considering surgery - Dr Eli Judah

[tsas]

hello, im thinking of getting surgery at the yorkville centre, toronto, with Dr. Eli Judah.
he did a good job of taking out my double chin, and some work on my stomach.
but it doesnt mean he knows how to do a good job on gyno, so thought id mention his name if anyone has seen him, or knows anything about him.
i have pink puffy nipples and fat. they arnt really big, but you can see my breasts through clothes. i always wear layers. im 34 years old. ive been exercising alot for six months now, and dont see any improvement.

after reading many many pages, stories, i have to say right now, im at 50/50 decision. part of me thinks i should just live with my breasts, rather than risk it.
or maybe im worrying too much, and this surgery is mostly risk free.

basically, if anything was to go wrong, i would even be more depressed. im one of those perfectionist type people who notice small things.  here are some questions-

1)is there anything i should be asking my doctor about the procedure before to make sure he is doing it corretly, things like drainage of fluid, not cutting outside the aerola, not cutting the nipple right off, that kind of thing. anything i can tell the doctor to make sure that this is done properly, or to be sure he knows what he is doing?

2)im travelling on work holiday time to see him. i really dont think ill have another chance financially, and timewise till next year to see him again. i would be staying a week after surgery, then going home.
is that a dumb thing for me to do? is there a good chance ill have to go back for more surgery? should i tell him to try to take as much as possible out now, without risk of irregularity? or is it best to take it easy, and then come back for more after?

3)can i reasonably expect to have a normal chest after surgery? im most worried about depressions, or indents, irregular nipples(color, shape, if they are even), noticable scars, that i can be close and intament with someone and they wont notice anything?
does gyno have a low chance of things going wrong?

ok thxs for any advice/help

[brebguy]

you know tsas, your chest will never be perfect and your happinees will only depend on what you expect from surgery.
scars, indentation, discolouration are thing that can definitely happend. most guys that go through surgery think its worth it to have a scar on a flat chest than having womenly boobs.
as i always say, it's all relative. some people will mind the scar some wont and actually, some people mind the gyno and some dont as well so you should never expect surgery to make your chest perfect because i dont think thats possible.

besides perfection is relative too... my lipo scar are so small, you cant tell i had lipo. but i guess with my skin complexion and different skin irregulaties it blends almost perfectly but, something still happened there and there is a little mark. i just think the scar is so small it makes it all worth it.

surgery is never risk free (well i think not much is risk free in life but whatever). there were cases that went wrong and you can see picture on the net. the only thing though is that i dont remember seeing stats about surgery success or surgery satisfaction. here on the board you can hear about different experiences with different doctors. thats how i chose my ps. i dont remember seeing any bad reviews about my ps and the results a i saw all looked great.

an experience doctor knows what is best for you and i trust him the same way i would expect a client to trust me in my field of specialization (even though it doesnt mean that i cant make mistakes).
the most important thing for me choosing a ps was making sure that he knew what he was talking about and that he is a well experienced surgeon (in my case, he performes about 3 gyne surgeries everyweek which is more than enough for me).
i also asked about other techniques and why he wasnt using them. he answered perfectly to the point that i too beleive he uses the best technique that exists.

and most of all, you need to feel comfortable and trusting. if you have any doubts, run away because if something goes wront you'll hate yourself for not going with your gutfeeling.

honestly Tsas, you should not consider surgery if you dont feel ready for it. i waited quite a while before i made the decision. and when i did take the decision to have surgery, i was a 100% sure i wanted it done.

think about it well.
and good luck buddy

[Give me Life]

Great advice brebguy:

Yes, tsas. Do you research first for ps and then go for it. When I found out about this website and cure for gyne ("The great" - google.com), I read almost all posting (more than 500) over the weekend. And then did some research (google) for the techniques and why, how stuff. Found out couple of doctors and their expertises. But word of mouth took great part in making final deal with my Ps. As same as brebguy, he is the best and all happy clients. So I am going with him.

But take your time and then make your mind. Don't rush the things as we all waiting for 15-20 years for this great day. And don't mind waiting for another 15-20 weeks to get the best result. Wrong Ps can ruin your dreams.

Ask as many question you have on this web. We have the best people arround here (john bambu) who will help you to any of your questions.

