surgery tuesday... scared?

[bigballer3]

hey everyone
i am 16 years old and a few months ago(december), i consulted a surgeon to have my gyno removed along with liposuction of the abdomen. Just so you know, i am not overweight. i am 6"0 and 156 pounds, with fat only on the chest and abdomen. arms are toned, back and shoulders are broad and strong. I lift 3x a week, am on a diet, and play basketball for at least 2 hours a day. He quoted me a reasonable fee, showed me his credentials, lots of my dad's doctor friends know him, and he seems like a great surgeon. I sat down with 2 of his patients who had the same surgery as me, and they told me he was a great surgeon and they are overjoyed with the results.

while thats perfectly fine, i am still pretty scared.... wimpy, i know
this will be my first surgery ever, and im scared of pain and the anesthesia. I will go through with it no matter what, but i would like some reassurance about results and about the anesthesia/recovery.

questions i have are :
What is the anesthesia like?
what does it feel like waking up?
how is the pain after surgery?
is taking a shower painful after surgery with drains in?
how long do i have to be careful after surgery?
are there any things i cannot do after surgery( i play basketball and weightlift, so will this end my lifting and basketball career for good and permanantly?)

how do clothes such as Hollister/Abercrombie fit after surgery?
how do i deal with it at school?

those are my questions and if anyone can provide any answers for me, that would be great.

Thanks everyone, have a great easter!

[tubbs]

I had my surgery one week ago, so I can only answer some of your questions...

The anastesia freaked me out a little bit too, esp. right before the surgery.  But, I can assure you, there's nothing to worry about.  There is a bit of a light headed sensation that lasts very briefly.  My anasthesia was 'dripped' in to me via an IV, so there was no shot or anything.  But there is a bit of sharp pain to get the IV in the vein.

You'll be 'with it' for about 5-10 minutes after the anasthesia knocks you out and you won't even realize it.

Most likely, you'll wake up about ten-twenty minutes after ther surger and you'll be thirsty.  You'll be given some water through a straw and maybe some saltines to absorb the remaining anasthesia.

You'll be pretty surprised with how together you are after the surgery.  At least, I was.  I was driven home and was awake for most of the day.  (My surgery was at 7:30am).  It was a great excuse to sit around and watch tv and eat bad food all day and doze off into sleep when necessary (all of the above are huge if you have a 9-5 job!).

Showering isn't too bad...keep in mind you'll be a bit numb on the operated area.  The hard part is lifting you're arms up but that's been the worst of it.  That, and drying off.  I guess I am fortunate that I didn't get drains...though I did have some blood/fluid leak out during the day of surgery, so make sure you wear a buttoned down shirt you don't care too much about to surgery.

All considered, it was MUCH easier then I anticipated.  You have NOTHING to worry about.  Trust me on this.

The harder part is dealing with a compression vest and the swelling/soreness afterward.  But that's liveable.

Good luck.

[toronto1]

As far as weightilfting and basketball go you will probably be out of commission for about 2 months before you can do anything like that.
And no its not permanent but like any kind of surgery your body has to recover.

good luck,

[archos]

16 years old here too

had my surgery 10 days ago!
couldn't be more happy!

[archos]

What is the anesthesia like? i just remember opening my eyes! nothing to afraid of
what does it feel like waking up? the best feeling in the world:P you just realise that gyne has gone!!
how is the pain after surgery? 1 week with difficulties! then you are again a free man! without breasts:P
is taking a shower painful after surgery with drains in? i don't recomend shower with drains. wait 4-5 days to shower
how long do i have to be careful after surgery? 1 week then you'll just can't to some moves but you'll feel normal. no weights ofc:P
are there any things i cannot do after surgery( i play basketball and weightlift, so will this end my lifting and basketball career for good and permanantly?) no exercise for a month i'd say

how do clothes such as Hollister/Abercrombie fit after surgery? 2 days after the surgery you can wear everything you want!
how do i deal with it at school? i had mine at friday, went but at school at wen. i told them i had a "serious" cold:P

nothing special

go on! there is nothing to afraid of!!


 

[DrBermant]

What is the anesthesia like? i just remember opening my eyes! nothing to afraid of
what does it feel like waking up? the best feeling in the world:P you just realise that gyne has gone!!
how is the pain after surgery? 1 week with difficulties! then you are again a free man! without breasts:P
is taking a shower painful after surgery with drains in? i don't recomend shower with drains. wait 4-5 days to shower
how long do i have to be careful after surgery? 1 week then you'll just can't to some moves but you'll feel normal. no weights ofc:P
are there any things i cannot do after surgery( i play basketball and weightlift, so will this end my lifting and basketball career for good and permanantly?) no exercise for a month i'd say

how do clothes such as Hollister/Abercrombie fit after surgery? 2 days after the surgery you can wear everything you want!
how do i deal with it at school? i had mine at friday, went but at school at wen. i told them i had a "serious" cold:P

nothing special

go on! there is nothing to afraid of!!


 

Pain After Gynecomastia Surgery depends on the problem to be treated, skill of your doctor, techniques used, and other factors.  Although I prescribe a strong oral medication after surgery, most of my patients tell me that plain Tylenol alone is more than enough for comfort.

Showering with drains is dangerous.  With my typical Dressings after Gynecomastia surgery and not needing drains, my patients are usually able to shower 24 hours after surgery.  However, the force of the shower spray on the chest itself can be painful. 

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture