My Post - Op Surgery Experience NYC

[p0pp00]

- BACK STORY -

Well I've been a lurker to this site and other discussion boards similar to for quite a while and have now decided to share my experience.

I've suffered with gynecomastia since I was a teenager and finally after saving up the money needed for correction at 34 I decided to step up to the plate and address the problem.

I don't have before pictures to share but I'm an athletic guy and even after working out quite a bit over the years I would still have a full B cup which totally eclipsed any hard weight training results I gained because of the excess fat and breast (gland) tissue. As you can imagine this has been somewhat debilitating and has seriously negatively affected my self esteem. I was never able to wear thin shirts or anything that would hug my body without my male breast looking very prominent.

For many years I would put on a brave face and "own" my body as it was and for the most part that attitude helped me to face many uncomfortable wardrobe situations or sexual situations but in the back of my mind I always felt embarrassed and have always wanted to get the surgery, if for no other reason than a much needed boost in self esteem. But surgery always felt so out or reach and it's not something thats easy to talk about, ya know?

After several consultations with other plastic surgeons in the New York City area (because I live in the city) I decided to go with Dr. Leo Urbinelli at NYU Institute for Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. From the very beginning Dr. Urbinelli was extremely knowledgeable, approachable and made me feel comfortable. He offered a lot of information during the consult and in fact was so thorough in his explanation and examination that most of the questions and concerns I had prepared to ask were answered and addressed before I had a chance to ask about them! I left his office with a very positive impression and was enthusiastic about booking the surgery with him.

- PREP & MEDICAL CLEARANCE -

I used my health insurance to cover the cost of a series of blood work/labs that were needed before surgery including chest x-rays, EKG and to obtain a letter of medical clearance for surgery from my primary care doctor. The cost of the surgery itself was out of pocket and not covered by insurance.

- SURGERY DAY -

On the day of surgery, let me say that the facility/operating room was definitely top of the line. Very well lit and with lots of really high tech machinery. The staff was there bright and early to receive me at 7 AM and they got started before my scheduled 8 AM surgery.

Everyone met with me, first the nurse to fill out some paperwork, then Dr. Urbinelli to mark my body up and explain the order of events, then with the doctor who administers the anesthesia. Once I walked into the operating room, things got underway quickly and there was a lot of activity going on around me as everyone began prepping. I had never had surgery before and was a little anxious but not at all nervous. I don't do well with needles but the needle they used was very tiny, and felt all of a pin prick.

Moments before going under I happened to glance around the operating room and saw pictures of my profile from various angles posted on the wall for the doctor to refer to during surgery and seeing those pictures really reassured me that I was making the right decision. A good thought to have before being put under, absolutely no regrets.

I opted for general anesthesia and the surgery itself was a breeze. In fact, surgery was the easiest thing about the whole experience. It was over before I knew it and I woke up in the recovery room a little groggy but in great spirits. The first day really wasn't bad at all. It felt like I had an intense workout and my mobility was limited as such but very little pain was experienced.

- 8 DAYS POST OP -

It is now 8 days post op and I'm experiencing stinging tingling pain, mild discomfort and swelling. I've showered twice since my surgery taking care to be very gentle.  I am amazed at how flat and even my chest looks despite the swelling. No drains were used at all and I'm extremely grateful for that after reading how those can be a nightmare to deal with.

My chest contour looks great - its a surreal experience to be sure that this is my body now! Even with the bulky compression belt on under a t-shirt, my side profile looks significantly better.

Dr. Urbinelli removed quite a bit of fat and gland by performing liposuction from under my arms and excision from the crest of my nipples. He explained to me that he would make sure he took everything out to give me the best possible result with contouring and man he was not kidding! The man did a remarkable job!

After reading other people's experience on these forums I expected to have a bit more mobility with my arms but I do understand that this was major surgery so I am trying to be patient.

