Surgery with Dr. Bermant (3/14/2009)

[UnquestionedAnswers]

mrpower33,

  Thanks for the reply... and yes, you pretty much nailed it in regards to what i've been going over in my head. For a while this was actually preventing me from moving forward with this and getting it done... guess i hadn't quite come to terms with my situation (this isn't a condition i've had my whole life... something that originated over the last year and a half...) I've had plenty to consider but as I stated earlier, this thread and a few others have been very beneficial to me. I'm in so cal as well, and i actually met with a local surgeon in the surrounding area... but i sorta felt that when i went in explaining my situation and my concerns (ie - very subtle case, concerns about end result due to this fact...) I was given a somewhat "one size fits all" answer when it comes to the gynecomastia surgery procedure. At first, i thought to myself that this was probably an acceptable answer, but the more i started thinking about it the less sense it made. And like you said - how bad would it be if i were to pull the trigger and ended up being extremely disappointed in the end result, or worse... So i backed off for a while, but i kept finding myself coming back to this board and doing more research on the internet. Am i looking forward to traveling to VA? No. But i truly believe the pro's much outweigh the con's in this instance. To me it's just something you can't afford to chance, and i feel that i'd be setting myself up for the best results with Bermant. His website offers a vast wealth of info and depth on the subject, and his credentials / achievements speak for themselves. And you having underwent a procedure yourself seem to have very positive things to say about Bermant, his operation, and his staff which is comforting for me to hear. You sound a lot like me in regards to planning things out to a tee, doing a painstaking amount of research and trying to learn as much as you possibly can, exploring all possible alternative options etc and if you still have positive things to say at the end of the day than i'd consider that a success!  

- Drew

[mrpower33]

Gynebob: nope, no craters or abnormalities when I raise my hands over my head.  Looks normal except for the pigmented scar.  I think Bermant's fat flaps are to thank for it, it makes the movement very natural.

Drew: good luck in whatever you decide to do!  Keep us posted if you decide to pull the trigger.

[quake3d]

Honestly man, your 'before' chest looks like my 'after' chest. Compared to most w/ this prob I'd say your in the top 1% percentile.

[UnquestionedAnswers]

mrpower33,

 I definitely will keep you updated. I'm pullin' the trigger bro, it's just really a matter of when... It's a little tricky for me to get time off from work. There's a few things i'm going to need to work around but i can make it happen. I wanted to get it done earlier in the year rather than later though so i might have a shot at salvaging my summer... You got yours in March, right? Realistically, march / april may be around the time i finally get this taken care of considering i have to give my work 30 - 45 days advanced notice to get adequate time off. How did your 1st summer post surgery go? Did you go out without a shirt at all? I believe you can't go out in the sun for 6 months post op because of nipple discoloration as well, is that correct? And if that is the case, it would mean if i got it done in april then we're looking at september to hit the 6th month mark... something to consider i suppose, but for me the sooner i get this done the better. Anyway, hope things are going good on your end. Peace.

- Drew

[mrpower33]

Hey guys, so I'm a little over 1 year post-op, this is probably going to be my final update.  I've been using Kelocote and Scar Guard, but haven't really seen any further changes with the scars.  Hopefully they'll just fade on their own over time.  I'm probably going to quit doing anything else to it after the end of April when I run out of what I have been using.  Anyway, hope this thread has been helpful for all of you dealing with gyne, especially the subtle puffy nipples where it's just a tough call either way.  I'm quite pleased with my results despite the minimal scarring.  Feel free to message me if you have any additional questions, I may not check back here as often going forward.  Good luck. 

[steelhead]

Thanks and good luck!

[Gynosaur]

Gynebob: nope, no craters or abnormalities when I raise my hands over my head.  Looks normal except for the pigmented scar.  I think Bermant's fat flaps are to thank for it, it makes the movement very natural.

Drew: good luck in whatever you decide to do!  Keep us posted if you decide to pull the trigger.

I had surgery with Dr. B 10 days ago and he gave me fat flaps too, because he removed so much glandular tissue.  Like you, there was very little fat to remove from my chest and quite a bit of gland (in fact mine were way bigger than yours, I was shocked when I saw them afterwards).  My steristrips are still on but the nipples are nice and flat underneath.  For the first few days after he removed the dressings (which was 6 days post-op), the healing cuts have oozed a small bit of yellowish fluid, so I still keep some gauze over them...however, this morning there was no new fluid so hopefully the oozing has stopped.

