Surgery booked, just a few questions

[karl_82]

Hi guys!

Ok. I recently went for a free consultation to have my gyne checked out. I was expecting it to be the gland type as i am not overweight and a slim build.

The surgeon had a look and told me it was fat, maybe very small gland.

After finding out it would cost £3,500 over here i have gone ahead and booked into the Poland clinic for September.

Just a few questions i have, hope someone wont mind taking the time to answer them.

1. I smoke, not heavy, around 8 a day. Will i need to stop before surgery and if so how long before?

2. Is it worth going to my gp to get it checked out with him before going to poland and see if he can refer me to an endo?

also here is my pics thread -

http://www.gynecomastia.org/cgi-bin/gyne_yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=11;action=display;num=1149892610

[ghostrider]

hi karl...

i have just emailed poland for a date myself........from reading these boards for a while now, what i would say is that i am seeing an endo in july and would also like an ultrasound to see if in fact there is any gland tissue under my nipples.....as i have seen sooooo many times on this site people that have been told by the plastic surgeon that they only need lipo....and then end up unhappy still with pointy breasts and have to go back and have a revision done ........ i wanna make sure i get it right 1st time round and achieve the look i am after and not end up misserable again when i get back and have to put cash together again for a revision....

[karl_82]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I after the same kind of thing really, i wanna get it done 1st time right.

R u seeing an endo via your gp or are you seeking one private? if the latter how do you go about doing this and do you know the cost?

thanks

[phantom]

Hello Karl

Your GP should be able to refer you privately.  Why do you want this aspect of your potential treatment done privately?  You should be able to see an endocrinologist within three months via the NHS.  Unless you are in a particular hurry, then the NHS route in my opinion will only give you the same as going private would.

Fees for private vary.  Any consultation can be anything from £100 upwards (£300+ not uncommon) and you may have to pay for any testing separately.

Hope that helps.

[Robin_G]

Hi Karl

I had surgery a few months ago

Because I'm fair and I was told to expect the worst re bruising etc Mr L said that stopping smoking obviously could only help, but it was far more important not to drink and avoid the other things on the list he gives

I gave up about 2-3 weeks pre-op anyway

oh and hello phantom, how u doing?  

[phantom]

Hello Robin

How you getting on?

I am well.  Very happy with the result so far.  I will be seeing Mr L again next month to talk about a 'band' of fat tissue at the bottom of each side.  He said I might need a 'touch up' to finish things off.

[karl_82]

Hi all,

thanks for all the advice! basically i wanted to know about going private just in case i couldn't fit in the wait as i have booked for sept. Now i know i can defo go through the nhs i will do it that way regardless.

Thanks again  

[Robin_G]

Hi Phantom

Yeah all is pretty good thanks

I don't even think about the gyne anywhere near as much these days to be honest

I'm not totally sorted but you know what I'm not too sure I'm even that bothered....thanks to Mr L's handiwork and a bit of my hardwork in the gym I think I'm as happy as I could have hoped to be

I haven't even been back to see him as yet, I probably should

I can now wear what I want and don't freak out about taking my top off and when I do don't even get a second glance

I occasionally think 'hmmm I paid all that money I should maybe go for perfection' but then I think back to how I was and if someone had said at xmas I'd be like this now I'd have probably taken it and been contented. I don't think I was ever after total perfection, I just didn't want to stand out because of this

Funny how some of the mental conditioning that gyne brings stays with you subconsciously because you've been doing it so long though

I go in shops and think 'hmmm...can't wear that' and then I'm like ' huh? oh yeah I can' and the recent heat has been so much easier to deal with due to not worrying about t-shirts and shape and stuff even though I have these initial urges to cover up before I remember I had it done

I think I will go see Mr L though all the same

I may benefit from a 'touch up' too I guess. Maybe it will stand me in better stead for the long run

Whats the verdict from those on here....is it relatively stress free?

You already went back to see him once didn't you phantom?

Will he do the 'tocuh up' there and then when you go back next time or is it more involved than that?

[irish_dude]

Ok. I recently went for a free consultation to have my gyne checked out. I was expecting it to be the gland type as i am not overweight and a slim build.
The surgeon had a look and told me it was fat, maybe very small gland.

I'm no medical expert, but from your pics it looks like all gland and no fat. Get a second opinion from another consultant.

1. I smoke, not heavy, around 8 a day. Will i need to stop before surgery and if so how long before?

8 a day? No. I smoke a lot more than that - too embarrassed to say how much! - but it probably aversely affected my ability to loose internal scar tissue quickly after the op. Eight a day wouldn't be a problem.

[karl_82]

Thats for the help irish_dude. I'm honestly not sure what it is to be honest as it feels soft, gland i imagine would be hard?

I'm going the doctors soon anyways before poland to have him check it out and maybe go see an endo.

thanks again

[irish_dude]

Thats for the help irish_dude. I'm honestly not sure what it is to be honest as it feels soft, gland i imagine would be hard?

Hard-ish. Only toned/flexed muscle or bone feels totally hard.

[Sean]

Hi Irish_dude,

Ye I told Levick everything I am on. one of the drugs(spirotolactone) was irritating the gland but that has now subsided since I gave the drug up (detrimental to my hair unfortunately). The thing is that the gyne I have had all my life is still there regardless of what hairloss drug I am taking. I am in with Levick in two weeks hopefully to sort this out once and for all. FYI, not only am I using regaine, I am using much stronger drugs than proscar. Stupid really but hair loss bothers me alot.

Hope you are well, did you plan your revision?

Im worried about fluid build up/haemotomas(sp) when I am back in Ireland. Do you think that sort of thing could be sorted out locally?

Good Luck,

Sean.

[phantom]

Hello Sean

If you have your surgery at the Priory, you are kept in overnight with drains in place to keep a check on any possible pools of blood or fluid.  Hematoma usually rears it's head within hours of surgery which is why you are operated on in the morning/early afternoon.  Once you are given the all clear the next day you should be OK.

Mr Levick told me that on average, one in ten patients can expect to suffer an haematoma.  For him personally, the rate is nearer one in 20.

If you have any blood/fluid concerns on your return to Ireland, call The Priory immediately - any time of day or night.  If Mr Levick is not available, there will be someone else that is that can advise you.  Your local GP should be able to deal with this situation.

[irish_dude]

Stupid really but hair loss bothers me alot.

Hope you are well, did you plan your revision?

Im worried about fluid build up/haemotomas(sp) when I am back in Ireland. Do you think that sort of thing could be sorted out locally?

If anything is going to go pear-shaped with fluid-build up/haemos, it will do so within the first 24 hours post surgery. Thankfully you'll still be in the Priorty studying the lunch/dinner/breakfast menus during this time.

I posted here about the revision. I saw Mr.L earlier in June and he seems to think it's excessive scar-tissue. He asked me to lose some weight and come back in 6 months. I'm dieting at the moment and working on losing 2 stone (I'm 16.5 stone now...JAYSUS!) by October...should be achievable.

The hair loss thing really freaked me out in my early 20's, but it's something you either accept or it will seriously bug you.

If it's really bad, just shave the lot. You'd be surprised about women's attitude to our hair, from my experience we're more concerned about it then they are!

One of my woman friends summed it up when I asked her - "Hair loss? We don't care as long as you wear a clean shirt and have a nice smile".