post op questions

[trevinem]

Guys,

I got my Stitches out and my bandages out today and finally got to see my post op chest. To be honest im a little but dissapointed cos i seem to still have some flab on my chest. Im not sure, this could just be swelling but im a little worried the op was a flop. It it possible swelling after a week can give the appearance of slight gyne? Could a good diet and excercise cure the excess fat?

[headheldhigh01]

everybody freaks over the swelling, this is normal.  sometimes it flares up right away, sometimes it looks fine then swells, some lucky guys don't even have much problem with it.  it all depends on the individual and the nature of the work during surgery.  hang tight, it could be months to a even a year or so to see final results.  

[vr4nut]

Did you say its been 1 week?  Give it time.  They took my dressings off the day after and had me look in the mirror.  I wish they hadn't, because my chest looked so lumpy, warped, and misshapen that I became nauseous.  Now 2.5 years later it looks like nothing was ever done (except that I'm flat now!)  With all of the swelling and processes the body has to go through to recover from surgery it would be impossible for it to look cosmetically pleasing so soon after.  Unfortunately people don't work like cars where you take it to the body shop all banged up and it comes out looking like new a week later.  But the good news is that unlike a car, you chest will look better with time, after your body has a chance to heal.  All I can say is that it will gradually change over the next year probably before you are completely back to normal.  It will take that much time anyway for this whole deal to sink in psychologically so that you gradually spend less time worrying about people noticing your chest and eventually not even be worried about taking your shirt off or wearing a T-shirt or whatever.  Last, but not least, of course the diet and exercise will not hurt.  Get on a good regimen with that and in the next year between the diet & exercise and your chest healing up, you will be amazed how good you look.  IT WILL get better.  Give it a year at least.  For now, just be glad to have the operation over with and concentrate on taking it easy with the arms/chest until you regain full functional capacity.  You will be fine, just wait and see.

[jc71]

agree with HHH.  It's one of the more common posts on these boards (usually a day or two after surgery) to hear a guy say he's not sure the surgery was successful.

As hard as it may be, try not to make a decision on the outcome for at least a month and maybe longer.

[oleoze]

I had surgery 3 weeks ago and I can tell you that 1 week is nothing! 1 Week is just 7 days think about it, 7 days is nothing. I had swelling 1 week and was very disepointed almost fell into panic but after 2 weeks my chest was getting flatter and I could se some result. Now 3 weeks after op. the swelling is "almost" away, So I say give it 4-5 weeks. And the swellning is great because swelling is going away and Gyne dont.