All in all I'm very pleased with these results so far and am anxiously looking forward to being completely healed. I'm hoping the next two weeks will go by fast so I can finally be done with the compression garment. Per doctors orders, at the two week mark (14 days post op) I should be cleared to stop wearing the compression belt during the day and only wear it during the evenings.

- AFTERCARE & TRANSPORTATION -

Make sure you stock up on Colace or some other stool softener because the Tylenol 3 pain killers, plus anesthesia stop you up pretty bad for a few days. Can you imagine how super uncomfortable it is to deal with constipation at the same time as your chest healing. I was constipated for 5 whole days before I could get a good bowel movement and my system is still sluggish.

I haven't really noticed any mention for the need of day-to day post op assistance on these boards. I have needed help to get my shirts and compression garments on and off to shower and change. There is absolutely NO WAY I am able to do this by myself yet so if you're hoping to go forward with this surgery alone you may have to consider sharing this with a close friend or family member that you trust with discretion (because lets face it, this is an embarrassing problem) for additional help on this front. I definitely think this bears repeating, even 8 days post op there is no possible way I am yet able to change into and out of shirts and compression garments or over head t-shirts without help!

Also, this is strictly for people in NYC or those who rely on public transportation, taking public transportation is a bit tricky and extra time needs to be allotted as a result. Busses that hit dips in the street and potholes and trains that make hard turns requiring you to hold on while you're standing and trying to hold yourself upright while being packed in a tight space with other straphangers has already been challenging and a bit painful/uncomfortable. Take additional time off work if you can get away with it. I work a desk job and even with a full 12 days off I'm a bit nervous that I should have requested more time to recuperate. Of course this is just my unique experience.  

Looking ahead, I've been instructed on no hard exercise for at least a month and then ease into things with light to moderate activity.

Post op progress report to come in another week or two. If anybody has questions I'd be happy to answer from my experience.

[usernamehere]

Congrats on getting the surgery man !! Do keep us updated with your progress..

[p0pp00]

- 12 DAYS POST OP -

So it's now 12 days post op (two days shy of 14 days since surgery) and I'm slowly regaining near full mobility of my arms. If I move with care I am now able to raise my arms a little higher without as much discomfort and can put on some (but not all) of my shirts and tank tops by myself though I still need help securing my compression garment to fit snug enough.

My chest area itself and for some reason upper stomach is still discolored with blue-green and yellowish bruising but it's gone down quite a bit. I'm anticipating that by next week (week 3) the rest of the discoloration will be gone. My chest feels numb in some areas and tingly which is to be expected though I do have sensation in the nipple (responsive to the cold) which is nice considering they cut into them.

Swelling seems to come and go but when it does come on I seem to have more swelling on my left side than the right and it tends to feel like a constant dull throb, not unbearable but a nuisance nevertheless. I've been weaning myself off pain killers at night because the constipation is a bad side effect and it's not comfortable. I've increased my Arnica Montana intake throughout the day, which has helped surprisingly enough. Also, I'm taking Extra Strength Tylenol when the throb plus swelling are really bothersome.

To be honest the only thing that's been making this a true pain in butt has been wearing the compression belt. It's itchy as hell and slides down throughout the day so I'm constantly adjusting it. Other than that the after-care hasn't been super terrible, just really annoying because it's uncomfortable most of the time.

It's all worth it though because the result's that I'm seeing so far are pretty amazing. My chest looks great and I've been assured by my doctor that my chest contour will look even better 3-6 months out and again by month 12 when the healing should be completed.

- SIDE THOUGHT -

Gynecomastia really is a physical AND mental affliction. While my body has definitely undergone a major overnight change I still have the gynecomastia mentality, which is going to take some time to overcome. Case in point, this morning as I was considering shirts to wear to work I thought of one nice shirt that I have had for some time but rarely ever wear. Why? By instinct I've gotten so used to thinking that I can't wear so many of the nice clothes I have in my closet (that shirt being one of them) because my breast would show through and look too big and ruin my confidence. It took me some time to process that my chest is now flat. In fact it's better than flat, it's nicely contoured and this isn't an issue that I need to be weighed down by anymore.

