Bermant, Jacobs, Experiences, and other Options?

[scballersc]

So yea I need the surgery.  I've been lurking around these boards and after 4 years of being unsatisfied with losing weight/gaining muscle Im ready to go under the knife.  My case is very mild, 1-2/10 and I think I have a disproportional case; both sides have some gland although the right pec/nipple is much puffier.  That said, I will be demanding excision and lipo, would like as little scaring as possible, and prefer general anesthesia.  I cannot bring myself to tell anyone about my personal battle with gyne, so I am on my own financing/getting the procedure done.  To make things even more difficult, I am a recent college graduate beginning law school next fall so I already am in over my head with loans.  That said, I refuse to live with these damn lumps anymore and know that getting it done this summer will be truly satisfying.

I am from New Jersey and I am considering either Bermant, Jacobs, or another surgeon on the east coast.  Bermant is a hike (4-5 hours) but I like his work and the price is not so steep.  Jacobs and those in NY obviously charge a little more.  An aside: I do think these surgeons would get much more business if they lowered the price of the procedure.  A majority of the gyne sufferers are young men affected by the disease, but unable to fund the procedure.  Basically I am looking for the most cost effective solution to my problem (as is everyone else).  So I was wondering if any board members could tell me how much they paid for their procedure, the severity of it, financing options available, etc.  Also, if I go with Bermant, how does the consultation and the follow up work?  Basically, I would love to pay a reasonable price for the service of either of these great doctors, although I feel, even with my minor case, they will be asking for a bit more than I can afford.

[Vonsteelo]

I just had lipo done 4 days ago with no incision and Im kinda worried that the results will not be all that i wanted them to be. An improvement but not totally satisfying. I would say that I had a bad case of gyno, my right pec was way bigger then the left and the nipples were all puffy and round which really bothered me. I went to 2 consultations and I refused to go to ones where they wanted me to pay them just for the consultation, darn that! The first doctor said I had a difficult case and wanted to do the incision around the nipples with lipo and wanted to charge me $7300!! The second doctor just recommended lipo for a total cost of $4150, I went with the lower price. One thing that you need to factor is if your doctor is a ways from where you live it sucks. You'll have to go to follow ups and drive all that way with an compression garment on and its not comfortable. Also, you will not be up to driving after the surgery, you gotta tell someone who can drive you and probably get a hotel for at least 2 days after the surgery, I did. Hope this helped, and if its the money thats bothering you, you gotta realize that money comes and goes whats important is your own sense of well being and being comfortable. What is that really worth??

[scballersc]

Well thats why Ive been sure to do my research and narrow it down to the best doctors.  Also, its a reason why traveling is not an issue for me.  The post-op consults haven't been an issue for those that have travelled before.  Im getting excision/lipo no doubt and I am willing to spend the money I have.  Im just unaware of what the procedure has run other individuals with mild cases.  If the procedure costs $8000, there is no way I could possibly afford it.

[Noseguard]

I had Jacobs, $7900, but my case was severe.

If yours is mild you might get away with $6K with him.  For NYC he is about average price.  I had a consult in NJ for $7300 and the guy had very little experience with G.

You have the right two choices IMO.  Jacobs for convenience, Bermant for a better price.

Some of the Canadian guys are good and a lot cheaper, but if I understand it correctly they cant take US patients???  Shame Fielding and Lista sound good.

[trojan213]

I live in Manhattan and I'm also deciding between Jacobs and Bermant. Just a few thoughts:

- Jet Blue has direct flights from JFK to Richmond International for ~$150 that are only 1.5 hours long. Where in NJ do you live?
- I actually don't think Bermant will be that much cheaper once you factor in flight/hotel and other travel related expenses.

I don't mean to offend anyone, because I can definitely relate to the idea of minimizing costs (I'm a graduate student), but I think that picking your surgeon based on price is a terrible idea.

IMO, you shouldn't go into surgery if +/- a few thousand dollars will break the deal for you. You should definitely be prepared for any complications that may occur during or after surgery. Also, you have to live with the results of your surgery for the rest of your life. Don't think about it in terms of how much you make right now or how much you have in the bank. From an economics standpoint, this is called "consumption smoothing." Think about your lifetime income, and balance your spending/saving/borrowing to maintain the highest possible living standard over your life. Most people are actually pretty bad at this in practice, but it's a good way to look at big a decision like surgery.

Anyway, pick the right surgeon and you will only need surgery once. You'll spend more money on gas for your car over your lifetime ($1000+/year on average and rising faster than inflation) than you will for surgery.

Both Jacobs and Bermant are experts in the field with great reputations. I would consult with both of them and find who you are more comfortable with. Their approaches to surgery are a little different.

I'm personally leaning towards Bermant since I feel more comfortable with his surgical approach. I like that his photos generally show minimal bruising and swelling very early after surgery. I think that's really the biggest advantage of his approach. I'm no doctor, but the idea of making an incision at the areola from the beginning just seems very intuitive to me. Not only does it give you a better view of what's going on, but it allows direct access to the gland. I do a lot of wood work and I guess the best analogy for me is that it's much cleaner to make a big cut with a band saw and then sand down the wood to get the contour that you want, than it is to try sanding the entire piece from the beginning, only to make a cut later if you discover that some of the wood is getting too difficult to sand.

Good luck with your decision and please keep us posted on your progress.

[scballersc]

Haha consumption smoothing, that is hilarious considering I was an economics major and am now a Law student.

Its obviously one of the factors, but the truth is, there is no way I am going to take out a loan to have this procedure done.  I guess it will just require more waiting.

O and after you fly into Richmond, how do you go about renting a car.  I always thought you had to be 25years old to do so?

[pjworth]

Wouldn't going through the nipple leave more obvious scarring than going through the armpit? I'm just thinking it's in a more noticeable spot, I could be wrong though, I don't know a whole lot about the process.