Surgery Mr Levick (25/06/14) ONE YEAR UPDATE (including 'gym' pics)

[AchillesUK]

I assume you are referring to what happened with my post op results when you mentioned "what the hell".

I had a lot of tissue removed so I was expecting it and it has improved a lot over the last month and I've hardly been massaging. I've never been happier and I hope you can eventually be satisfied with your results.

Sorry mate, wasn't referring to you at all. It wasnt directed at anyone in particular either, just a general observation that the appearance straight after surgery can be a little shocking for all of us, but much more rarely 5-6 months down the line. Glad to hear you're happy with your results.

[FlatAsAPancake]

No worries mate. I was a bit of a mess for a while!

[AchillesUK]

Update - 6 months Post Op

Hope everyone is having a good holiday.

Christmas day marked 6 months post op for me. I'll keep it brief:

* As mentioned before, my appearance is a lot better than before surgery. However, it still does feel like a job half done.

* There are two big lumps of scar tissue under each nipple, more so on the right. These will go with time (perhaps with the help of kenalog shots), however there does seem to be a fair amount of fat around these areas too. My gut feeling says there will be additional surgery in future like a couple of other patients on this board where it became apparent that not enough fat was removed at the initial surgery.

* When I wear any close fitted t-shirts, it still does look like I have manboobs. Less than before surgery, but I still get funny looks and I do still feel self conscious about them. I do appreciate half this battle is a psychological one, but even Mr Levick said 'there is a long way to go' in his last email after seeing my pictures (around the 5 month mark). I've attached a couple of t-shirt pictures below but its difficult to get correct angles with regards to what I can see in the mirror.

* In the handbook given from Mr Levick's office it does say, 'it can take  upto 6 months for all lumps and bumps to fully disappear'. I dont feel this is accurate as several of us have clearly taken longer. One poster on this board has taken nearly two years for all the scar tissue to subside.

* Training - I'm not doing decline presses (similar to pre-surgery) as I dont want to work out my lower pectorals. The logic pre-surgery was that this would push out the gland/fat, now it will push out the scar tissue.

* Massage - I dont feel massaging is helping any more. It seems the scar tissue has shrunk as much as it will do with massaging. This, coupled with long hours at work, means I've not massaged much for the last few weeks. I did massage religiously every day for 5 months prior to this.

2 months was an initial marker for me. I realised very quickly that I wasnt going to see much in the way of progress by then. 6 months was then my next target, and it was also the date where Mr Levick said he will reassess and for me to come in.

So my next stop is to book an appointment with Mr Levick and see what he says...

Pictures: Here are some pictures taken today:

 

 

As mentioned, yes there has been significant improvement from pre-surgery but unfortunately both sides are still perky/pointy:

 

 

 

 

[AchillesUK]

So I've pasted together a comparison and, perkiness from side angles aside, the situation is overall markedly better than before surgery. Bear in mind I'm also carrying more bodyfat now and generally in not as good shape as pre-surgery, but the chest is still much flatter.

[j86ui]

I think Gyno aside you naturally have a very large chest area which makes you feel the results are not as good as they could be, Your chest looks alot better than it did pre-op but you can see from your waist up to your chest it is a fair few inches wider and to me this is nothing to do with the previously gyno effected area just the physique you have.

If I was in your shoes now, knowing you no longer have the gland I would try and loose as much fat as possible and see how it looks then in comparison.

Out of curiosity when you touch your pectorals on each side and in the middle is it solid or soft? You are definitely making progress comparing your current shots to the previous, I think more fat loss all round will improve things further, and in a t-shirt from what I can see you just look like you have a muscular chest, you don't have any signs of puffy nipples and that is half the battle.

Keep going.

[AchillesUK]

I think Gyno aside you naturally have a very large chest area which makes you feel the results are not as good as they could be, Your chest looks alot better than it did pre-op but you can see from your waist up to your chest it is a fair few inches wider and to me this is nothing to do with the previously gyno effected area just the physique you have.

If I was in your shoes now, knowing you no longer have the gland I would try and loose as much fat as possible and see how it looks then in comparison.

Out of curiosity when you touch your pectorals on each side and in the middle is it solid or soft? You are definitely making progress comparing your current shots to the previous, I think more fat loss all round will improve things further, and in a t-shirt from what I can see you just look like you have a muscular chest, you don't have any signs of puffy nipples and that is half the battle.

Keep going.

Hey man, thanks for your comments. Yeah I'm currently cutting, pretty much have been since surgery.

Re what it feels like - good question. There are two big lumps of what is clearly scar tissue under each nipple. The reason I feel more surgery may be required is around these two areas is very soft, feels like its just fat. It does say in Mr Levick's book that sometimes there is more surgery required but this does not become clear until after a good few months after the initial surgery.

I've lost nearly 2.5 stones since surgery, and all fat was supposedly taken out at time of surgery, so I'm surprised there is still fat there. It could be that its the scar tissue 'melting' away, I'm not sure to be honest.

[ha032742]

Any update mate? Have you booked the follow-up with Mr Levick to discuss your concerns?

[AchillesUK]

7 Months Post-Op + Meeting with Mr Levick

Sorry about late reply to those who messaged me.

So I was due to meet Mr Levick at the 6 month mark, however due it being Christmas and then work commitments on my side we only met this week, a few days before I hit the seven month mark. I'll summarise the main points:

* As always, it was a pleasure to meet Mr Levick, my first meeting with him in many months. Despite the fact that he was no longer making any money from me as it were, he was still his charming and helpful self.

