Surgery with Levick

[K201]

I have recently had surgery with Dr Levick,  I am more than happy with the whole experience , from initially meeting him right through to having the surgery .
He is a genuinely nice man and an excellent surgeon, Its only early days yet but i am very happy with the results . 
He did say that even though he is retiring he will still be there in the back ground , so if anybody is thinking about having this done i would recommend the Priory Hospital and the new surgeon that is taking over from Dr Levick.
Cheers 

[Stan19]

Hi  congratulations mate and great to hear u had a good experience with mr levick how far post op are you?  I am in next wed and to be honest i am shittin myself already terrified of the GA incase i dont wake up, as i am going it alone and have told nobody. Did u feel fit enough to travel the next day? I have a 3hr train ride with 1 change. And which vest did u opt for? Sorry for all the questions mate but i am a nervous wreck!! Cheers

[K201]

I am 4 days post op. Do not be scared of the GA , that is the least scary part. I went alone also with a similar train journey. Honestly it is nothing to worry about. I am a bit sore and stiff but its easy to manage .
I got the macom vest. My surgery was very mild compared to others as i am under 10% body fat and there wasn't much gland. 

[Stan19]

I think my case is average compared to what ive seen on this brilliant forum. Without this site i wudnt be going for surgery next week its as simple as that. A big thankyou to donut darkstar wingman achilles to name just few. I am really nervous and constantly thinking about backing out then i think of the possible outcome and take a breath! Being the wrong side of 40 ive been hiding this for 30yrs but now is the time. Enough is enough. I know the mental side of it will be a challenge and i am ready. Bring it on. 

[Charlie33]

Try and not worry too much mate, the op itself is the easy part. The staff at the priory are very nice and your instantly at ease. The only part I felt slightly uncomfortable with was waiting outside the theatre having your 'before' pictures taken. You soon forget about that and the next thing you know your in your room Flat chested. I'd advise travelling light as you are pretty tender afterwards and the last thing you need is a heavy bag

I'm just over 5 weeks post op so please feel free to ask if you have any questions .

[Charlie33]

Congrats with the surgery mate  have a good recovery

[K201]

Cheers, its going good but this binder is a nightmare. How did you keep it on for a week ? 

[Charlie33]

Because I had a bit of fluid, I kept it on about 2 weeks - 24/7 then over the top of the vest for another 2. As annoying as it was at first I ended up not minding wearing it. Once the discomfort settles down under you armpits it becomes easier mate  

[Stan19]

Cheers for advice charlie  i am so nervous  worst nerves iv ever had i think. How u doing k201 ?  Have u taken the binder off yet?  It sounds awful wearing that thing  did u get the macom vest ?

[K201]

Yeah I'm doing good . Still a bit sore and I hate this binder but I don't seem to have any fluid which is good .
Yeah I have the macom vest , I have been wearing it over the binder to hold it in place and it offers more compression .
I can't wait to get rid of the binder and just wear the macom compression top .
My advice to you would be to shave your armpits and chest before you go , i think this would make it more comfortable especially when taking the bandages off .

[Stan19]

No fluid is great news can fluid develop at anytime or is just the first few days ? Vest on top of the binder sounds a good idea. I am not very furry at all hardly any on my chest but will run a razor over my pits. Thanks for the tip. 

[Charlie33]

Personally I didn't bother shaving, I`m not a hairy guy and the arm tape was not near my hair. One thing I will say to you, get the nurse to change the tape dressings under your arms for a sticky pad dressing. This will increase your comfort ten fold! It was unbearable during the night, I can`t tell you the relief when they removed the tape.
I found the binder a lot more comfortable during the second week, I was able to get it a lot tighter. I think my fluid appeared because of the size of the gland and the vest not being tight enough in the first week. I don`t feel I could of got it much tighter myself as I was very tender. Don`t worry about this too much, just take it easy for the first week.
I will attach a few pictures for you from the room, you can see the cooling pads and pipes you are connected to. I just buzzed a nurse when I needed the loo, he/she came and disconnected them then returned once I was back in bed. The calf wraps are relatively comfy, it`s just the constant inflating/deflating that keeps you awake
Another picture that made me smile - a full breakfast in the morning! I couldn`t wait to eat!
Your in great hands mate, try and think of the posistive outcome in all this. The op/recovery is nothing compared to years of putting up with gyne I will post the pics shortly from my phone..

[Charlie33]

Cooling pads, you can also see the horrible white plastic feeling tape on the dressing :

[Stan19]

Thanks charlie its posts like that which are stopping me backing out. Looking forward to the pics. I am trying to keep calm  never been in hospital before so my nerves are at an alltime high

[Charlie33]

Calf pumps :