Consultation Scheduled

[morpheus11]

Hello All,

So I've finally scheduled a consultation with a surgeon here in Austin. It's in the first week of May, so I wanted to leave this thread open to any suggestions.  Any questions I should ask the surgeon?  I know of the general surgeon questions but I'm referring to the types of questions past gyne sufferers have asked their surgeons?  Anything I should ask specifically?

Also, should I go see my primary doctor first?  I don't have insurance and have finally saved up enough money for the surgery.  Do you all suggest going to see my regular doctor first so they can run hormonal levels test???

Thanks

[jojo82]

Hello All,

So I've finally scheduled a consultation with a surgeon here in Austin. It's in the first week of May, so I wanted to leave this thread open to any suggestions.  Any questions I should ask the surgeon?  I know of the general surgeon questions but I'm referring to the types of questions past gyne sufferers have asked their surgeons?  Anything I should ask specifically?

Also, should I go see my primary doctor first?  I don't have insurance and have finally saved up enough money for the surgery.  Do you all suggest going to see my regular doctor first so they can run hormonal levels test???

Thanks

The battery of tests that doctors run when a patient is diagnosed with gynecomastia is expensive. But in my opinion, it's worth it. Any doctor worth his salt will rule out all possible underlying medical causes before referring to a plastic surgeon. Things like testicular cancer and liver damage can cause gynecomastia. Even if it was puberty onset gynecomastia, it's better to get everything tested beforehand.

[jakeyboy08]

This may help you on question's to ask the surgeon : https://www.gynecomastia.org/content/treatment/asksurgeon.shtml

Jake

[jojo82]

Hello All,

So I've finally scheduled a consultation with a surgeon here in Austin. It's in the first week of May, so I wanted to leave this thread open to any suggestions.  Any questions I should ask the surgeon?  I know of the general surgeon questions but I'm referring to the types of questions past gyne sufferers have asked their surgeons?  Anything I should ask specifically?

Also, should I go see my primary doctor first?  I don't have insurance and have finally saved up enough money for the surgery.  Do you all suggest going to see my regular doctor first so they can run hormonal levels test???

Thanks

The battery of tests that doctors run when a patient is diagnosed with gynecomastia is expensive. But in my opinion, it's worth it. Any doctor worth his salt will rule out all possible underlying medical causes before referring to a plastic surgeon. Things like testicular cancer and liver damage can cause gynecomastia. Even if it was puberty onset gynecomastia, it's better to get everything tested beforehand.

To clarify what I was talking about: Yes, you need to see your primary care physician first to have a testicle exam and to have lab work done to test for hormone deficiencies and other ailments like liver damage. I'm in the process of interviewing doctors for a series of articles I am writing on gynecomastia, and this is standard procedure (and, in fact, it is deemed necessary by almost all insurance companies as a prerequisite to filing a claim for gyne surgery, if it is not covered in an exclusion).

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

The vast majority of patients who have pubertal gynecomastia and are considering surgery many years later may not need extensive hormonal testing. There are, for the most part, young, vigorous and healthy.  More often than not, their hormonal status is normal but the gyne has remained.  Obviously, when you visit a gyne surgeon, he will ask some questions about your medical background and general health status.  If any suspicions are aroused, he may then advise further tests. 

But for most routine patients, additional and expensive hormonal blood tests are not needed.

Dr Jacobs

[jojo82]

The vast majority of patients who have pubertal gynecomastia and are considering surgery many years later may not need extensive hormonal testing. There are, for the most part, young, vigorous and healthy.  More often than not, their hormonal status is normal but the gyne has remained.  Obviously, when you visit a gyne surgeon, he will ask some questions about your medical background and general health status.  If any suspicions are aroused, he may then advise further tests. 

But for most routine patients, additional and expensive hormonal blood tests are not needed.

Dr Jacobs

You are correct that most cases of gynecomastia are puberty onset (or related to obesity), but it is a necessary step to rule out all underlying medical causes before referring to a plastic surgeon. As expensive as hormone tests are, they are still far cheaper than gynecomastia surgery alone; and it's certainly cheaper than revision surgery.

[Dpw]

My doctor sent me to have a mammograph, and ultrasound, and blood test. My next appt to discuss surgery is the 27th, I can't wait, all my test came back normal. The most embarrassing thing I ever had to do was getting those two test, and the receptionist yelling o these test are for you Mr walker Loud, but the doc told me he had gyne surgery as a child but he even seemed nervous and didnt want to offend me while doing the test. I just got this embarrassing letter also my wife gave to me. The fact my chest fit in the mammograph machine was so embarrassing since the nurse who was performing it I see in the gym everyday and she hot ass hell. I haven't been back to gym since.

[morpheus11]

thank you to everyone who responded.

@DPW--that was some funny stuff about the nurse and your gym.  it literally made me laugh out loud.  but anyhow, good to hear you're a step closer to no longer having to deal with this issue.  I'm hoping to be there soon.