if the skin looks stuck to muscle

[gynebob3]

if the skin appears to be stuck to the muscle when flexing the pecs after surgery, what technique is used to fix this with revision surgery?

and how many months or years after surgery do you think a patient should wait before giving up hope that the healing process will fix this issue by itself (if the person is a extremely slow healer)?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

I would recommend waiting at least six months or longer before considering any attempt at correction.  Would first return to your surgeon to discuss the problem and seek his help to do the revision (preferably and none to minimal cost for you).

Depending upon how bad this adherence is (of skin down to muscle), there are some techniques which may be of help.  Fat tissue is the best treatment because it provides a "glide layer" between the skin and underlying muscle.  How to get the fat there?  It depends upon the severity of the adherence, the location and distance from the nipples, etc.  I would definitely consider either fat flaps or fat grafts -- but a physical exam is really necessary to assess the entire problem.

Good luck!

Dr Jacobs

[DrBermant]

if the skin appears to be stuck to the muscle when flexing the pecs after surgery, what technique is used to fix this with revision surgery?

and how many months or years after surgery do you think a patient should wait before giving up hope that the healing process will fix this issue by itself (if the person is a extremely slow healer)?

Posting Standard After Gynecomastia Surgery Pictures can help others better understand your concerns.

Healing tissues can distort the surface until they soften.  Being patient is usually the best first step.  The process can take 6 months or longer. 

When the skin is really stuck to the underlying muscle, such as in a Crater Deformity Gynecomastia Complication, even time will not address this problem.  However, tissues need to soften before considering revision surgery.  When there are local resources, I typically use my Fat Flap Technique to mobilize nearby fat to fill in the missing tissue and provide a layer of tissue for the skin to glide over.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Revision Gynecomastia and Chest Surgery