Getting surgery with an inexperienced surgeon

[hitchcock]

I don't have any experience or a complete understanding of the surgery process, but this is your body and you should be in no rush at all. You lived with it this long, it can wait. The most important step in this process is the surgeon. You better make sure she's done this before or you'll never want to take your shirt off again. It's a gamble NOT worth taking in my opinion.

[sawyer]

just post pics so more people are aware how important the surgeon choice is

[looseSHIRT]

Goodluck with your choice.. Hope everything goes well..

[Pooz]

I only got 2 frontal pictures. This mainly shows how bad my puffy nipples are. I also got some fat, but the gland is the worst. I would be happy with just the puffy nipples being gone tbh.

These pictures are from 3 years ago. I'm in better shaped now.






I go in for surgery tomorrow. I'll be sure to post post op pictures.

[DrBermant]

I only got 2 frontal pictures. This mainly shows how bad my puffy nipples are. I also got some fat, but the gland is the worst. I would be happy with just the puffy nipples being gone tbh.

These pictures are from 3 years ago. I'm in better shaped now.
I go in for surgery tomorrow. I'll be sure to post post op pictures.

Take the time to make a more complete current set before surgery, especially if you doctor has not done so already. Use my instructions for making such a document with the flexing, arms up overhead and all of the angles. Any evaluation based on images not showing the current problem are flawed. You have the chance to get sufficient documentation of whatever this doctor will be doing by doing it yourself if the doctor has not incorporated such details in their practice. Just because Plastic Surgeons are required to take such pictures to pass their boards, does not mean they continue to do this after they have passed. I have seen unhappy patients who were operated on by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and the patients claimed that no before surgery images were taken. Some doctors feel that only one or two images adequately demonstrate a problem and solution. I have examples on my site of such a disaster demonstrating how just limited views do not show the extent of the deformity that individual had. Watch the videos on that one to really see the power of missing animation for the chest documenting. Remember this is a chest you will be living with for the rest of your life. Perhaps your documentation will demonstrate the skills of this individual. If not, nobody will know if you are really showing an improvement or just seeing what you have achieved with your own work after those images were taken.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.

[Pooz]

I only got 2 frontal pictures. This mainly shows how bad my puffy nipples are. I also got some fat, but the gland is the worst. I would be happy with just the puffy nipples being gone tbh.

These pictures are from 3 years ago. I'm in better shaped now.
I go in for surgery tomorrow. I'll be sure to post post op pictures.

Take the time to make a more complete current set before surgery, especially if you doctor has not done so already. Use my instructions for making such a document with the flexing, arms up overhead and all of the angles. Any evaluation based on images not showing the current problem are flawed. You have the chance to get sufficient documentation of whatever this doctor will be doing by doing it yourself if the doctor has not incorporated such details in their practice. Just because Plastic Surgeons are required to take such pictures to pass their boards, does not mean they continue to do this after they have passed. I have seen unhappy patients who were operated on by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and the patients claimed that no before surgery images were taken. Some doctors feel that only one or two images adequately demonstrate a problem and solution. I have examples on my site of such a disaster demonstrating how just limited views do not show the extent of the deformity that individual had. Watch the videos on that one to really see the power of missing animation for the chest documenting. Remember this is a chest you will be living with for the rest of your life. Perhaps your documentation will demonstrate the skills of this individual. If not, nobody will know if you are really showing an improvement or just seeing what you have achieved with your own work after those images were taken.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.

Thanks Dr. Will take some current pictures.

[DrBermant]

I only got 2 frontal pictures. This mainly shows how bad my puffy nipples are. I also got some fat, but the gland is the worst. I would be happy with just the puffy nipples being gone tbh.

These pictures are from 3 years ago. I'm in better shaped now.
I go in for surgery tomorrow. I'll be sure to post post op pictures.

Take the time to make a more complete current set before surgery, especially if you doctor has not done so already. Use my instructions for making such a document with the flexing, arms up overhead and all of the angles. Any evaluation based on images not showing the current problem are flawed. You have the chance to get sufficient documentation of whatever this doctor will be doing by doing it yourself if the doctor has not incorporated such details in their practice. Just because Plastic Surgeons are required to take such pictures to pass their boards, does not mean they continue to do this after they have passed. I have seen unhappy patients who were operated on by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and the patients claimed that no before surgery images were taken. Some doctors feel that only one or two images adequately demonstrate a problem and solution. I have examples on my site of such a disaster demonstrating how just limited views do not show the extent of the deformity that individual had. Watch the videos on that one to really see the power of missing animation for the chest documenting. Remember this is a chest you will be living with for the rest of your life. Perhaps your documentation will demonstrate the skills of this individual. If not, nobody will know if you are really showing an improvement or just seeing what you have achieved with your own work after those images were taken.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.

Thanks Dr. Will take some current pictures.

Do a complete set as I have evolved following the instructions carefully. Each instruction is there to establish a better document for evaluation. Even better, do that and take a standard video. That is what I have now have been doing for years to understand the problems my patients start with to evaluate what my surgery has evolved to.

