How long does it take for the skin to retract and sweeling to subside Post surge

[mumbai.experience]

I wouuld like to know how long does it take for the skin to retract post surgery.

Also I have some swelling around the nipple. It feels like a lump.

It has been around 5 weeks after surgery.

Thanks in advance.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Depending on how much the surgeon used lipo to undermine the surrounding tissues, the skin should tighten significantly right on the operating table!  There will still be some additional tightening in the coming months as well, though not as dramatic as on the operating table itself.

Dr Jacobs

[DrBermant]

I wouuld like to know how long does it take for the skin to retract post surgery.

Also I have some swelling around the nipple. It feels like a lump.

It has been around 5 weeks after surgery.

Thanks in advance.

How well the skin, areola and nipple shrink with surgery can vary as I demonstrate in the two balloon examples on that link.  How much skin retracts and the timing depends on

• how much it had been stretched
• how long was it streched
• how much elasticity remains in the skin
• how much was removed during surgery
• how much did surgery cause swelling and other tissue injury.

After Major Weight Loss, the skin can be damaged and tends not to shrink as well as undamaged skin. 

I see an immediate shrinking of skin as I remove tissue under the skin. Skin Shrinking on Operating Table During Gynecomastia Surgery.   Further shrinking occurs as the swelling goes down.  I prefer techniques that have minimal swelling after gynecomastia surgery so there is not much more to shrink for my patients. But some doctors' methods can result in quite a bit of swelling.  As swelling goes down, the tissue can continue to shrink.

Injured skin also tends to shrink as it heals and scars (scar contraction).  Some doctors intentionally try to injure the skin to "make it shrink."  This method does not work well and I have seen other doctors' disasters from tissue lost and chests deformed attempting such injury.

Hope this helps,

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

[mumbai.experience]

Thanks Doctors,

But I am getting really worried with the swelling since It started 2 days ago. Its been 5 weeks since the operation and there was minimum swelling but the swelling around the right nipple has increased drastically. If feels like the gland pre-op.
Has the gland redeveloped.
Will the swelling subside over time and the contour be normal.
I was quite happy with the look but now am a little nervous.
I started the gym last week.

Thanks again for you help and quick responses.