Puffy nipples 5 months post op...is this normal?

[EastCounty]

Just a little update for anyone taking the time to read this thread...

I just got back from my follow-up with my plastic surgeon. I lifted off my short and, of course, during the consultation, my nipples were not puffed out so my chest actually looked fine. (Ironically, I wished they were puffed so he could see my problem!) I knew they looked fine because he had two mirrors in the exam room and, looking into both of them with my short off, it actually looked OK!

Anyhow, I am at about 5.5 months post-op. He things that everything still could be healing and he wants to play it a little safe. He wants me to come back in 3 months (which will put me a 8.5 months post-op). He said if the problem is persisting at that time, he'd be happy go go back in there and see if there is anything else that needs to come out. But he does want to play it safe and wait 3 months before that.

Who knows, maybe in 3 month the issue will not be as bad or perhaps it will be gone. I suppose everyone's healing process is different. But at least I know he will help me out in case things are not to my liking 3 months from now.

Reviewing his notes from the operation, he said I had more fat than breast tissue. He did remove some breast tissue, but again, according to him, there wasn't much to start. He did say, though, that he sucked out nearly a liter (!) of fat from my two "boobs" combined; he said that was a lot for someone of my size. (Maybe I have some residual fat?)

Let's see what happens in 3 months! (Patience is a virtue, I have been told...)

[McGilli]

Well. If it is just fat - good news is you could lose it from exercise/diet.

The best thing this site did for me - at least now - is help me realize I won't have the final results right away. It will take time.

I've stopped looking every day. I've stopped taking photos every day etc. I just wear the clothes I've always wanted to wear - and as far as my mind is concerned I look great.

So just saying - sure - give it another 3 months. And if you think they are puffy some days - I bet no one else out in the world will notice. Or care.

So enjoy the summer!

[gynecomastiauk]

Your chest looks great in those photo's! I think McGilli's advice is spot on, the one thing this site has also taught me is patience. I am only a couple of weeks in post op and although I am really pleased with the current results I am containing my excitement and preparing myself for 12months of ups and downs...not the end of the world when you have had Gyne for 20 years!

Good luck with your continued progress

All the best
Stuart.

[EastCounty]

Had another post-op meeting with my surgeon today. I still feel that there is something residual under my nipples. The doctor agreed and is doing a revision free of charge, no questions asked. Hopefully I can get in to see him again in the next week or two...I am calling his office tomorrow morning to schedule. If the nipple situation is addressed, I feel the end result will be just about as good as it could get.

Anyhow, I will keep y'all updated, assuming any of you care about this one guy's journey through the badlands of gynecomastia.  Here's to hoping the revision will be done soon and I will get as close to "perfect" as possible!

[UNIGYNO]

I'm here reading.. COME BACK LET US KNOW!!

[EastCounty]

I'm here reading.. COME BACK LET US KNOW!!

Will do!

[gynoforlife]

Thanks for the update!
I could not see your photos for a while.  I do think your chest the way it is looks above average compared to most people, but I do see the problem that you are complaining about which is very similar to my profile.

Advice for your secondary surgery
I would do local aesthetic so you can watch exactly what your surgeon does.  For example when I had my second surgery I did local and was awake and knew exactly what type of tissue and how much was removed from each side.  When I had my first surgery I decided for general anesthetic and I have no idea what the doctor did to me except I knew I still had gynecomastia fairly shortly after the surgery once the bruising healed and the chest got saggy again. 

When I had my second surgery and asked my doctor if I could look for myself into the wound via a mirror, he said no.  I just took his word for it and today I still am not as comfortable in a thin light t-shirt as I should be.  The morale of this story is you have to be aggressively involved with this surgery or this saga will never end for you.

When I get my third surgery and hopefully the last, I am going to do the following:

1.  Demand that a nurse or doctor hold a mirror so I can verify if this surgery is going to work for me.
2.  Demand that a nurse or doctor video the entire surgery from start to finish (in HD) not skipping any steps in between.  Make sure the doctor videos the underneath side of the nipple skin and videos beneath the nipple and all around on the inside to see exactly what was left where.
3.  Point out this so-called "scar tissue" if there is any (read earlier posts).
4.  Use a hyfercator or electrical cautery to remove the tissue from the inside of the nipple skin, scissors alone will not work.
5.  Make the new incisions exactly where the old ones are.  The doctor may have to make a 180 degree cut or more to be able to effectively clean off the inside of the nipple to make it lay flat at all times post surgery.
6.  Have an action plan on what to do, where to go, and who is going to operate on you if you have skin tissue that dies.

Keep in mind if your doc does all the above this is more invasive than your "standard" gyne operation and your going to bleed more so expect puffy blood filled nipples shortly after surgery that should be drained with a 21 gauge needle.  Don’t use drains; there is no need to create another permanent scar on the body that cannot be fixed when you can simply aspirate with a needle.

Keep in mind every time you go thru this operation this does not do your body and organs any good, so if your surgeon complains about any of the following you need to get another surgeon.  Do be respectful and pay his/her hourly rate to accommodate the additional requirements, instructions and work involved.  In addition when I get my third surgery I will have one side worked on at a time until I am 100% satisfied with that side.   Then move on to the other side.  Because this reduces the risk to complications and it also prevents the surgeon from "matching" one chest side with the other.  By this I mean how many times have you seen follow up pictures where on one side of the patients chest has more tissue than the other.  For some odd reason my surgeon the second time around removed the gland on the right side but left it in on the left side? Go Figure?  In my opinion most people’s chest are very symmetrical and doctors trying to match one side to the other is just causing more secondary surgeries than are necessary.

