Reasons for waiting 6 - 12 mnths before revision surgery?

[dski]

Hello Doctors,
   Can you please comment on what the reasons are that most doctors say wait 6 months to a year before anyone would consider performing a revision surgery? I understand that before this time tissues might still be evolving, but if there is no scar tissue, the tissues are soft and there are no changes, are there some technical reasons that would make a surgery before this time impossible? Is the concern an incomplete healing and thus some technical risks, or is it more about how the organism would react to re-injury shortly after the previous surgery?
  Thank you,
       David

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

The general rule of thumb is to give your body at least six months for the major healing processes to proceed to a finite end.  Before then, one can be operating on tissues that are still in flux -- still healing.

At 6 months or more, you know exactly what you are dealing with and can make informed decisions about the best course for revision surgery.

Dr Jacobs

[DrBermant]

Hello Doctors,
   Can you please comment on what the reasons are that most doctors say wait 6 months to a year before anyone would consider performing a revision surgery? I understand that before this time tissues might still be evolving, but if there is no scar tissue, the tissues are soft and there are no changes, are there some technical reasons that would make a surgery before this time impossible? Is the concern an incomplete healing and thus some technical risks, or is it more about how the organism would react to re-injury shortly after the previous surgery?
  Thank you,
       David

The normal healing process of the human body evolves tissue from a firm state to softness making healing tissue difficult to differentiate from scar that may need to be treated or taken into consideration during a revision sculpture. Decisions made too soon can result in inappropriate choices, an operation redone when waiting alone could have avoided surgery or more extensive sculpture done when something less would have achieved the same result. Not waiting for the normal progression of healing can result in disasters. Being patient and waiting is often the wiser option. Such issues are best explored during a consultation with an experienced Revision Gynecomastia Surgeon, someone who often performs surgery to revise this problem. Saying anyone can handle this problem is something like saying any surgeon can manage gynecomastia surgery.  Theoretical skills are a more risky option than using someone who can show you actual before and after documentation of their sculpture.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Revision Gynecomastia and Chest Surgery