Extra skin didnt adhere at all!Lawrence Bass in NY

[flatterthanbefore]

I was thrilled with the difference in my chest but I was hoping the extra skin would adhere to my chest muscle and it hasnt at all. I had the procedure almost a year ago.My doctor told me that it all depends on the persons skin. My skin type is the type that after losing weight I have stretch marks everywhere on my abdomen, chest,back...NOw I still wear a compression tank top(Veronique- the only one I recommend)and I LOVE how i look with it on. Its what I always dreamed. But without it, I look great only if I push my shoulders back severly but after the whole surgery I still dont feel comfortable being shirtless at a pool or beach and that depresses me. IS there a procedure to lift and stretch the sagging skin so that my chest is REALLY flat...even when I bend over?That to me is the deciding factor..if I can bend over without my shirt and theres no extra sagging skin. PLEASE someone address this topic.

[unisys]

More details regarding your weight & muscle gain/loss over the years along with pre and post surgery would help us answer the question better.

[flatterthanbefore]

Well I guess my question is really whether someone has either had a second procedure correcting the loose skin after the surgery or whether a procedure to correct this exists.What details do you need? I had about a pound of tissue and fat taken from each side.Ive developed chest muscle but the skin has never re-attached- the way that others have described their skin doing after the surgery.Thanks for responding!

[unisys]

I still think you need to give us more information about your age, weight, musculature, and overall weight history before anyone can actually give you a good answer for this.  If you just recently lost weight, it might take a few months or years for your skin to adapt to your new body.  Building muscle can also fill in the extra skin.

[jc71]

agree with aquillis: I'd much rather have the scars that come with skin excision surgery than loose, hanging skin.

Tell your doctor you want a "Skinplasty" and see what he says.

[ifgyne2]

In most gyne procedures, removal of fat and/or breast tissue will allow for your own skin to tighten and contract.  Lax skin after gyne surgery can occur if a) you are very big to begin with, or b) your skin has lost its elasticity (or ability to tighten up by itself) due to prior obesity or to increasing age (50 year old skin isn't as elastic as 20 year old skin).

It is important that you consider this aspect of the surgery PRIOR to your operation.  Since most men want to remove their gyne with the most minimal of scars, I often counsel my patients who I believe may end up with some lax skin post-operatively as follows:  I will perform my usual aggressive gyne procedure and allow at least six months or more for the skin to contract as much as possible (yes--all skin will contract to some degree!). Then, we (the patient and the surgeon) will discuss what, if anything, needs to be done.  Many times my patients are very pleased although there might be a slight skin laxity.  Other patients seek to be tight.  In those latter cases, a skin tightening procedure can be performed but the scars will be significantly smaller because much of the skin has already tightened and there is less skin to remove (hence smaller scars).

By the way, there is no such thing as "skin didn't adhere" --what you are looking at is your innate skin laxity.  It has nothing to do with the surgeon!

Hope these comments have helped!

Elliot Jacobs, MD, FACS
New York City
www.gynecomastiasurgery.com