Just had gynecomastia surgery today (and it was free!)

[Cavalli]

Hello everybody! I just had my gynecomastia reduction surgery earlier today and am recovering very well. I have had gynecomastia since I was about 14 and am 25 years old now. I am 158 pounds and 6 feet tall. For my relatively thin frame having gynecomastia (which wasn't the worst I've ever seen but definitely present) really stuck out. What bothered me the most was my puffy nipples and how they stuck out when I would wear t-shirts.

Anyway, I have volunteered for a dermatologist (who does many cosmetic procedures: face lifts, tummy tucks, gyne surgery, etc) for the past year. Finally I got the courage to ask him about the procedure. Normally he charges about $3500, but since I volunteer there he did it for free!

Details of the surgery: I was wide awake. They gave me 3 mg of Ativan and 2 Vicodin before the procedure to calm me down. They used lidocaine on my nipples, then made a small incision to allow for the insertion of the liposuction cannula. He filled it with tumescent fluid (saline, lidocaine, epinephrine, bicarb) to numb the area. Then pulled out the glandular tissue beneath my nipples. They were about the size of a ping pong ball. Then he did lipo which removed about 200 mL of fat (and fluid). The entire procedure was completely painless.

It has been 8 hours and I feel ZERO pain! I have a compression garment on and there's quite a bit of fluid leakage (which is normal). I'm shocked how pain-free this has been! Before he put the shirt on me I saw it in a mirror and for the first time in my adult life I saw my nipples and they are normal: smaller, they look "hard"/less puffy, and my chest is finally flat.
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This post is intended to encourage any people to ask me questions since I just went through the surgery. I know the cost is sometimes restrictive but I hope you are able to make it happen eventually. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

[Cavalli]

What are these silicone sheets I am reading about? Do they just help with scarring? Where could I get them and approximately how much do they cost? I'm a medical student so I'm on a med student budget 

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

I hope you are lucky and that your results are good.  But honestly, look at the situation.  A dermatologist is not a trained surgeon.  Most derms aren't trained to do facelifts, tummy tucks, gyne, etc -- they are doing it only for the money after, perhaps, having taken a weekend course.  And why did he do the surgery on you for free?  He was learning on you!!

You are a medical student.  One thing you will learn in med school and in residency is that there is a lot of learning needed to become proficient in any specialty.  And one thing that I have learned is to respect other doc's specialties.  I would not practice dermatology because I am not trained in it.  Unfortunately, there are derms and other specialties (ENT's, Ob-Gyn's, General Surgeons, Primary Care MD's, etc who may be having financial reverses and are turning to the cosmetic surgery field to augment their incomes -- often without proper training.  It is just not how to do the surgery -- it is also how to stay out of trouble and how to extricate oneself if one does get into trouble.  This is not taught in a weekend course.

I am sure you have read on this forum how guys have gone to some general surgeons and plastic surgeons and have not had satisfactory results -- that is why many people go to a specialist in gyne surgery.  Yet, in order to save some money, you really took a chance in going to a non-surgeon.  I hope for your sake that it worked out well -- but if it didn't, you may be faced with the need for revision surgery at additional cost -- and sometimes nothing can be done.

A word of wisdom:  when something seems too good to be true -- it often is.  Be skeptical.

Dr Jacobs

[xelnaga13]

Scary!

[shaknbake]

Wow!  I'm hoping everything turns out good for you my friend.  How do you feel so far?  Any issues at all?

[Cavalli]

I hope you are lucky and that your results are good.  But honestly, look at the situation.  A dermatologist is not a trained surgeon.  Most derms aren't trained to do facelifts, tummy tucks, gyne, etc -- they are doing it only for the money after, perhaps, having taken a weekend course.  And why did he do the surgery on you for free?  He was learning on you!!

You are a medical student.  One thing you will learn in med school and in residency is that there is a lot of learning needed to become proficient in any specialty.  And one thing that I have learned is to respect other doc's specialties.  I would not practice dermatology because I am not trained in it.  Unfortunately, there are derms and other specialties (ENT's, Ob-Gyn's, General Surgeons, Primary Care MD's, etc who may be having financial reverses and are turning to the cosmetic surgery field to augment their incomes -- often without proper training.  It is just not how to do the surgery -- it is also how to stay out of trouble and how to extricate oneself if one does get into trouble.  This is not taught in a weekend course.

I am sure you have read on this forum how guys have gone to some general surgeons and plastic surgeons and have not had satisfactory results -- that is why many people go to a specialist in gyne surgery.  Yet, in order to save some money, you really took a chance in going to a non-surgeon.  I hope for your sake that it worked out well -- but if it didn't, you may be faced with the need for revision surgery at additional cost -- and sometimes nothing can be done.

A word of wisdom:  when something seems too good to be true -- it often is.  Be skeptical.

Dr Jacobs

I hope you are lucky and that your results are good.  But honestly, look at the situation.  A dermatologist is not a trained surgeon.  Most derms aren't trained to do facelifts, tummy tucks, gyne, etc -- they are doing it only for the money after, perhaps, having taken a weekend course.  And why did he do the surgery on you for free?  He was learning on you!!

You are a medical student.  One thing you will learn in med school and in residency is that there is a lot of learning needed to become proficient in any specialty.  And one thing that I have learned is to respect other doc's specialties.  I would not practice dermatology because I am not trained in it.  Unfortunately, there are derms and other specialties (ENT's, Ob-Gyn's, General Surgeons, Primary Care MD's, etc who may be having financial reverses and are turning to the cosmetic surgery field to augment their incomes -- often without proper training.  It is just not how to do the surgery -- it is also how to stay out of trouble and how to extricate oneself if one does get into trouble.  This is not taught in a weekend course.

I am sure you have read on this forum how guys have gone to some general surgeons and plastic surgeons and have not had satisfactory results -- that is why many people go to a specialist in gyne surgery.  Yet, in order to save some money, you really took a chance in going to a non-surgeon.  I hope for your sake that it worked out well -- but if it didn't, you may be faced with the need for revision surgery at additional cost -- and sometimes nothing can be done.

A word of wisdom:  when something seems too good to be true -- it often is.  Be skeptical.

Dr Jacobs

With all due respect, Dr. Jacobs, the physician who did it does 5-7 gynecomastia surgeries each week. I've observed him perform at least 60 of the procedures myself. I have never seen one patient come back for a follow-up that was disappointed with the results. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. He has actually done several revisions for patients who had a plastic surgeon do the original operation. I'm not saying one specialty is better than the other at this procedure, I'm simply describing my personal experience.

Speaking of my experience... It has been 1.5 weeks since my gynecomastia procedure. In a word, my results are FANTASTIC! The size of my nipples has decreased by about 40% and with the underlying fat and glandular tissue now removed, my chest is exactly the way I wanted it to look. I have been going to the gym for the past year working on my chest-- and now that I no longer have gynecomastia I actually have pecks! The pain is gone by now. It was a 4 (out of 10) for the two days after the procedure. Overall I couldn't be happier!

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Glad the operation went well for you and that you are pleased.  My words of advice were meant not only for you but for many other readers on this forum who may seek treatment from doctors who are simply not qualified to perform surgery.

Dr Jacobs

[Viking75]

I don´t buy It!
No real sedatives, No pain, performing more gynecomastia surgeries then some of the most experieced plastic surgeons out there, surgery for free or at a very low price an so on.

This will mislead alot of people out there.