Good luck on your surgery.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.

[Pooz]

Well. My surgery is done. Just a couple hours post op right now. Not feeling much pain. She put in plugs. I'm going to go pick up my compression vest tomorrow.

One thing I'm scared about. My nipples seem to be collapsed/caved right now. Is this a normal occurrence right after surgery or is this rare?

I know it's way way way too soon to be worried, but I guess, since I got an inexperienced surgeon when it comes to gynecomastia, I'm quick to judge.

[Pooz]

I am actually starting to get a little nervous right now. My nipples are completely collapsed/caved





should I be worried?

[jojo82]

Do you know what type of incision your surgeon used?

[Pooz]

Nope. She just said she would cut the lower half of the nipple. I'm thinking the swelling is possibly pushing out the outer part of the nipple?
I'm definitely going to ask my ps what's going on tomorrow.

[jojo82]

Nope. She just said she would cut the lower half of the nipple. I'm thinking the swelling is possibly pushing out the outer part of the nipple?
I'm definitely going to ask my ps what's going on tomorrow.

I'll take that as periareolar. Wait until the swelling goes down to judge. You're a couple of hours out.

[Pooz]

Nope. She just said she would cut the lower half of the nipple. I'm thinking the swelling is possibly pushing out the outer part of the nipple?
I'm definitely going to ask my ps what's going on tomorrow.

I'll take that as periareolar. Wait until the swelling goes down to judge. You're a couple of hours out.

Yep. It's just weird to see my nipple completely buried. I'm hopping the swelling goes down on the outer part and maybe that will fix it.

[DrBermant]

Well. My surgery is done. Just a couple hours post op right now. Not feeling much pain. She put in plugs. I'm going to go pick up my compression vest tomorrow.

One thing I'm scared about. My nipples seem to be collapsed/creased right now. Is this a normal occurrence right after surgery or is this rare?

I know it's way way way too soon to be worried, but I guess, since I got an inexperienced surgeon when it comes to gynecomastia, I'm quick to judge.

A crease is a fold of tissue surface tissue and is avoided during draping the skin during the sculpture. I prefer to finish my sculpture in the operating room such that it looks like what you see on my website. Creases should be minimized as part of the surgical plan or something discussed due to excessive skin issues such as tubular breast or major size reduction. Although tissues do evolve after surgery, just how much is not predictable. That is why it is better to have such issues addressed as part of the plan of surgical sculpture. You can see the types of minimal creasing I accept on the male mastopexy and tubular breast pages when my sculpture must deal with major amounts of excess skin.

Here is an example not on my site I posted here:

https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=8776.0

That minimal surface creasing is within the limitations of the best surgical technique I have been able to evolve.

Yet, the body does compensate over time. Major contour issues do change. However, that is the power of seeing what any doctor's methods are like and how their patients' tissue evolve after surgery.

Yep. It's just weird to see my nipple completely buried. I'm hopping the swelling goes down on the outer part and maybe that will fix it.

I always put my patients compression garments on at the time of surgery. Swelling is best prevented. Reduction of swelling afterwards is nowhere as effective. Each patient is also fitted for their garment before surgery, much less traumatic for the fitting and better as part of the basic education of each patient.

Good luck on your healing.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.

[Pooz]

Well. My surgery is done. Just a couple hours post op right now. Not feeling much pain. She put in plugs. I'm going to go pick up my compression vest tomorrow.

One thing I'm scared about. My nipples seem to be collapsed/creased right now. Is this a normal occurrence right after surgery or is this rare?

I know it's way way way too soon to be worried, but I guess, since I got an inexperienced surgeon when it comes to gynecomastia, I'm quick to judge.

A crease is a fold of tissue surface tissue and is avoided during draping the skin during the sculpture. I prefer to finish my sculpture in the operating room such that it looks like what you see on my website. Creases should be minimized as part of the surgical plan or something discussed due to excessive skin issues such as tubular breast or major size reduction. Although tissues do evolve after surgery, just how much is not predictable. That is why it is better to have such issues addressed as part of the plan of surgical sculpture. You can see the types of minimal creasing I accept on the male mastopexy and tubular breast pages when my sculpture must deal with major amounts of excess skin.

Here is an example not on my site I posted here:

https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=8776.0

That minimal surface creasing is within the limitations of the best surgical technique I have been able to evolve.

Yet, the body does compensate over time. Major contour issues do change. However, that is the power of seeing what any doctor's methods are like and how their patients' tissue evolve after surgery.

Yep. It's just weird to see my nipple completely buried. I'm hopping the swelling goes down on the outer part and maybe that will fix it.

I always put my patients compression garments on at the time of surgery. Swelling is best prevented. Reduction of swelling afterwards is nowhere as effective. Each patient is also fitted for their garment before surgery, much less traumatic for the fitting and better as part of the basic education of each patient.

Good luck on your healing.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.

for some reason, my compression garment wasn't ready, so I have to go without a compression garment for a day and a half.

Do you think, from my pictures, there's caving or is it just swelling?

Thanks for your imput as always, dr.