Good luck hope all goes well
Would like to see some pictures of your chest in a light thin t-shirt with the appropriate lighting to display all the anatomical features of your chest nipple etc., because sometimes from looking at your chest it is hard to see a problem but I know it is there and it bothers you because I am in the exact same boat as you.  I tried very hard to give you and anyone else who is reading this post how to have a successful surgery outcome.

[gynecomastiauk]

good luck with the revision my friend and yes keep us posted on your journey.

All the best
Stuart.

[EastCounty]

Hello all...

Actually had my revision surgery this past Wednesday as opposed to Friday. They had an opening first thing Wednesday morning so I took it. Today is Saturday; therefore, I am about 3 days post-op.

Before surgery he asked me to guide him in circling off the area to be worked on. I liked this. He wanted to be sure he addressed the exact areas where I felt things were still off.

Only local anesthesia was used as the doctor only had to go into a relatively small area under and around the nipples. The shots hurt like hell! I was under general sedation the first time and I really do not remember the shots. In fact, I didn't remember much of anything. But getting multiple shots on each side of my chest was surely harrowing!

He went in with the cannula on my right pec first, which seemed to be a bit worse off than the other. He commented that there seemed to be quite a bit of residual fat and he was thorough, as far as I could tell, in getting any bit of it he could. At one point he even said "There's a good chunk!"

The second pec did not have as much fat, but there was some and, again, he seemed to be thorough in going about it. For the most part the cannula was not painful but, occasionally, je would give a jab that I could feel and it was pretty painful. I had to keep repeating to myself that all of this was for a good cause...

So, here we are about 3 days post-op. I am knocking on wood when I say that things already look better despite the swelling. Contours look rounder; when I had the surgery the first time, I recall that immediately post-op things did not look perfectly round; there was still a conical shape around each nipple. of course, at the time, I assumed this would subside after time but it did not, obviously. So, again, the fact that things look different...and better...in this post-op situation is encouraging.

So, we shall see what happens. Of course, I do not expect to have a perfectly chiseled Mr. Universe chest at the end of this. That was never my (unrealistic) goal. However, as someone who does work out with some regularity, I would like the contour of my chest to look masculine and be in line with the relatively healthy lifestyle I lead. It's just not fair to be somewhat athletic and have a chest that belies your activities.

I will keep everyone updated on the progress of this and, when the time is right, some additional photos. Keeping my fingers crossed...

[gynecomastiauk]

Really pleased for you and that the surgeon agreed to your revision, I hope it turns out great for you. Who is your surgeon btw? I also agree with what you say, I too am clean living and workout a lot and feel I have earned a 'normal' looking male chest, anything short of this will not do despite me trying to contain my realistic goals but after having gyne for so long I just want it to be 100%...99.9% will be fine, I suppose

Seriously though, good luck with the recovery.

[EastCounty]

Just another quick update...

I am now about 5 days post-op. Things continue to be trending in the right direction. Knock on wood.

First off, I am healing incredibly quickly. While there is still some soreness, I can move my arms in any direction with virtually no pain. The only time I feel anything is if I hug someone or lift my little dog close to my chest. But even then it's just minor soreness.

The bruising is dissipating daily. I have the yellow bruises now but I figure, in about a week, the bruising should be all gone.

I can tell there is still some swelling and perhaps some fluid under the nipples. The swelling has been fairly constant but continues to lessen by the day. In fact, it is evening as I right this; it seems that the swelling has dropped considerably since this morning. Still wearing the compression garment, however. I'll likely wear it at least until my follow up with my doctor on Thursday.

The contour of my chest looks great right now. When the nipples are especially swollen it looks much like it did before my revision. When the swelling is minimal, or barely there, I can see a flat and even a rounded contour to my chest that definitely was not there before. Assuming that this is a hint of my final result, I will surely be happy with the final outcome.

Of course, I am only 5 days post-op from my revision so we have a ways to go, yet. Having said that, I am healing much more quickly than the first time around; this can be attributed, I think, to the small areas that were retreated and that there was not a whole lot of fat that needed to be removed. (There was enough, though, to cause a nuisance, hence the need for the revision!)

Again, I am knocking on wood. I really hope that what I see now is a glimpse into what I will ultimately get. If this is where I am headed, I will be very, very happy.

Once I have had more time to heal and the bruising goes away, I will add some photos.

[EastCounty]

Day 6 post-op...

Any and all pain is 85% to 90% gone. Bruises fading nicely. Nipples did start swelling again today but I am keeping my compression garment on.

Still feeling optimistic. When the nipples are at their most swollen, they actually still look better than they did prior to my revision. When the nipples are not swollen, my chest looks fantastic. I simply cannot wait to get back to the gym once things calm down.

I have a post-op follow up with my surgeon on Thursday.

[Pharmaecopia]

Keep us updated, we're still here reading.

[EastCounty]

Here I am 1.5 weeks post-op. Nipples still swollen, right pec worse than the left. Bruising is worse on my right side. The nipples here are not completely swollen, about 50% so. More photos soon as recovery continues.

I'm also a little over weight as I took time off from working out while starting my recovery. Started back at the gym doing light stuff about three days ago!

And sorry about the slightly blurry photos. I don't have the best camera in the world!

[jay adams]

Who was your surgeon?