How liberating, eh?

So to those on the fence, or are considering the surgery, I'd highly encourage you to take the plunge. Even though it's still very early in the healing process for me, I'm already feeling my confidence soar because when I look in the mirror I'm finally seeing the reflection and silhouette I've waited so long to see staring back at me...and it feels better than great. It feels like a new lease on life!

[p0pp00]

- 18 DAYS POST OP -

It’s now 18 days post op and all is looking good. My chest looks uniformly contoured and bruising in the surrounding areas is minimal. There's still some residual yellow and green bruising left from the swelling but it doesn't look so bad anymore. The excision and liposuction sites are nicely scabbed over and will hopefully the stitches will dissolve soon so I can start using Maderma to fade the scars.

Per docs orders after 2 weeks (day 14) I am now cleared to take the compression belt off during the day and use it only at night for sleep for the next two weeks. I tried to go sans compression on day 14 for a few hours but the area felt really "raw", and strangely exposed/vulnerable. I figured this might be normal since everything feels so sensitive but by the time I got to work in the morning I felt like swelling and the throbbing were coming on strong and decided to put the compression garment on and wear it for a few days more until today.

Today I’ve ventured another try sans compression belt. It’s now been 7 hours without the compression on and despite feeling odd sensations with the nerves being hyper active, there's no true pain. Even still, I’m moving slowly and careful not to over exert myself. It still feels weird and uncomfortable because of the numbness and the nerves trying to reconnect but in general its tolerable.

I am happy to report that my chest looks great though. It is as firm as can be and looking much more “manly”. Mobility is almost fully restored and I can now put on my shirts and compression garments without help. I’m slowly starting to incorporate stretching my arms out and overhead every few hours so I don't look and feel so stiff but I’m not fully there yet.  I'm also puffing my chest out to stretch that as well and its helping. Again, the area is really tight!

Wearing the compression belt is still THE biggest challenge. Sometimes it feels like it’s helping keep the swelling at bay, there are other times I feel like it’s aggravating other part of my chest. For instance It itches like mad, rubs my stitches and nipples raw (and they’re already sensitive!) and chafes my skin badly even when I wear a t-shirt underneath. Not much is alleviating these side effects so for now I grit my teeth and bear it but that’s becoming much harder to do with each passing day.

I’m not ready to start working out again or resume a fully active lifestyle but progress is being made in strides.  Now is when patience will serve me well, I'm halfway toward recovery. I just have to remain optimistic.

[usernamehere]

Great to hear about your results. Just had my surgery four days ago. Can't wait till I'm 4 weeks post op and this pain and stiffness is just a memory. Also it'd be great to be able to see the results without the bruising  Do post pics if and when possible.

[p0pp00]

- 20 DAYS POST OP -

The Underworks compression body shirt that I ordered from Amazon has finally arrived and what a much needed relief! No more dealing with the itchy compression belt! Thank God! That thing was a real pain.

I've been wearing the compression body shirt all day and also at night to sleep in because it gives a much better and evenly distributed hold, much better even than the compression belt I wore for the first three weeks. It's actually much more comfortable too because I don't need to keep readjusting it throughout the day which was a major problem. I also like that its completely inconspicuous under my clothes since there's no bulk and I don't feel like people are staring at me anymore. The compression belt was made with a thicker material and the velcro straps stuck up noticeably through my shirt so it was obvious I was wearing something - kinda embarrassing to be seen in.

Anyhow, It takes some finesse to get into and out of the compression shirt because it's a tight fit, but once on it feels like a big secure hug all over and definitely keeps the chest area very nicely compressed and keeps your tummy/love handle fat in check (if that's a problem area for you).

