Questions about surgery

[Kerpal]

I have a few questions about surgery.

1. When you go for the surgery, where is it done? I had to have a hernia repaired, and one of the surgeons I went to for a consultation wanted to do it in his office, which really sketched me out. I just don't feel comfortable going under the knife in someone's office, which I doubt is as sterile as a hospital operating room. Plus if something goes wrong you're not actually in a hospital. Do the surgeons do the procedure at a hospital? Also, who does the anesthesia for the surgery, do the surgeons generally have a qualified anesthesiologist on staff?

2. How long after the surgery can I start working out again? By "working out", I mean heavy, powerlifting type movements (squat, deadlift, bench press etc). I was training heavy 2 weeks after my hernia operation with no problems (laparoscopic surgery with mesh). This is what the surgeon recommended and I feel like it was a CYA and I could have been back in the gym even sooner. I will of course wait however long the doctor tells me to.

3. How long after the surgery until you see the full results? I know it varies depending on severity. My case is similar to the 2nd one on this page from Dr. Bermant's site: http://plasticsurgery4u.com/procedure_folder/male_breast.html For a case like this, generally how long until the swelling goes down and everything?

4. I live about 4 hours away from Dr. Pope and my family lives about 4 hours away from Dr. Bermant, so I will probably have the surgery with one of these two. Anyone have any idea on how they compare in terms of results, prices, etc.? I checked out both websites, Dr. Pope's doesn't have as much info or pictures as Dr. Bermant's so I'm leaning toward the latter.

5. Again, I know it varies, but any general ideas as to total cost of the surgery at one of the above doctors? I found another case similar to mine on here and the poster said he paid about $5,000 when all was said and done. Again, mine is similar to the 2nd one on this page: http://plasticsurgery4u.com/procedure_folder/male_breast.html

6. How long after surgery did it take you to cope with the mental/emotional issues associated with this? I've had it since I was 13 and I'm 24 now, missed out on high school and college partly because of it. I go to ridiculous lengths to hide this, haven't taken my shirt off in front of anyone in over a decade, and I even plan out how I walk places so I'm not walking into the wind. Anyone have to go to a therapist or anything like that? Or is it pretty much over once you have the surgery, and you can live a normal life?

7. How long do you have to wear the compression vest after the surgery? Is it noticeable under a T-shirt? I'm trying to figure out if I need to do this over a holiday so no one sees the vest. I don't want anyone to know I had this done.

[DrBermant]

I have a few questions about surgery.

1. When you go for the surgery, where is it done? I had to have a hernia repaired, and one of the surgeons I went to for a consultation wanted to do it in his office, which really sketched me out. I just don't feel comfortable going under the knife in someone's office, which I doubt is as sterile as a hospital operating room. Plus if something goes wrong you're not actually in a hospital. Do the surgeons do the procedure at a hospital? Also, who does the anesthesia for the surgery, do the surgeons generally have a qualified anesthesiologist on staff?

I perform almost all of my surgeries in my Fully Accredited Surgery Center. Yes, it is located in my office. It is where my patients prefer to have it done for the specialization, safety, privacy, may team, and comfort. Plastic Surgery Anesthesia is an art form and I have been working with my highly skilled team now for many years. Their extraordinary skills are a major factor in my patients' Comfort After Surgery, check individual experiences both on my site and in this forum. Together we have evolved the same principles I use for my male chest to other parts of my practice such as my Tumescent Tummy Tuck. We find it incredible having a patient undergo this extensive an operation and only use only Tylenol and a few pain pills.

2. How long after the surgery can I start working out again? By "working out", I mean heavy, powerlifting type movements (squat, deadlift, bench press etc). I was training heavy 2 weeks after my hernia operation with no problems (laparoscopic surgery with mesh). This is what the surgeon recommended and I feel like it was a CYA and I could have been back in the gym even sooner. I will of course wait however long the doctor tells me to.

Recovery After Gynecomastia Surgery depends on the problem to be treated, skill of the surgeon, surgical techniques, injury caused by surgery, after surgery care, and many other factors. This is real surgery and tissues need a chance to heal. Although not creating a sprain, this surgery is just like recovering from a sprain. Putting an artificial time frame on it makes little sense. Comfort is a great guide to what the body can do. In bodybuilding, no pain no gain. In healing ignore the pain and you will slow and delay the healing. My patients are up and about the day of the operation. They are able to perform light duties the day after surgery. They progress to full activities as their body permits, something like you describe for your hernia recovery.

3. How long after the surgery until you see the full results? I know it varies depending on severity. My case is similar to the 2nd one on this page from Dr. Bermant's site: http://plasticsurgery4u.com/procedure_folder/male_breast.html For a case like this, generally how long until the swelling goes down and everything?

Swelling After Gynecomastia Surgery also depends on many factors. The progression seen on my website is typical for my patients. My surgical sculpture philosophy is to start out with the least possible swelling. That way the patient can see just about the complete result in the operating room. For my patients, peak swelling is typically in the operating room and then gradually decreases after that. Such progression is well documented with many examples on my website. However, even with my techniques subtle swelling exists. It can take a few hours to a couple of days for the tissue fluid to absorb. Then the subtle tissue injury swelling usually resolves over the next few weeks. However, with liposuction and fat sculpting, it can take at least 6 months to see the final result.

4. I live about 4 hours away from Dr. Pope and my family lives about 4 hours away from Dr. Bermant, so I will probably have the surgery with one of these two. Anyone have any idea on how they compare in terms of results, prices, etc.? I checked out both websites, Dr. Pope's doesn't have as much info or pictures as Dr. Bermant's so I'm leaning toward the latter.

5. Again, I know it varies, but any general ideas as to total cost of the surgery at one of the above doctors? I found another case similar to mine on here and the poster said he paid about $5,000 when all was said and done. Again, mine is similar to the 2nd one on this page: http://plasticsurgery4u.com/procedure_folder/male_breast.html

In our office, Cost of Gynecomastia Surgery depends on what needs to be done. I work with up to 8 gynecomastia patients a day. We see so many different types of gynecomastia that a one price fits all just would not be fair. Jane is my office manager and can help with typical costs and fees.  She can normally be reached at our office by phone Monday - Friday 9-5 Eastern Time at (804) 748-7737.

6. How long after surgery did it take you to cope with the mental/emotional issues associated with this? I've had it since I was 13 and I'm 24 now, missed out on high school and college partly because of it. I go to ridiculous lengths to hide this, haven't taken my shirt off in front of anyone in over a decade, and I even plan out how I walk places so I'm not walking into the wind. Anyone have to go to a therapist or anything like that? Or is it pretty much over once you have the surgery, and you can live a normal life?

There can be a great deal of Emotion Living with Gynecomastia. We work on that issue well before patients even chose to come to us with the extensive introduction to what we offer on the web. That continues during our consultation, after surgery care, and support after surgery. Check out the photo on the front page of my gynecomastia section.  Having the before surgery pictures set up right by the mirror permits a patient to directly compare the original problem and what was done, part of our methodology of emotional healing.

7. How long do you have to wear the compression vest after the surgery? Is it noticeable under a T-shirt? I'm trying to figure out if I need to do this over a holiday so no one sees the vest. I don't want anyone to know I had this done.

After Surgery Compression has two phases after surgery. Phase 1 is for protecting the tissues and a critical factor in our patients' comfort and swelling. Phase 2 is for the scars. Scars that evolve under pressure do much better than scars without pressure. Wearing a Second Stage Compression Garment until the scars soften can produce spectacular results well beyond shorter garment wearing intervals.

Hope this helps,

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