Author Topic: Surgery with Dr. Bermant (3/14/2009)  (Read 26844 times)

Offline mrpower33

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As promised, I am now almost seven months post-op.  I am a little concerned that the scars have not faded as much as I would have liked.  I've been using Bio-oil twice a day for a few months now, I will probably move on to something else, I don't think it has really done anything.  If anyone has any advice, that would be great.  I am Asian if that makes any difference. 

Offline steelhead

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I can't really tell I think it looks ok.
I'm asian as well :)


Offline zane949

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I have heard that the darker your skin tone, the scars will show more, I am Armenian and am planning on having the surgery, I have a pretty dark skin tone so I hope it will not be that bad, if anybody can shed some light that would be great,  I agree with steelhead though mrpower you got some really good results I can barely tell as well you would have to be within like 2 feet of you to notice.

Offline mrpower33

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Hey guys, here's another update on the scars, I'm now almost exactly 9 months post-op.  
« Last Edit: December 13, 2009, 01:35:26 PM by mrpower33 »

Offline steelhead

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Looks good the scar is very unnoticeable unless you are really close up.

Offline UnquestionedAnswers

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Hey bro, i'd have to say from an outside POV i think you're pretty much golden. It's almost inconceivable to think someone would be able to spot and identify the tiny remnants of scar tissue that you have... i mean it's not easy even looking at a blown up picture of your nipple, so don't stress! Anyway, i was hoping for a little advice from you as you and I seem to have VERY similar situations (well, HAD in your case, hehe  ;)) I've read your full story, and it's very similar to my own. I'm 27, live in CA, have a fairly mild case of gyno and have been going back and forth about having this procedure for a little while now. It's really been playing hard on me both mentally and physically over the last few months and i think i've finally decided to go through with it. I have done a lot of research on the topic, researched surgeons etc. and was originally thinking about getting it done locally, but considering my case is more on the mild side i definitely would have to get it done nearly perfect the first time so as not to regret having the procedure done in the first place. I was actually thinking about going to Dr. Bermant, despite having to travel from CA to get this done... Any thoughts, comments or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks in Advance, Drew

Offline zane949

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Hey bud, I'm from California as well and am about to get on a plane back to Virginia right now, I got surgery scheduled with Bermant on Friday.  This dudes thread helped me out a great deal, pretty much the exact same story, I'm 32 so I've had this condition for awhile, it didn't really start to bother me that much until I got into my 30's anyways gonna nip it in the bud friday, spend some time and do your research you should be fine.

Offline UnquestionedAnswers

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Wow, no kidding??? Sounds like you made a pretty well informed decision regarding your surgeon... the same one that i will be more than likely be making! ;) I figure it's well worth the trip to get it done right the first time, no taking chances... And yes this guy's thread has been a big help to me as well, as it's a very similar story to my own and it's well documented. Well best of luck in your endeavor, and keep me posted how things turn out for you... neighbor!  ;)
- Drew

Offline trojan213

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Your transformation has been incredible. You look amazing.

Not to be a debbie downer on this thread, but IMO the scars are noticeable. It's hard to say whether your "average" person would notice. Have you been without your shirt around people? Notice any quick glances? I feel like the bodybuilding set at the gym would notice?

Your results have inspired me to get surgery, but I'm still concerned about scarring. My nipples are also REALLY small, so I wonder if it will be even easier to notice.

Anyway, thanks for keeping us posted. Hope you're out there enjoying life with your new chest :).

Offline mrpower33

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Hey, thanks for your honesty, I agree, they are noticeable, but no one has said anything about it.  I haven't had my shirt off around too many people, but I live with two other guys and they haven't said anything.  The thing is, I would totally be one to ask about stuff like that, but maybe other people just aren't like that. 

Just some advice for you, none of the topical scar creams did a damn thing for me.  You should check out silicone gel sheeting, I went a dermatologist the other day to get a pimple popped and I showed her the scars while I was at it.  She noted that they looked pretty good and said silicone gel sheeting was the only clinically proven OTC scar treatment.  She also recommended something called Kelocote which I plan on looking into.  Actually, the scars have been steadily improving even in the weeks after that last shot was taken.  I'll post another pic at the year mark and we'll see. 