Without help what I've learned about changing into and out of the compression shirt is to never EVER put it on directly after a shower or when your skin feel sweaty/damp because it'll cling to your skin and be all but impossible to get on. Since it's a tank top it's easy to step into and pull it up versus putting it on overhead like a regular shirt and getting your arms caught in an awkward position. The material is a very breathable cotton blend, super stretchy. If your body is completely dry it's easier to adjust the shirt so the material doesn't bunch in hard to reach areas. Overall Im pleased with how much more comfortable I am throughout the day even though it's a pretty tight fit (but that's the point of it, right?!)

FYI IMO the compression tank shirt fits true to size so don't buy smaller or larger, get the size that you would normally wear for the best fit and correct compression. Trust me on this because I made the mistake of ordering a size smaller and had to send it back for an exchange - I could barely get my arms through let alone the rest of my body.

- 28 DAYS POST OP -

WOW, I can't believe that it's now officially 4 weeks to the day since I've had the surgery and things have been improving significantly. I've regained most of the range of motion in my arms, and I'm not walking as stiffly anymore. When I stretch my arms out to my sides there's a tightness in the chest area but it's not painful, just a strange sensation. To relieve some of the tension I do some light stretches in the shower. Hopefully by next week I'll be able to stretch both arms straight up in the air without a second thought that I'm going to hurt myself.

I'm not completely comfortable leaving the compression shirt off for more than an hour at a time (for small breaks and showers) because it still feels somewhat vulnerable. It might be mental at this point but the compression shirt feels comforting and protective. So just for extra measure, and since it couldn't hurt my outcome I've decided to wear it for an additional two weeks around the clock as I've been doing even though my doctor has cleared me to remove it altogether at this point.

- APPEARANCE  -

In terms of my chests appearance I am VERY happy with how it looks - seriously, I can't impress upon you how stoked I am to have a visually pleasing chest for the first time in my life. I can see the muscle tone underneath and the chest looks naturally sculpted against my muscle, not flat and shape-less. I still feel some tenderness and minor swelling but no more visible bruising at all. All of the stitches have fallen out and I'm now able to treat the lipo/excision sites with Maderma. Most days I don't feel any pain at all, but on off days when there's residual discomfort and throbbing I just work through it since I'm tired of taking tylenol (my poor liver). The numbness on my chest/nipples is spotty but sensation is slowly returning.

When I flex my chest muscle I notice a little dip (crater?) above my left nipple. But keeping things in perspective, it's literally been a month since surgery so I'm not freaking out at all. It's still very early on in the healing process and I'm anticipating that the contour will continue to improve in the coming weeks and months. Even if this little dip in my chest is permanent (and it may very well not be), its pretty minor so if it doesn't go away completely I highly doubt that I'll be looking for a revision or additional fat grafts. I have no desire to be in a compression garment ever again!

This entire experience hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be and if I had to, I'd do it again in a heart beat (in fact, I wish I had done it ten years earlier) but it certainly has had it's challenges! But I'm already looking and feeling 100% better than I did with gyno so any minor imperfection in appearance is much easier to come to terms with in comparison to how things were just a month ago. I'm at that point where I'm just ready to heal up completely and move on.

I'll check in again at 6 weeks post op and try to include pictures. I'm hoping that my documented experience helps folks that are following my progress on this thread or who are on the fence about getting the surgery! Again, I'm open to questions if anybody has them!

[macman213]

Really nice detail here. I'm one week behind you (21 days tomorrow) and it sounds like we're having very similar experience. Bruising for me is virtually gone. I was told not to reach up, so that is the only range of motion I'm not attempting, the rest feels great and essentially back to normal. Too bad no one told you, but the vest is DRASTICALLY improved with an underarmour shirt under it as it doesn't chafe and just generally adds another, much smoother, layer of compression. I once tried getting it on after the shower... oof.

Keep us posted and post some pictures!

[p0pp00]

Thanks macman213!