* I did mention to him my concerns, that I still look somewhat perky and compared to some of the other flat results I had seen from his patients, that I was a long way.

* He actually thought I was doing very well. In fact he requested my permission to take pictures (below) which he would present at a lecture in Belgium soon, and to also put them in his book.

* He did agree there was still residual scar tissue left over, but he said these will go with time. He pointed at the surgical scars (at the site of incisions) and said they were a marker of the internal scarring i.e. when they finally faded, all the scar tissue would have gone from within the chest.

* He mentioned how people of certain ethnic origins such as myself (parents from Indian subcontinent) and even himself (originally Danish) can make 'bad scars'and this is a possible reason for the delayed recovery.

* Another reason for the delayed recovery, particularly on my right hand side were all the seromas I suffered in the weeks after surgery. Although I was lucky enough to live a quick drive away from Mr Levick's clinic and had gotten them drained pretty quickly each time, they have contributed to the scar tissue.

* Despite the above, Mr Levick again emphasised that I had made great progress and he did not advise giving steroid shots (I didnt ask him, he volunteered his opinion on this).

* He said probably not to bother with massaging anymore if its not doing much good.

* When I asked him how long full recovery can take he said, "anything up to 2 years". When I pushed him a little further as to how long he predicted my own recovery would take based on his assessment of my situation at the present time, he said, "probably between 9-12 months from now."

Looking at these pictures, then yes there has been great progress compared to pre-surgery. I guess I just have to be patient and persevere until all the perkiness is gone.

When I first had surgery, I set myself a target of 2 months where I had hoped I'd have a flat chest. That quickly became 6 months. Now I realise I have to be patient till around the 18 month mark, and hope Mr Levick is still around if I'm not flat by then...

[hopetochange]

Looks really good to me, definite improvement but I can imagine what it's like not being 100% happy with the result. Good luck with your ongoing recovery.

[j86ui]

Your results are looking better in every picture you post, I think if you keep on top of your training over the next 6 months by summer you will be spot on. I would at least be happy that your still improving, albeit slowly. And you don't look perky to me at all, you just have a built chest mate.

[AchillesUK]

Thanks guys, appreciate the comments. I just want the nipple areas flat really, thats where the perkiness is. Mr Levick agreed the scar tissue has accumulated there unfortunately, but he was very optimistic they will go with time.

[AchillesUK]

8 Months Post Op

So I feel there's been good progress over the last month, and I'm finally getting a glimpse of the chest that I've been hoping (dreaming?) for. There's certainly still scar tissue present under both nipples as confirmed by Mr Levick last month but in general I'm happy with the progress.

I've started massaging regularly again over the last few weeks and I actually do feel that this is helping. Previously I had just ditched the massaging, but I genuinely feel its making a difference now. I leave the biooil in front of the tv so every time I watch something I remember to massage my chest. Same routine as before 5mins clockwise/5mins anticlockwise for each side.

In the following two pictures are the slightly more concerning angles, where you can see the nipples still somewhat 'perky', especially on the left side surprisingly (most of my problems have been on the right side):

I've questioned myself at times, is this the 'normal' shape of my chest, have I just neglected lower chest for too long, is there still any gyne there etc. But the one thing I do know for sure is that there still is scar tissue present and I'm very hopeful now that with time and massage these will shift by the time I hit the 12 month mark. Once all the scar tissue dissipates I'll have a better idea of how my gyne-less chest looks and how to direct my training from there or whether I need to see Mr Levick again. My gut feeling now says that if I continue to progress then I wont need any revision.

I've just decided to leave most of the worrying until the scar tissue clears. Overall, I've been happy with my progress for probably the first time since the surgery. 12 months is my new target and will see how I get on from there.

* Also just a point on my nipples. Sometimes they are firm, at other times they are soft and lifeless (like pre-surgery). I'm not sure why this is, perhaps because of the scar tissue.

[hopetochange]

Hello,

Yep totally agree, looks like you've made some good progress from the pictures compared to the last lot

I've also been on and off with massaging, although the lumpiness I had seems to be settling out a bit now, if I develop any scar tissue, I'll definitely get back into a routine of doing it.

Are you still working out?

[AchillesUK]

Hello,

Yep totally agree, looks like you've made some good progress from the pictures compared to the last lot

I've also been on and off with massaging, although the lumpiness I had seems to be settling out a bit now, if I develop any scar tissue, I'll definitely get back into a routine of doing it.

Are you still working out?

Hey. Thanks for your post. Yes it can be difficult to keep the massaging up on a consistent basis, thats why personally I try and multi task i.e. do the massaging whilst I'm watching tv. Good to hear your lumpiness is settling down. When did you have surgery? In the booklet it does say it can take up to 6 months for all lumps to disappear, but Mr Levick himself says it can take up to 2 years.

Yes, I'm working out regularly now 3 times a week. If I miss a workout I make up for it at the weekend. I'm also watching my diet and cutting at the moment. If you look at page 1, pre-surgery it was very frustrating as even when my bodyfat was low I would still have a booby chest. Now I feel I'm making progress with the rest of the body that I can control, and the part that I previously couldnt control (chest+gyne) is also improving so its a good feeling all round, the first time in my life.

I'm hoping by the summer I've got a good physique and chest to be proud of. Although if there's one thing I've learnt from this journey is to not set firm targets. So even if I'm not in great shape by summer I'll know at least I'm going in the right direction.

[hopetochange]

Yeah I was the same last year. dropped a load of weight and nothing would shift the moobs!

I'm back into my regular workouts and dumbbells now which is great. I'm almost 7 weeks post op. I'll update my thread with some new pics soon.

All the best with your recovery