[tsas]

ok, so you do have me worried now.

do you mean, that even after a successful surgery, there will always be scars, irregularities, lumps and bumps?
that there isnt any chance of having a reasonably normal flat, even looking chest after?
all the picutures ive seen of successful surgeries look normal after. but then i guess they arnt close ups photos.

i am aware that every surgery has risks, but does gyno surgery have a relatively low chance of going wrong? are the bad cases that happen mostly due to doctors who didnt know how to do it properly?

i talked more with my doctor. he went over the procedure again with me, i asked about scarring, he said that even if there is small scars, i have chest hair which will cover it.
he says he will do the liposuction first, then remove part, not all of the gland he says to keep blood circulation. he will remove enough gland so i have a natural contour after.
he also says that gyno is one his most often done surgeries.
overall i do trust him and everything hes described has been what ive read about being the proper way to do the surgery.

anything else i should ask about, or know about?
and it is ok for me to fly back home a week after surgery?

[brebguy]

hey tsas...
well as i said its all relative. if you are having surgery you will most probably hace scars (the surgeon IS going to remove tissue from you body...). but people heal differently : while some people have absolutely unoticeable scars some have more apparant marks. while it doesnt mean the surgery was not successful or that the doctor is not competent, it all depends on the way your body reacts to the whole process of cutting through skin...

i really dont mean to make you worry... as i said i am totally confident in my doctor and this type of surgery because i felt comfortable with the technique and the doctor and was able to accept that the result might not be perfect. if a plastic surgeon tells you that you will have perfect results, give me his number...

they dont tell you that because they know too well that a cosmetic surgery like this is never perfect. all will always tell you that the main goal of that surgery is improving the contour of your chest to give you a more manly shape. while some people have perfectly flat chest some dont and i think you need to be ready to the possibility that you will look at improvement rather then perfection.

for me that was more than good enough

as for staying a week after surgery ... that is MORE than  enough. people here have took the plane about 1 or 2 days after surgery...you can do almost anything after surgery...

dont worry too much tsas.
take care

[tsas]

ok i think i understand you now.
you are saying that gyno surgery is a little different than just liposcution, since they have to contour and shape the chest as well.
so, success depends on the expertise of the ability of the surgeon to do that, and how your body reacts to being cut up.

athough much less serious, its like you have to trust someone to cut your hair a certain way.
i think i trust this doctor to do that. i like his work he did on me so far, and everything hes talked about matched what ive read.

as long as any imperfections that result after are ones that only i notice, i can deal with that.my chest after doesnt have to be perfect, but i do want it be natural looking, that no one could tell i had surgery.

[brebguy]

hey tsas...

actually the lipo helps the contour but the gland cannot be removed by lipo some doctors that remove fat with lipo without removing the gland might leave an odd shape. (or at least that's my understanding)

i believe the doctors can acheive better results with both of them.

i'm glad you understand tsas take care and good luck on your decision making process...  

[supaaman]

Yeah, just taking gland leaves a depression (hole), so they use lipo to smooth the contour our nice and even.

[tsas]

i decided to have it done.
its been four days now since i had surgery.
im completely amazed at the results.
my chest is flat. not unaturally flat, or caved in flat, but just flat.

the funny thing is, the reason i was unsure if i was going to have to surgery was that i was trying to imagine how the doctor was going to work with my chest contours and shape.

you see, ive lifted weights at the gym for years now, this last summer i was trying really hard, and i just thought i was lucky to have a muscular chest. and i was worried how the doctor was going to work with that muscle.
i didnt realise that that wasnt muscle, it was all fat. any shapes and contours i was proud of, were fat.

i didnt have the big pendulous type of breasts, i had more the spread out type of breasts, and it was only in my thirties when the nipple, and area around it, started to get big and boob shaped and it would show through my shirt, that i started to get annoyed and thought about getting something done.
i didnt realise that my whole chest area was fat and breast.

now, even after surgery, with the puffiness and swelling i look better then how i did.
i will have to adjust being this flat chested, i hope in the end it all looks proportiate to my 200 pnd body. i dont want to have a fat body, but flat chest.
im not over worried, i think it will look good, and give me more motivation to keep on a good diet and keep active.

overall im just amazed at how big my breasts where and didnt even know it, and im happy i went through with the surgery.
Dr. Eli Judah is a good doctor, and he did everything that ive read is the right way to do it.
he did lipo, and gland removal.
the pain is mostly gone, im bruised, i asked to have to scars put in non symetrical places, so even if they still show, im not concerned. everything looks even and should heal ok.

all ive got to do now is after i recover, to try to build real muscle now on my chest, not fat

[Give me Life]

tsas:

You are great. And you are fast. On Aug 30th you asked for an opinion And on Sept 3rd, you were still asking for what's the different about surgery and today you are saying you are done with the surgery 4 days ago meaning done on 6th sept.