A few things to comment and ask about your experience:

1) You obviously were very careful to follow instructions about post-up care.  I am borderline paranoid about tearing the fat flaps, and at least once a day I do something that creates a bit of discomfort and think "oh no what if I just tore the flaps?!"  Did you have any thoughts like that also?

2) I have a hard lump of swelling just outside and below my right nipple.  I called the office and they told me it will go away with time.  They are so knowledgeable and professional that I always believe what they say, but I'd like to know if you had anything similar and how long it took for it go down.

3) When you got back into your workouts ~4 weeks after surgery, did chest exercises cause any new swelling and/or discomfort?

Congrats on your outcome, man.  It looks really good.  Your scars are slightly visible, but only to the trained and attentive eye.  I will be extremely happy if my scars come out looking like yours.  I wouldn't worry about other people noticing if I was you...the scars are practically not there.

[mrpower33]

Hey Gynosaur:

1. Yeah, I was really paranoid about the fat flaps, but I don't think they are as easy to mess up as you think and I never had any issues.  You should be well on your way to being healed up by now, but I wouldn't do anything active a few weeks.

2. I had some general swelling on my left side and right below my left nipple the scar was raised a little bit, but all that is gone by now.  I'm not sure it was anything like what you are describing, but you really need about 4 weeks before you should be worried about how things looks.

3.  Nope, by the time I started working out again, things felt pretty normal. 

Good luck, hope you post some progress pics.

[steelhead]

What is this fat flap you guys are talking about ?

[DrBermant]

What is this fat flap you guys are talking about ?

Fat Flaps are nearby fat mobilized on their blood supply and moved to fill in a defect that are often sewn together to hold them in place. They are an element of my Dynamic Technique that permits me to target the gland first and then use my artist's pallet to contour the remaining tissue.

Some surgeons liposuction first and then remove some gland to even the chest contour. As part of their technique gland is left behind to support the nipple areola complex.

By concentrating on the gland first and then contouring the fat, I can minimize the problem of residual gland deformity especially seen on animation such as lifting arms up over head and playing sports. Residual gland deformity as the areola muscles relax just does not look natural. Gland and firm tissue just do not move like fat, feel like fat, and the more gland left behind, the more target cells for regrowth. A good looking male contour should look natural while living life, playing sports, not just on a few pictures with arms down in a cold room.

Any injury such as surgery requires some protection during healing. Fat sewn to fat is no different. Reasonable care and listening to one's body during healing seems to be more than enough for after surgery care. I have had to repair only one fat flap from a very traumatic event after surgery in the many years I have been doing this technique.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

[Jan1010]

few questions for you:

I had my surgery (gland excision) almost exactly 5 months ago and I still feel some hardness (almost like the gyno before) underneath.  It is only noticeably to the eye on the one side but obviously I do not want that (the side that had more gland in it and removed).  Did you have anything like that?  What do you feel when you pinch your nips now?  What did you feel at five months?  I feel like I am still healing, my nips are still a good bit numb especailly the side that had more of the gland removed.  Also, when I use compression wrap, even now, (especially when I add gauze on the nips for added pressure) whatever it is that is under my nips like changes shape and shrinks.  Any clue what that is?  Any insights?

thanks

Michael

[mrpower33]

Happy new year's guys, just wanted to give an update on my scars, I am nearly 2 years out now. 

[mrpower33]

Michael, I don't know what to tell you, by 5 months I pretty much felt perfectly normal, like I never even had the surgery (except for the scars).  When I pinch them now, there's nothing underneath, the glands are completely gone.  You should probably follow up with your doctor if you're still have concerns.

[thetodd]

cant believe ive never seen this thread before, you looked pretty damn good before the op but can see why you opted for the op absolutley no trace of gyne anymore. I wouldnt get hung up on those scars seriously you look very natural! Being lads who've undergone surgery we'd recognise scars like that, but to any other person its just going to look like any other nipple. If i was to see you on the beach i wouldnt notice unless i had a magnifying glass.

You look great!