Online consulation

[hitchcock]

Have doctors done this before, and if so, is this possible? I understand it would be better for a doctor to feel the breast/chest to see how much excess tissue is there, but I was just wondering and worrying about my situation.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Yes, for many men with gyne, an online consultation can be quite helpful.  Obviously, nothing can beat a hands-on physical exam, but gyne is one condition which seems to be amenable to online consults.  I have done many many of these for men who live on every continent (except Antarctica).  Most of the medical history is discussed, an appropriate series of photographs sent and then an evaluation and recommendations made.  The patient usually arrives one or more days prior to surgery and a thorough physical exam is performed.  Recommendations for surgery are made and everything is explained.  However, most importantly, both the surgeon and the patient must be comfortable with one another.

Dr Jacobs

[Litlriki]

I also do many on-line consultations for patients who are not local.  For most cases of gynecomastia, this works very well, and even for more complex cases, at least some of the details can be sorted out before a patient travels a long distance.  I also like to have my surgical patients arrive a day or two before their scheduled procedure to allow us to meet in person and make any final arrangements.  Generally, however, at that point, all systems are go.

Rick Silverman

[hitchcock]

I would be interested in an online consultation even though I'm in the northeastern part of the country. I usually take pics with my iPhone and people have said they are hard to decipher. There is also video .mov's I can make to send. This would include moving around to show how the breast tissue reacts during certain movements.

I can't say that I'd move passed the consultation period because I still need to visit my general doctor and possibly an endocrinologist to see what's going on. Luckily I have no insurance for these additional costs!

Anyway, thanks for responding. It's a pretty mild case.

[DrPensler]

AS you have no doubt figured out by now it is common to arrange an online consultation. There are the usual provisos that nothing can be in stone until a physical exam is performed. As a number of individuals travel substantial distances it  is impractical to think that a perspective patient can always fly in for a preoperative evaluation months prior to surgery. For patients traveling great distances an online and telephone review with quality photos ( even an iPhone has a good camera)combined with a thorough exam the day of or before surgery is optimal.