Puffiness after surgery

[bumpin_the_road]

Hi guys,
I'm 26 y/o, 5'11, 163 lbs, had gynecomastia ever since early puberty.
Hormonal tests all came back fine.
I had liposuction + excision done 3 weeks ago. I used a compression garment for 2 weeks, as my surgeon said I should.

Overall there's an improvement in the appearance of the chest,
however there is some puffiness of the areolas. It's not as bad as before the surgery, but it's still bothering me. One side was worse before the surgery, and on that side the puffiness is also more noticeable now. The puffiness came back after I stopped wearing the garment. It looks like there's just excess skin of the areola/nipple.
My plastic surgeon hasn't seen it yet, but he did make a general comment last time that I should expect shrinkage over the weeks/months to come.

Assuming that he took out the right amount of gland and fat - Is this normal? Should I expect an improvement over time? If so, how much time does it usually take for the areolas to shrink and tighten? Could it be swelling that's causing the puffiness? How common is this problem that I'm having?

If it's caused by glandular tissue that was left behind - Is revision surgery the only way to fix it? I would definitely do everything to avoid general anaesthesia.

I would really appreciate any information.

[DrPensler]

The answers to your two questions are yes and yes. There is always swelling after surgery and some scar contraction.The swelling and scar usually resolve with time.As you are still early, more often than not everything works out fine.If there is too much tissue still in the breast there is still too much tissue in the breast.Too much tissue will, as you know, require excision. Without knowing any of the specifics regarding your surgery the odds are in your favor for a good outcome.Relax and let everything take its course.
Good luck!

[bumpin_the_road]

Thank you for your reply. I hope that time will make it better.

[Litlriki]

I would agree with Dr. Pensler.  You are much too early to determine if the current appearance is just due to swelling or might require additional tissue excision.  It's very common for patients to notice a little localized swelling in the nipple-areola after discontinuing compression, since the compression is controlling localized swelling.  Think of what your lower leg looks like when you wear a sock.  When you remove the sock, you can still see where the sock was located (if it was a little snug) due to the lack of "swelling" in the area from the compression of the sock.  In a chest that's undergone surgery, there is a certain amount of swelling associated with that, which is controlled by the compression garment.  When the garment is no longer worn, that swelling can become more easily noticed. 

Rick Silverman