Offline UnquestionedAnswers

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Hey, a quick couple of things... First off - I agree it is great to have an open and more importantly an honest discussion forum. Opinions vary widely, but this is beneficial as it offers different perspectives to consider. Judging by the most current set of pictures you posted i can say that the scarring appears to have lightened in comparison to the last set of pictures you posted only a couple of months prior. Also, when you consider the fact that the scarring can continue to fade over the first one to two years, i'd say you're definitely heading in the right direction. I think you look great, and keep in mind your results may continue to improve! Your thread's been very informative and well documented, so thanks for that... Best success to you in the future!

-Drew
« Last Edit: January 09, 2010, 02:51:14 AM by UnquestionedAnswers »

Offline decimal

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How many days after the surgery did you start working out?

Also how long did you wear the secondary compression vest?

Offline mrpower33

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I don't remember exactly anymore, but I'm pretty sure I didn't hit the gym again until after I stopped wearing the Stage 1 vest which was 4 weeks post-op.  I wore the Stage 1 for 4 weeks and Stage 2 for an additional 8 weeks.  That was way more than Bermant required, but the Stage 2 is pretty comfy and I wanted to play it safe.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2010, 03:57:03 AM by mrpower33 »

Offline mrpower33

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Drew, I know exactly what you're going through.  With a subtle case there's always the fear that if the surgery goes awry it would be worse than the original problem and how fucked up would that be?  You were kinda normal before, now you're scarred and messed up and you're out thousands of dollars to boot.  That was my dilemma also which is why it took me over a year to decide to get it done.   It's funny because when I first learned that there was even a surgical option I did a search and found the youtube video where Bl*u does an actual operation.  When I first saw that video I couldn't even watch the whole thing, I had to shut it down and told myself there was no way in hell I would go through that.  There were days where I was just like, darn it, I'll just learn to live with it, it's not that big a deal.  But the problem was I'd keep coming back here!  Even after I decided I wanted the surgery I initially ruled out Bermant because I thought there was no way in hell I would fly cross country to get this surgery.

There are a couple things to consider.  I live in LA and a guy who messaged me on the board just had surgery with Kapoor in Beverly Hills, basically 2 miles from where I live.  I think his surgery went well, although it's probably too soon to know for sure.  I'm still in contact with him and I'll let you know how it came out.  If you check out some of Kapoor's recent pics they look pretty good.  Also, he had the surgery himself so he's pretty sensitive to what people are expecting from the surgery.  The only other CA surgeon that consistently gets high marks is Delgado in SF.  He is VERY expensive, uses drains, and is difficult to book though.  In any event, it got me thinking about whether I would have done it with someone local like Kapoor.  I think that given my personality, I made the right call.  The flight into VA was god awful, I won't lie to you.  I had to connect through Newark and that is just the most terrible airport I've even been to, even worse than LAX which is really saying something.  Also, when I got to VA it was raining, which was annoying  That being said, at the end of the day, it was just inconvenience, nothing more.  If you have a subtle case and you want a near perfect result, I think there is a great deal of peace of mind that comes with going to an expert like Bermant, despite the inconvenience.   You just have a higher probability of getting a great result, I think there's value in that.  Also, Bermant's operation is like a well-oiled machine and caters to out of towners.  I had no one to help me out, so even though I had to fly cross country, the fact that he didn't use drains and offers private nurses to help you out after the surgery was huge for me.  I have roommates so going to a surgeon that uses drains was pretty much out of the question, on top of that they look really gross and painful.  So that's another consideration.

Anyway, I'm glad this thread had been helpful for you guys.  I've tried to include all the details I would have liked to know about, it's nice to know that you guys have benefited from it if for no other reason to put your mind at ease.

Offline gynebob3

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how does the result look when u have your arms over your head or flex your muscles? can u tell youve had any type of surgery (like craters or skin looks stuck to muscle)?


 

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