when did your swelling go down completely?

[BeLikeArnold]

just want some input from everyone, mines has been a month, still wearing the compression vest. the swelling as gone down but its still very noticeable. still looks like gyno

[DrBermant]

just want some input from everyone, mines has been a month, still wearing the compression vest. the swelling as gone down but its still very noticeable. still looks like gyno

I also see many patients for residual contour issues after surgery. Components of the problem can be residual swelling, gland, scar tissue, and fat. In some cases it is a bridge too far, compromise surgery does not remove the chest contour problem when there is a global component. Breast can be made smaller, but they will still be breasts.

Swelling after gynecomastia surgery depends on the problem treated, what was done, after surgery care, compression garments, surgeon's skills, and many other factors. Over my career I wanted to better understand this process, document the original problem, document the result, and document the path patients were taking to get there. Why? I wanted to improve my surgery techniques. I wanted a faster recovery, minimize issues that led to bruising, swelling, and discomfort. With my Standard Pictures, I was more critically analyzing problem, solutions, and by monitoring early after surgery photos, monitoring the recovery and other issues. I found that my more complex operations like Male Mastopexy had a different pattern than my Gynecomastia.

Each case was analyzed and my technique refined. Those refinements were then documented and then analyzed. That pattern led me to a body of documentation I put on the web. My goal was to demonstrate various problems, the surgical solutions the techniques offered, and the paths patients took to get there. I wanted my patients to be able to tell me that their experiences were close to or better than what they found on the web. This then had another important value, patient expectation. By giving my patients access to such information, they can better understand how their healing was going on and more importantly call me if they were seeing anything out of the ordinary. This stress relieving factor can really help my goal of healing not just the tissue but the emotional component as well.

The problem is that no all doctors seem to offer the same techniques nor documentation. Some just put up a few views so that more critical issues are not showing. Some do not put up early after surgery images. Options their patient have include looking in forums to see photos that others have posted. Try using the search function here and that may show some results. The problem is most of those pictures are gone, missing, or been deleted by the free listing sites for what ever reason.

There is a lot of hand waving with words that goes on, but that, in my opinion does not document the contour or how well arms go up overhead, or how muscles flex.

I caution my patients that they should be able to see results the day after surgery with swelling like what is seen on my site. There should be next to no swelling or bruising. Even with such methods there is fluid in the tissues that will absorb over the next 24 hours to several days. Then there is the tissue injury that can take a few weeks. Beyond that it can take 6 months or longer to see the final results.

Perfect healing has peak swelling in the operating room and decreasing consistently after then. This is unrealistic. Stress the body too much and new injury occurs and new swelling will happen. Do not stress the body ever and the recovery will also take longer. This education is key to helping my patients walk that fine line. It is kind of fun getting a patient call checking in telling me they just tried to do --- and, like we discussed, they could feel that they had pushed it too far too soon. They backed off and now had a little swelling. The system of documentation, education, and feedback is working.

Have you considered posting a complete standard after surgery set of pictures? Have you checked with your own surgeon about what is typical for his / her patients? Were there examples to better understand the healing process? Or perhaps you have a contour issue not related to swelling with residual deformity.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.