Why Is Recovery So Long and Painful?

[as400]

Reading these boards is enough to put you off surgery, not enough good stories from happy people pleased with their results (cant there be a positive section here somewhere?) and why is the recovery so painful and lengthy....some people quoting 12 months to get over it?

I have a relative who had a heart valve transplant 2 weeks ago and he has no pain now and is walking around fine back to his job on a part time basis.

People here are having a little lipo and its wrecking their lives it seems?....

[Grandpa Bambu]

For most, 8 weeks is enough to be 90% healed. For some they are healed sooner and for some it takes 3-6 months. Some guys take up to a full year to recover. However, I think that is somewhat of a rarity. For those that do take a year to see 'final' results, I'm sure 'most' of the healing was done during the first 3 months. Keep in mind that we all heal at different rates.
 
From what I have read over the 3 1/2 years that I've been a member of this site, recovery is not at all very painful. Most of us just have mild discomfort such as what is experienced after a heavy chest workout at the gym. It's more like being 'sore' than in any real 'pain'. Most guys could return to work after 2 weeks. If one had an office job, then he could probably return after 3 days.

I'm thinking that those people (with the exception of a few) who are 'pleased' with their results, move on with their lives and don't bother with the site much. For those who still have Post-Op 'issues', then sure, they are going to continue to turn to the guys here for support.

People here are having a little lipo and its wreckig their lives it seems?...

Having GRS can be quite an ordeal for some. Many guys go it alone, while some confide in a family member/friend. For most , this site is the only place that the Post-Opper can express his thoughts/feelings/fears...  However, some guys are very impatient and want to be healed like 'RIGHT NOW' and if something doesn't seem quite right, then they start to panic and have paranoid thoughts. But you know... that goes with the territory. Post-Op healing can play havoc with your emotions. Plus, you have to keep in mind the age of most patients. Many are very young and in their teens. It could be very difficult emotionally for a teen to go through such an ordeal. Especially if they go it alone...  How old was your 'heart valve transplant' relative?

Having GRS is a tad more than "having a little lipo"....


GB

[jackson318]

It's not the recovery time that people are talking about - it's the "final result" time.  I'm three or four weeks post op and it's still a little sore if I press in certain areas, but by and large, the compressing garments are more annoying/noticeable than any surgical pain.

That said, there are some lumps and scar tissue here and there where the swelling hasn't gone down yet; this is what can take months to clear up.  It's not that you are actively recuperating for a year - it's just that with lipo and tissue removal, it can take a while for the final look to come out.

[Twin Peaks]

Getting gyne surgery disturbs a large amount of tissue under the skin, especially with lipo.  There are lymphatic vessels and lots of tissue that gets disturbed and heals with scar tissue which can take months to settle down.  It only takes a few weeks for the nerve endings and blood vessels to heal themselves, but the scar tissue takes a long time to disappear.  The discomfort only lasts for a little while and for most people it is more than worth it.  A few months of discomfort is definitely worth a lifetime of shirtless days on the beach  .

[gyne23]

Wearing the compression vest >>>>>>>>>> the pain..

In fact, there was virtually no pain at all.. Whether it was the IV needle or this post op process... Of course it's sore after surgery, but nothing that isn't tolerable.. So I guess if there is pain, it's just a sore pain..

The problem is this damn vest.. Sure, you get used to it, but it still sucks..Especially now that the weather is warming up.. Luckily, I'm a week or so away from the pullover stage 2 vest, so this bulky hook one with velcro is outta here in about a week..

Also, please keep in mind that most of the people that get this surgery don't even keep posting because they're satisfied, and they're just done with gyne..

Scare tissue is stubborn, but it's important for the body.. You have to treat it properly, which seems to take some time and care...

The part that has blown my mind with reading some of these post op stories are the people who choose to spend this large amount of money on this surgery, and then rush to peel off the strips on the scars, or race back into the gym to shape up... Don't get me wrong, I understand the urge, but I just don't get why one would drop the funds, and then proceed to not follow the proper procedures in the healing process...

Look, I'm not sure how my final results will be ?? However, I'm going to make sure I follow the instructions to a tee so I can get the best possible results...