I'm purposely being as detailed a possible because I had so many questions at every stage of this process (e.g., prep, surgery, & healing) and thought it was such a pain doing targeted searches looking for answers on what to expect. This is my attempt at a one stop shop for all that.

At least this way people can either read about my experience from beginning to end or just skip ahead to a specific post op week and compare my progress & experience to their own.

Pictures definitely forthcoming. I tried uploading some twice but they were too large.

[keeyu2]

I just had my surgery with Dr. Jacobs last week.  My chest feels like someone took a bat and had beat me with it.  I am on day five and every day I can feel the difference.  The hardest thing for me is trying to sleep with the compression garment and not move.  Wish you the best.

[macman213]

Ha! I totally know what you mean about targeted searches. It seems everyone goes through the same thing, has the same questions, but its all scattered around. The best posts on this site, I've found are ones like yours where its methodically laid out week to week (or so).

Keeyu- compression vest is the worst, but obviously really important to getting good results. It was actually easier for me to wear it when I was a few weeks in and less mobile. Now that I'm more mobile, not turning in bed is the worst and keeps me up horribly. Good luck!

[p0pp00]

- 6 WEEKS POST OP -

It's now 6 weeks post op and​ for the most part​ I'm feeling fantastic. I had a follow up visit with Dr. Urbinelli ​two days ago and he ​pointed out some yellowish bruising and residual swelling, which he says is very normal at this stage. I can definitely feel some minor swelling but can't really see the yellowish bruising he's talking about. Honestly, I can't even really see the swelling either, I can only feel it​.

The small dip​ (crater?)​ next to my left nipple that I reported in my last post is still present though only visible when lift my ​arms up in the air ​to stretch​ or when flex my biceps out to my side​. It really isn't all that noticeable​ to the eye even though I can feel the unevenness when I run my hands over it in the flexed position. I was instructed to perform five minute massages in circular motion up to three times a day just to keep the area supple​.​ I've been massaging for the last two days in the shower and before I get ready for work and it feels good, no pain.

Like a good patient, I've pretty much worn my compression shirt 24/7 taking it off briefly to shower, and to wash it. Otherwise It's consistently been on. Some people say that they get used to wearing it but over the last week my experience has been the ​very much the ​opposite. I've been feeling significantly more constricted and suffocated by it. I think from today on out I'll only ​use the compression shirt at night if I feel the need to, otherwise I'm pretty much done with it. ​​Besides, ​there​ doesn't​ ​seem to be any real benefit to wearing it for longer​ than 6 weeks​, at least not according to any research I could find.

Today is the first day that ​I went without wearing the compression shirt during the day and it's not as bad or as uncomfortable as ​it was the last time I tried a few weeks ago. The t-shirt against my skin feels odd but not at all bothersome​. I'm sure this feeling will go away on it's own over the next few days or weeks.

​My doc is just as pleased about where I am in my progress as I am​. During the exam ​I flexed my chest muscle​ and​ was in awe when I saw it visibly pop in response​ - he said I'm making his job easier​ by doing all the right things. ​I was very happy when he reiterated that my results will​ continue to dramatically improve in look and texture 3 months, and 6 months out when I'll get a ​better idea of what the final result will look like. ​I'm extremely happy with my results as they are now, I can only imagine how much better it'll be in a few weeks!

- EXERCISE -

I'm a physically active guy (though not a​t all a​ gym rat) and the last five weeks have been difficult because I've been mostly sedentary and eating out of boredom while I hide out - even gained a few pounds. I'm happy to say that at the beginning of the week I started incorporating light calisthenics and free weights back into my daily routine.​ Even did two sets of "girly" pushups as a slow re-introduction to chest workouts.​

I​ was moderate in my workouts​ did not go too heavy with the weights or train to fatigue/failure. Over the next two weeks I'll keep my workouts light ​until I feel like I can go a little heavier with the weights.​ It's still too early for me to feel comfortable jogging or doing any activity that might involve jumping around, but it ​still ​feels good to get the blood flowing again​ with activity​.

