they have a system called the NHS where you can get it done free.

Unfortunately there are minus points, long waiting lists, Surgeons who may not do a huge amount of breast reductions, and you don't really get to pick who does it.

I have seen the only two in my area and Iam  being cautious. Also I start basic training in the army in september and would not get to the top of the waiting list that quick.The British army will not pay for the lipo so I have been unoffically told as my case is minor and would not interfrere with my job. Iam planning on saving up when I start work and getting it done privately. If it is still bothering me. Depends how I feel at that point.

To be honest your chest looks fine.I go to the gym a lot too and guys will check each other out. What weight you are lifting , how big you are. That might be what you are noticing. I seriously doubt they are thinking there is something odd about your chest. But at the end of the day it's your decision if you have surgery or not .Best of luck.  

[rob1978]

hey, you are going to be fine. i think a lot of guys have the misconception that gynecomastia only involves extra breast tissue. i had gynecomastia and was informed by my surgeon that also, fat is deposited there as well and that cannot be gotten rid of and that during surgery there was the possiblity that in addition to lipo, he would determine whether or not there was extra breast tissue to be removed( i am not sure why your surgeon didnt count that in as an option, it seems stupid that if its there, he cant remove it all at the same time).  i had the lipo and my chest looks great! i am so happy with the results and the doctor did not see an excessive amount of tissue, so i only have two small scars off the side of my chest, under my arms.  relax, its going to be fine, and you will be happy with the result.  best of luck! rob

[dav242]

hey -
thanks for all the words of encouragement. had the surgery today, and like so many of you guys said, it couldn't have been easier.  

whether or not my chest looks any better remains to be seen (but at this point, i feel like that doesn't even matter so much since i know i've done all that i can, i've done everything within my control to fix this... and, as dumb as this sounds, i finallly feel at peace with it all... but that might just be the drugs talking)

i freaked out as i was waiting to be called back (even went so far as asking if could reschedule/cancel), but the staff and nurses totally calmed me down

(just as an aside, in deciding on a PS, be sure to also consider the nurses and staff - the more caring the staff, the better the overall experience - they definitely did alot to ease my nerves and make me feel like i was in good hands)

the procedure itself was a BREEZE. the most painful part was during the pre-op, when the nurse injected the numbing agent in my hand before putting in the IV (but even then, it was a quick pinch and then a burning sensation, then some numbmess). the IV i didn't even feel at all...

i was knocked out pretty quickly after getting anesthetized (i don't even remember at what point i fell asleep) - i guess i'm a bit of a lightweight

but the next thing i remember, i was in the recovery room, feeling a little bothered by the nurses who woke me to see if i was OK and dressing me up (i kinda just wanted to go back to sleep and rest...)

i felt a little bit like i was getting rushed out, but that turned out to be allright since it meant getting home sooner. i was groggy afterwards, a little nauseous on the ride home, felt a little soreness when i got home, but i took some medication, which wasn't all that bad.

if any of you guys have given this operation years and years of thought (like i have) and have simply been miserable living your life with your chest but are having doubts about surgery - don't worry.

surgery really is a breeze (as long as you can calm your nerves), and regardless of what the physical results are, you'll at least find a sense of relief after having it, knowing you've done what you could to improve yourself - and i like to think, the rest (how things turn out, etc) is icing on the cake...

i'll try to post some pics in a few days, once i get some of the gauze off

thanks again for all the support and encouragement - couldn't have done this without you guys

[STILLgotIT]

It looks a little pointy, but it doesn't look bad.

If anything, stop the decline presses and focus on flat and incline. Build up the shoulders and arms in an attempt to make the chest fit the rest of your frame.

I'm not sure you need surgery.

[dav242]

It looks a little pointy, but it doesn't look bad.

If anything, stop the decline presses and focus on flat and incline. Build up the shoulders and arms in an attempt to make the chest fit the rest of your frame.

I'm not sure you need surgery.

thanks - just had the surgery two days ago and haven't actually opened up my vest to look at it (i'm hoping it looks somewhat OK) -

even then, i'll definitely be sure to hit the flat and incline presses once this whole recovery period passes. definitely great advice - helps to know what i should really focus on... i have noticed, though, that i happen to develop my chest muscles much quicker than my arms/shoulders. even in doing arm stuff (curls, pull ups, overhead presses), i feel my chest assisting alot (more so than it should be, i think), but i'll definitely lay off chest stuff and really get to working the arms/shoulders