[gynebegone2]

Recovery wasn't/isn't that bad.  About 24 hours after the operation I was regretting having it done, things were pretty miserable.  Soreness, limited movement, bleeding, no shower, that damn vest..  72 hours after the operation I was feeing just fine.  Now I'm over two months post op, with a little soreness around one of my nipples with a lump of scar tissue thats shrinking every day.  After about 6 weeks, meaning two without the vest I must admit I forget I had the operation or gynecomastia on a day to day basis.  Sure I still check it every time I take a shower and can notice the scars under my nipples etc, but believe me I would have gone through a lot more pain to experience the wonders of spring and summer without gynecomastia.

Its long and can be mentally challenging with the ups and downs, but its pretty much pain free and after a few weeks when the swelling goes down, its all in your head.

[Noseguard]

Just an hour ago over breakfast I was commenting to my wife how good I feel.  I am 5 Days post op!

I have full range of motion of my arms, easily do everything by myself.

The binder, and the fact that I can't exercise for two 1/2 weeks is the hard part.  But those are not painful or crippling.  I work, play with my kids, shower everyday, and take long (not exerting) walks with my dog.

The frustration of many comes from having the patience to wait for the final results.

5, days post op & feeling great!

[Grandpa Bambu]

Believe me I would have gone through a lot more pain to experience the wonders of spring and summer without gynecomastia.

Same here! 

GB

[DrBermant]

Reading these boards is enough to put you off surgery, not enough good stories from happy people pleased with their results (cant there be a positive section here somewhere?) and why is the recovery so painful and lengthy....some people quoting 12 months to get over it?

I have a relative who had a heart valve transplant 2 weeks ago and he has no pain now and is walking around fine back to his job on a part time basis.

People here are having a little lipo and its wrecking their lives it seems?....

Recovery and discomfort after surgery depend on the problem to be treated, surgical techniques, skill of the surgeon and many other factors.  You can read Many Personal Experiences of my Gynecomastia Patients Comfort and Pain here.  Although I give each of my patients a prescription for strong medication, almost all of my patients tell me that plain Tylenol is more than enough to keep them comfortable.

For Healing and Recovery After Gynecomastia Surgery, the less a patient is injured, the less the bruising, the less swelling, the sooner he is going to feel comfortable going back to his normal activities.  My gynecomastia patients are usually able to go back to reasonable work the day after my surgery.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

[Paa_Paw]

Pain is an odd thing.

Sometimes we need to differentiate between what is pain and what is discomfort.

Pain is the way that the body signals to our brain that something is happening. A person incapable of feeling pain is seriously in danger of a life threatening injury.

There are times when it could save us serious injury because pain has stopped us from doing something.

I had a friend years ago who had a tree fall on him in a logging accident. He told of how he was unable to move and worried that he had spinal damage. Then he started having painful cramps in his feet, and realized that the nerve paths must be open for him to feel the cramps. He later expressed that he was thankful for the pain because it reassured him.

The observation is valid though, really major operations are performed with the patient quickly returning to normal activity pain free. While a patient can have discomfort and slow healing from a relatively minor procedure.

Perhaps we should look at how much of the bodies structure was moved or removed. When I had stints put into my coronary arteries, it was a nonevent. I walked 5 miles the next day. Likewise when both femoral arteries were stinted. But having a tooth pulled, That was pain!

See the relationship? The major procedures didn't move or remove things is a big way but the tooth extraction did remove (or Move) something and major pain was the result.

With breast reduction, tissue is being moved and removed you should expect some pain. Put it in its proper perspective, The body will adapt and the pain will go away.

Some guys get lucky and have little or no pain. How lucky do you feel?

[Spleen]

FWIW, I was healed-up in about a week after gland excision & lipo.  "Final" results after maybe 4 months or so.

[merle]

There is a whole section devoted to success stories.

[Grandpa Bambu]

How lucky do you feel?

"Do ya feel lucky....punk. Well doooo ya?"    Ah, I couldn't resist that one.... 

Ya'll gotta know that line! 

GB