Amazaing & Surprised too.

But hey, great to know that you got good result.

[tsas]

i already booked the appointment and planned this trip back in july.
i spent the whole summer worrying about it, exercising, seeing if i could get rid of my breasts by running a half hour every second day, that kinda thing. which didnt make any difference.

it was only in the last week before the surgery date that i started to get alot of doubts, so i decided to make a post on this board, since i was considering cancelling the surgery and not going.
so i thought id see what people had to say about the surgery and try to see if i should go through with it.

after reading posts on this board and other web pages, i understood more what the surgery was about, and was confident that the doctor knew what he was doing.

so i went ahead with it, still worried, but glad i didnt cancel.

[Give me Life]

Good Tsas:

How's your recovery is going? I had mine done on same day - 6th. So we are on same track. I havn't remove my tensor wrap yet. Likly on Tuesday. So till then I don't know what I have under my belt But from feeling of it, I don't think I hit the bulls eye. Well, let's see.

Honestly, I am more tense now then before the surgery.

[tsas]

i am still worried too, since i havnt seen the final results.

you havnt taken your tensor off? i took mine off right away, i had to know.
you should take yours off too, watch and monitor what is going on.
im wearing this compression bra thing that keeps my chest flat, i hope its putting enough pressure. ive read people buy those compression tshirts from sportchek, maybe ill try one of those.

so far, im very bruised, sore nipples, and the area where the lipo was done is sore, but only minor soreness, i can move around now and i could even go back to work today if i wasnt on holidays and in another city.

my nipples almost look like i didnt have surgery, the hair around them and the natural pinkness seem to blend in, so im sure that i wont have to worry about my nipples. he cut in the very lower ring of my nipples.

the lipo scars are bruised and bloody now, two of them, one under each pec area. i asked for armpit area, but he said that wouldnt work. from what ive seen from my previous lipo, those should fade as well. they are the only ones im a little worried since they arnt on my side, or lower area, they are right in the middle of my chest.

i havnt gotten much swelling at all yet, maybe ill get more later. the only area im worried about is kinda before under the arm, it feels a little puffy. im thinking cuz i sleep on my side it squishes that area, but otherwise everything looks even.

im actually more worried about how flat it will be when the swelling goes away, ive never been this flat chested before.

you mention that you are not sure it hit the mark? what do you mean by that?

[Give me Life]

I havn't remove the wrap yet. When I was discharge from hospital, they gave me instryction paper which says, i have to wait till 6-7 days.

I just got a glimpse under my wrap and I put the finger in the wrap as well. And I can feel that it's not a complete flat cheast. I still have area which is puffy and large. So not sure how my surgery went till I remove the wap completely.

Do you have pictures? I have my pre-op and waiting for wrap to be removed. So then can post all pre & post pictures in one time.

[tsas]

i find it....odd....that you have been told not to take your wrap off. i understand you have to wear it 24hrs a day for the first while, but whats going to happen if you take it off for a minute to look at how your body is healing? your not going to explode or anything.
theres no way it can ruin the surgery if take it off and look.
just make sure you or someone can help you put it back on the way it was.

did you have gland removal and lipo? see i had to take my bandages off the very next day anyways, i had lipo, so had drainage over night, all my bandages/gauze were crusty and bloody by the morning so i went in to the doctor and had them changed, and washed my compression bra thing.
so i didnt have it on for about an hour while it washed and dryed.
are you saying you have the same bandages on since surgery?
that cant be healthy.

the way i figure, i took my compression bra off right when i got home, before the swelling and puffiness set in. this way ill get a fairly good idea of what the final appearance will be, and see what the surgeon did.
how else can you know if there is a problem that needs help if you dont look at it?

unless someone on this board can tell you otherwise, or give a good reason why you shouldnt, you need to take your wrap off. and what do you mean by wrap? its a compression garmet right?

the doctor has all my pre op photos, pictures of my breasts were never kodak moments, so i never kept any for myself.
but maybe i can take some aftershots, ill see.