age

[forson]

i already asked a while ago but is there neone who knows iff dr levick is unlikeley to peform surgery on someone whos only 18 ?

[phantom]

That is something you would have to ask him yourself.  It will very much depend on your personal circumstances.  Age will be a consideration, especially if you have not fully done with adolescence.  It's my unprofessional opinion that if you have a mild case of gynaecomastia that is being caused mainly by glandular tissue than fat, then there will be less urgency for surgery as it still might resolve itself.

Have you consulted your GP on this?  They may be able to give you an opinion in the meantime.  If your GP agrees that you have gynaecomastia, ask if hormonal tests are indicated, just to rule out other underlying causes.  Once this part is done, there is nothing to stop you getting a routine consultation with Mr Levick (£80) to discuss your options.

Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes.

[forson]

cheers for the advice man, i have seen my gp about it and he says its a minor case of gyne which he thinks is caused by puberty, he said he could give me a blood test but he was so sure that it would show it was a pubertal inflicted case which i do agree with.
i plan to arrange a consultation with dr levick sometime in the next month, well i would be iff i had a phone number lol, im hoping someone has it ?

[phantom]

Mr Levick's details here:

http://www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/yourconsultant.cfm?consultantid=3265

Are you certain you have finished puberty?  You need to weigh up spending the best part of £4,000 versus natural resolution.  If you do see Mr L, ask him how likely your gynaecomastia could clear itself up on its own.  There are various risks with surgery including scar tissue (which everyone gets to a greater or lesser extent) amongst other things which will be explained during consultation.

[yellow_is_dead]

Forson- I sent you a private msg, get back to me when you can! Im in pretty much the same situation but im only 16.

[SOAD]

I am 18 as well and have gyne only in my left chest. I'd say it wasn't mild, more like moderate-severe. I am ideal weight and my right chest is perfect, and I'm <10% body fat (3.5% registered at gym, but these aren't accurate and that sounds too low.)

I want to get rid of this, it only seems to be getting worse as I build more chest muscle at the gym, as the chest expands further out.

[phantom]

I would always urge any under 21 to see their GP before considering surgery.  Whilst all surgeons in the UK have a strict code of conduct to follow, they are not and cannot be impartial where their surgery is concerned.

I am 32 and had my surgery six weeks ago.  However, I did consult my GP and said that I would not seek surgery unless I had my GPs backing.

I think this is especially important for anyone under 21 because you may not have completed adolescence.  There could be an underlying cause of your gynaecomastia.  This means that after surgery, there is a risk it could return.  How would you feel if after spending a large sum of money, not to mention the trauma of surgery, both physically and mentally your gynaecomastia returned?

Please speak with your GP first and ask for a full assessment with an endocrinologist.

I am a medical representative and sell hormonal products to treat testosterone related conditions.  I know only too well how ignorant GPs are (in the main) about this subject.  If your GP appears unsympathetic or reluctant to refer you to an endocrinologist (hormone specialist) please message me or hypo-is-here for further advice.

I know many of us are reluctant to speak with our GPs for a whole range of reasons - all of them valid!  But this is your health we are talking about.  The journey of ridding yourself of gynaecomastia is not something you can run into without being fully informed and aware.  Just because someone has the title of Doctor or Surgeon or Consultant, does not mean they know best.  They don't.  There are far too many horror stories on this website to back this statement up from guys that did not do all the essential research first.

There are a range of guys on here, some with excellent experience and knowledge of the whole disease and therapy area and in my opinion, whilst they are not medical professionals, ARE better placed to advise.

Bloomin 'eck, I can rabble on sometimes

[SOAD]

Thanks for the advice phantom. So I'm in a 'sit and wait' scenario then really? (other than continuing lots of exercise and keeping a good diet). Oh, and my gyne gland, I think it is, is still tender, it hurts a little to lie on it and is tender to touch. Could this be a good or bad sign?

[phantom]

Good sign? Bad sign?  I can't say, I wish I could.  I can only urge you to discuss it with you GP.  Any GP worth his or her salt will take you seriously.

If it's any consolation, tomorrow, your GP will consult around 40 patients.  Ten of them will be for mental disorders, ten for colds/flu/bugs, five heart disease, five respiratory, 3 cancer, six for everything else and YOU will be the only one with boob trouble.

They will be pleased to see you

[brian2006]

About the age thing, I'm only 18 and Mr Richards, who is a renowed ps hasn't mentioned my age being a problem. iv had the problem since i was 12 and it hasnt changed. im going to uni soon and dont want the problem bugging me for the 3 most important years of my life. are you sure there is a risk of it coming back if u have the surgery at an age under 21?

[RRB]

are you sure there is a risk of it coming back if u have the surgery at an age under 21?

There is a risk of it coming back at any age, thats why people suggest getting an endocrinologist to test you first to see if there is a hormone problem.  

What is being said is younger people who are still going through hormonal changes may find the gyne goes away on its own, or if they get surgery then it may come back again because they are still going through the hormonal changes.  

[brian2006]

yeah il bring it up at my next consultation. if it comes back would it return even worse than it was before do u think? cant be doing with spending 4 grand on something that makes the prolblem even worse. il ask for an endocronological assessment me thinks. thanks for the reply

[brian2006]

RRB and phantom you both seem to know quite a bit about it. Would there be any use in me getting an assessment from an endocronologist if I'm 18? If my gyne is hormonal what options does that give me? Do I still need surgery? If my hormones are normal should I go ahead with the op? Its got me quite worried now so any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance mate

[phantom]

Hello Lorenzo2006

Endocrinology and gynaecomastia is a huge minefield.  Unfortunately it's not a clear cut case for all sufferers.  Gynaecomastia can sometimes be caused by hormonal problems (some research suggests around 20% of cases).  Where there are hormonal issues to deal with, they can be very complex and no two patients are ever the same.  Most GPs have a good handle on many aspects of medicine like general cardiovascular problems or immunisation but endocrinology is one field they are generally not particularly clued up on.

I cannot emphasise enough the need for you to see your GP primarily about the gynaecomastia.  Let them examine you.  Tell them you want to rule out any endocrine or hormonal issues before investigating the possibility of having surgery.

Only you can decide if surgery is right for you.  For me, getting my boobs sorted was a long process.  Even though I had the money, I waited two years.  This gave me enough time to loose weight, research the pathology and look into various surgeons around the country.

If you choose to go private, I strongly suggest you get three opinions.  It all might seem a lot of expense, but we are talking about a life-changing experience here, one you can only afford to get right first time.

Hope that helps.

[brian2006]

ok thanks very much my gp isnt very supportive over the whole issue so i might see if my ps can get me a hormone test or find me a good endocronologist