Im a thin guy with man boobs and surgery didnt fix anything

[vancouver]

5 years ago I was a fairly thin guy 6'2" 33" waist, but i had a pointy fat chest.  When i raise my arms straight up in the air my chest goes perfectly flat, so i dont think its a gland tissue problem. Just pure fat. anyway, I had liposuction on my chest 5 years ago.  the surgeon made a single incision in the middle of my torso in b/t the ribs.  he lipoed my chest from there.  my chest was very numb after the surgery, but flat. as weeks went by and the numbness went away, my pointy fat chest started to reappear.  within a couple of months my chest was back to exactly how it was before the surgery and it still is the same to this day except maybe a little bit bigger as i have gained a few more inches on my waist as well.

im thinking of working out for several weeks and getting my waist back down to 33" and getting surgery again.  but, im afraid that i just have a hormonal imbalance and the chest fat is just going to reappear after the surgery again.  any advice?  thank you!

[gynesurvivor]

You may want to meet with an endocrinologist and get your estradiol and testosterone levels checked.  Also, you have glands that may have reproduced the tissue after it was removed.  You'll need to find out a permanent solution before you go through another surgery so this doesn't grow back again. Hope everything works out.

[vancouver]

if i go to an endocrinologist and they tell me it is a hormonal imbalance, then how will they treat it.. i'm assuming with meds.  how effective are those meds and what are the side effects? thanks.

[gynesurvivor]

If you go to an endo and they tell you it's a hormonal imbalance then you're one step further to figuring out a permanent solution to your gynecomastia.  This will give you more options and diagnosis results that will allow you to research and better prepare you for an individualized medical plan.  In some cases, insurance will be able to cover if there is a medical diagnosis rather than just being cosmetic.  Given your history, without a diagnosis it will be difficult to treat if were hormonal.  As you explained, you tried something and it didn't work so there must be a reason for the recurrence.  I'm assuming that another lipo procedure would only patch the problem temporarily once again.  It may also be that no part of the glands were removed and therefore it grew back.  I'm not a doctor and I assume treating it with any meds may give side effects.   If you decide to take medication after your diagnosis, you can better weigh your options and decide if its worth taking the risks with medication.

[vancouver]

my family physician is a family friend, so i wouldn't feel comfortable going to him about this problem.  if i go to a walk-in clinic, would the doctor there be able and willing to book an appointment for me with an endocrinologist?

[gynesurvivor]

I think HMO restrictive plans need a referral.  Depending on the insurance you have, you may not need a referral.  You can call an Endo office and ask what you'll need in order to see the Dr. and that you want to identify if a hormone dysfunction is causing your symptoms.  Or, you can make something up just to get an appointment and then inform the Dr. about your concerns.

[burntoast]

Judging from "vancouver" being his username, I'm assuming he's Canadian. PS shouldn't need a referral.. it might just be a way to deflect people. Either way,  just go talk to your doctor, family friend or not. Your boobs are only a big deal in your head, and when you get the surgery they'll be a thing of the past. No big deal, man.