Slow and steady wins the race. I'll check in again at the 2 month mark with my progress. ​
 
​I'll try and post pictures tonight, but if I can't upload again I'm going to give up.

[egibb]

Nice diary, glad everything things going well.

I live in the city as well and I'm in the process of looking for a surgeons. What made you choose Dr. Urbinelli over the other doctors?

[p0pp00]

Thanks for the well wishes man

Ultimately I decided to go with Dr. Urbinelli because he met all of the criteria that I had set for choosing a surgeon, whereas other surgeon's that I visited missed the mark on one or more of those factors.

He and the staff at NYU were very warm and friendly to me and the facility was incredibly modern and inviting - not dingy and depressing. He really took his time during the consultation to speak with me and it was conducted extremely professionally. He was very knowledgeable on the procedure and talked me to about the frequency with which he performs gyno surgery. He was receptive to my concerns and made me feel comfortable in his office. Instead of trying to get money out of me right away he offered tons of useful information on the pro's of surgery versus some of the potential risks and asked me to wait a few days before deciding if I wanted to book a surgery with him. I'm not sure if it happens often but he pulled another colleague surgeon of his into the examination room to get a fresh set of eyes on my problem area and discussed the benefits of different surgical approaches which I really appreciated and location wise he was most convenient for me. A no-brainer as far as I was concerned.

Best of luck to you in finding the right surgeon... I'm so glad I did it and have absolutely no regrets since I'm so happy with my results. I'm amazed at my body's transformation every day.

If during your consultations you don't feel like the surgeons meets your personal criteria and most certainly if you don't get a good/positive feeling then you should trust your intuition and look elsewhere.

[FieldsOfOpportunities]

Congrats and thanks for sharing your journey.  It's very comforting and encouraging to see your progress.  I just had the surgery last Thursday with Dr Jacobs.  So far all is well over here and I am very pleased at what I see when I look in the mirror. 

Was your bruising noticeable the first time you looked at your bare chest or was this not an issue until days later?  I've seen some scary pics posted online, where guys had some pretty severe bruising and discoloration.  I have absolutely no bruising at all.  Also, how would you rate your scar improvement thus far?  It would be helpful to hear the 2 week, 4 week, and 6 week milestones. 

[p0pp00]

- 6 MONTHS POST OP -

So it's just two weeks shy of 6 months post op and I cannot tell you how incredibly pleased I am with my final results.

My chest looks naturally contoured, and you could never tell I've had the surgery at all. It's boosted my confidence immensely and I have so many more clothing options to choose from.

I'm amazed at the silhouette I see every time I look in the mirror because what I now see is a nice profile and clothes that fit better than they ever have. My chest complex is a non issue anymore.  I don't even think about it which is a huge blessing after 34 years of feeling self conscious and not being able to look past my chest to live my best life.

In general my chest area is fully healed though my nipples are overly sensitive, especially around the excision site where they excised the breast tissue. I massaged pretty aggressively for the first four months in the shower and stopped. I'll only do a massage now if the area feels tender, which it does from time to time but it's never ever painful.

Since I have a tanned complexion I do have some residual darkness in the color of the scar where the liposuction was done, but those will fade with time. Other than that minor issue my results look near perfect.

Since I'm at the end of my surgical journey and don't have any new milestones or experiences worth sharing on the gyno front, this is my final post on this thread. But I want to thank everyone for their posts, which I have learned a great deal from and certainly want to encourage anyone on their own journey to find the means to take the plunge because despite the costs and the associated risks, having this surgery really has changed my life for the better. In fact, I didn't realize how having male boobs really manifested itself in so many negative ways until I had it corrected.

I worked hard to detail my experience step-by-step, milestone by milestone and hope it continues helping you guys long after I sign off...which I am doing right now.

Best of luck men! Onward I go...