Revision surgery -- for the second time.

[frodo]

It’s taken me a long time to finally sit down and write this out. I’ve decided to keep this brief so that anyone who reads this can understand my basic position – but if you have any questions or want any more details please feel free to ask me.

I am planning to go in for revision surgery, for the second time.

For context – I live in India and am 32. I developed gynecomastia when I was around 13 or 14 years of age. Puberty, basically. The kind of gynecomastia that is glandular, not just fat deposits. Left side much more prominent than the right, but puffy nipples both sides. It took me a long time to understand what it was – this site, in fact, was a great help to me back in 2006-2007.

That was when I made the decision to finally go for surgery. The doctor, a plastic surgeon from Mumbai, used the method by which they cut around the nipple, remove the gland, and suck out excess fat. After the surgery, however, it was apparent that the breast shape still existed. Even when swelling subsided, the breast shape was still prominent. The doctor, however, said it was "fine" now.

I found out much later that the doctor had not even followed basic procedures like drawing the contours with a felt pen.

I consulted another doctor, also in Mumbai, a few months later, attached to a hospital, who agreed that not enough was taken out. He did the surgery around 6 months after the first surgery, assuring me he would go do the felt pen contouring.

He didn’t. He arrived at the day of the surgery, and when I asked him why I hadn’t been marked, he handed me a marker and asked me to do it myself. I did the best I could – I mean, come on, I’m no medical man, he seemed fine with the result, and we went into surgery.

You can guess the rest. I woke for the second time, immediately realising, even through the compression garment, that I still had a breast. What followed was the same denial on the doctor’s side, assuring me it was in my head. It clearly was not – close friends that I confide in agreed that it still appeared breastlike.

Despite trying my best to be brief, I have still gone on much longer than I expected, and I thank you for reading this far. It brings us to the present – it’s now 2012, and I have finally got over my disillusionment with the whole process to try again. But I really would like this to be the last time.

I have already consulted a doctor, and it is partly from him that I realised that patients are always supposed to be marked on the skin’s contours with a marker for a doctor to operate successfully. This would mean my previous two surgeons made a gross oversight. There are also some other issues with the results of the previous surgeries -- "tethering", etc.

I have consulted with this new doctor twice already. I wish to get this over with as soon as possible. I’ll share my discussions with the new doctor in my next post – for now I would be happy to clarify anything about what I have already covered that might help. I respect the opinions of people on this board, and would be grateful for any suggestions you could give me.

Thanks for reading this far. I found this community an incredible help back in 2006, and it’s only because of past negative experiences that I have not posted this sooner.

SHORT VERSION: had two gyne surgeries, still have breast shape. consulting with new doctor, have some questions i would like to share about that. in the meantime, here to clarify anything about the story so far that I may have missed. Jaded that I have to go through this again, but happy I have you wonderful people to share it with.

[zm]

Hello Frodo,
Thank you for sharing.  The last 2 surgeons who operated on you, had you done your research on them?  I do find it incredible that 2 surgeons operated unsuccesffuly…

I have read about surgeons in India from this forum who seem to have excellent recommendation…maybe worth having a look into them?

Let’s hope you get 3rd time lucky.  It would be good to seem some before and after pics.

[frodo]

Hi Zm... thanks for reading.

Both these previous doctors were well established, the one in question is even attached to a well-known hospital. While I was being wheeled in for surgery (having marked myself with a pen) he even asked me which side was the bigger one. It was disconcerting that he wouldn't know that, but it was too late to turn back at that point.

Anyway, to get to the second part of my story, there have been some issues from the last surgeries besides an inadequate amount of breast removed. The left breast still bulges out, and on the right side there appears to be what my new doctor calls "tethering" -- when I raise my arm high, there is a concave depression on the right side of my chest.

I have been speaking to the new doctor about this -- attempting to fix it will result in a bigger scar than if he merely does keyhole liposuction. Not sure whether to live with it or try and get it fixed. I have been "burned' twice already so I am, perhaps more cautious than usual.


Anyway, to put it briefly:

* The doctor shares your feeling that it is incredible that two surgeons operated unsuccessfully. However, he has examined me and confirmed that it was a poorly done job, both times. What can I say, it sucks. I was just unfortunate in my choice of doctors.

* He would do the "keyhole" type surgery, where a small incision is made and the fat sucked out. I do not need the cutting-around-the-nipple method as the glands have already been removed - twice. In fact, too much may have been taken out. So yeah, the keyhole type surgery sounds good to me, since it is less invasive.

* He will perform it under local, not general anesthesia. This is also great, as the healing time will be shorter. Also I don't see the need to be put under for a basic operation like this.

* He will mark the contours and the fat to be removed beforehand with a marker. Really, this should be common practice, but my last two surgeons did not follow it. This one seems to consider it essential, and it really is.

* Coming to the issue of "tethering". Poorly-performed surgeries can lead to parts of the breast getting flattened into a concave shape when pulled -- in my case it happens when I raise my right hand. He says he can fix this.... but there is a catch.

I'll get into what that "catch" is in my next post, because it's really the part that is weighing most on my mind. I would love to discuss it with you, but I just wanted to be sure that you understand my position so far. I will look for and upload photographs from my previous surgery as well. Thanks, and once again, I really do appreciate your response.

[zm]

The concave depression does seem like too much fat was taken out.

I'm still shocked the surgeon asked you to mark our your chest.  That's a bit like an architect asking me to workout how to build the foundation of my house.

I would strongly advise you research the next surgeon in absolute great depths. find out how long he has been doing gyne surgery for and how many patients he has operated on and also ask him for photos of the patients.

feel your pain bro.

[masked_1]

very very sorry to hear. Good luck next time

[hatemymoobs]

If a doctor told me to mark my own chest I'd have gotten the F up and walked right out.
That is just absurd...