How bad is my gynecomastia?

[20andgyno]

I'm pretty sure I have gynecomastia, but I'm not sure if I want to get the surgery.
I lost a ton of weight recently, hence the stretch marks. I'm quite tall (6'4) and I have a skinny-fat look at the moment. Maybe if I build some more muscle and proceed to lose more fat it will look slightly better? What do you think?

[hammer]

You definitely have a mild case of gynecomastia, but the only thing that will take care of it would be surgery.  You can try working out but that could even make it look worse.

As far as not having surgery that is a personal choice. Many of us here on the forum have lived a full life with much worse gyno, and never had any problems!  So it's up to you what you do.

Good luck with what ever you decide, you've come to the right place for all the info and support for what ever you decide.

Welcome to the forum

[giggsy]

lift weights

[dr.moe]

My gyno is much worse (but not as extreme as some).  my girls  I'm living with it - but then again, I'm 58 (today) and I'm not going to have surgery that I don't need.  Had too many.  Knees - scoped 7 times.  Both shoulders. Partial colon resection. Sinuplasty. Tonsilectomy.  Hydrocele correction in testicles. Pushed my luck without doing an elective procedure. Now if I was younger, I might be more inclined to have things corrected, but now? I'm married (36 years), wife isn't having a screaming hissy-fit, daughter is jealous because mine are bigger, and I'm not out chasing girls so having boobs isn't a big deal.
It's a personal matter.  What I suggest is probably not for you because your concerns are not mine, and the impacts to your life are not the same as impacts to mine.  Think, decide how it affects you, and then proceed accordingly.  You may be overly sensitive If you have surgery, good luck.  If not, good luck.

Get a mammogram to make sure there's nothing funky going on if your doctor recommends. It's not that bad, and most places are pretty professional. (my first one wasn't, but that was apparently the exception).  Got good tips on breast care, self-examination, probably prognosis, etc, etc.  And suggestion that with my size, a bra would be very helpful if I don't have surgery, because they bounce and cause shoulder and back strain (esp my left shoulder, which just had rotator cuff repair).

[hammer]

Happy birthday dr. Moe! I turn 60 in January and I'm looking at my 4th back surgury!  I've had both knees totally replaced, and several minor serguries total will be 9 after this up coming back surgury!

I lost my testicles after having issues after my vasectomy so my breast grew like well watered weeds, so removel wasn't a priority in my life do to everything else going on at the time.

If surgery is the only way a person can deal with it then I say go for it, but otherwise I say save your money for fun things in life as its town short as it is!

[Paa_Paw]

Sorry to be a day late, but I too wish you a happy birthday.   Compared to me, Hammer is still young.  I am 80.  
As we age, our priorities change.  When I was young enough to really care, male breast reduction was not a very good option.  by now, it does not really matter. I did recently have surgery, a CABG.  It was not that long ago that they would not do such a procedure on a man my age.  My Dr. seems to think I am now good for another decade or more.

[hammer]

Sorry to be a day late, but I too wish you a happy birthday.   Compared to me, Hammer is still young.  I am 80.  
As we age, our priorities change.  When I was young enough to really care, male breast reduction was not a very good option.  by now, it does not really matter. I did recently have surgery, a CABG.  It was not that long ago that they would not do such a procedure on a man my age.  My Dr. seems to think I am now good for another decade or more.

Dan, compaired to you I have rocks and dirt in my yard that aren't as old as you!  Lol

Glad to see you posting again, I miss your wisdom when you're laid up my old friend!

[20andgyno]

Thanks for your input guys. What's holding me back from getting the surgery the most is the recovery time. I read it can take +6 months to get final results and that during that time there's swelling and it doesn't look good. So for a while, it'd be even more embarrassing to be shirtless than now. Even intimacy might be more stressful/embarrassing than now (intimacy isn't too embarrassing right now--I'm most self-conscious at the beach, or at pool parties, etc.). 
Can someone tell me more about the recovery? How much time will it take to look "normal"? 
Thanks!

[hammer]

Any surgury takes 6 months for full recovery,  however you may feel fine in 3 to 4 weeks. It's just it takes your body that time to fully go through the healing process.

I've had 8 surgeries 3 being major back and both knees totally replaced, but I haven't had gynecomastia surgery so I'm not totally sure of that outcome but I'm very experienced in having surgery ! Lol

With gyno surgery the thing to consider is the cost! In most cases it is not covered by insurance, so it can mean paying several thousands of dollars out of pocket!

[dr.moe]

I've had 8 surgeries 3 being major back and both knees totally replaced, but I haven't had gynecomastia surgery so I'm not totally sure of that outcome but I'm very experienced in having surgery ! Lol

With gyno surgery the thing to consider is the cost! In most cases it is not covered by insurance, so it can mean paying several thousands of dollars out of pocket!

The cost issue and lack of insurance coverage is one thing that finally made me say 'no'.  I've got 2 in college, a third starting next year, cars to keep running, a mortgage payment, and other misc. expenses, so when it came down to spending money on myself for an elective procedure I wasn't sure I really wanted to risk, and then we kept getting unexpected expenses (car repair, flood damage, etc), I let the facts convince me to not bother with surgery.  I couldn't justify (to myself) spending that much on myself instead of my family's needs.  However, that's MY story. Your situation is yours, so you need to decide.

But yes, it will take time to fully recover.  It has for many of my surgeries, especially my shoulder surgeries. You'll have to wait for any post-surgical swelling to go down before you know for sure what the outcome is.  A good, reputable surgeon is an absolute must if you do have surgery.  If you invest in the surgery, you don't want to skimp to save a few bucks and then dislike the outcome.

[longdrives]

I'm 4.5 months post op and I would say I get good enough to start doing push-ups at 5 weeks out.  swekking was down big after 6 weeks, but still there, not enough to notice even with shirt off by others.  Still sensitive but not bad at all.  At 4.5 months, I'm probably 95% healed, menain I still see a little ridge below nipple that has slowly gone down week to week but maybe 1/4 inch now left in swelling, right side no swelling.  I'd say by 6 months I'll be completely heal d based on what I see now.  But don't think that you ever notice after about 4  weeks, Boone else can for sure if anything it's the opposite.   The results for me were amazing.  I used <a class="underlinelink" href="https://www.gynecomastia.org/doctors/migueldelgado/profile">Dr. Delgado[/url] and so I spent on the high end of costbut for what I got and in one time, no revision required,  craters, etc.  I would do it again in an a heartbeat.

[George Pope, M.D.]

You are right to anticipate postoperative swelling, but you should definitely look better than preop, even with a little swelling.  With the breast tissue gone, the contour of your chest will be more masculine, yet just a little swollen.  I wouldn't recommend delaying surgery purely because you think you'll look worse for awhile.  Guys always look better - even one week postop.
Dr. Pope, MD