How long does it take for the swelling to go away?

[MonarchX]

I had my surgery 2 weeks ago.  It seems to be healing well, but its like in several parts on my chest there is swelling.  As if the muscle is REALLY contracted 100% 24/7.  

Is that normal?  How long will it take for it to go away?

[MonarchX]

Also, since the swelling is already there - should I bother with the compression vest at this point?  I wore it straight for 2 weeks.  It was tight, but not reallly tight....

[flex1appeal]

Yes, continue to wear your vest. Of course there is already swelling there. The vest isn't designed to eliminate swelling. It helps to prevent more swelling and from hematomas from developing. The vest will keep swelling to a minimum. Swelling can take several weeks to completely go away. I have had swelling on my right side for nearly 6 weeks. It just started to significantly reduce in swelling only about a week ago. The swelling was probably caused by fluid within the tissues which wasn't absorbing for some reason. It now is starting to look better. I notice when I wear my vest the last 3 days and wake up the swelling is reduced even more. But the last 3 days I've not been wearing my vest during the day and very mild swelling occurs again. Then, I put it on again at night and the next day it is even better than the day before. So, today I decided to wear my vest all day and will do so until next tuesday which is my 6 week mark and when I was suppose to stop wearing the vest altogether. I've been experimenting so to speak.  

[MonarchX]

So in the end, all of the swelling WILL go away, right?

My nipple was flat after surgery but now that its all swolle - its like REAL big puffy (but no gland, just muscle underneath).  

[flex1appeal]

Yes, it will eventually go away. I worried like you and my doc kept telling me to be patient. I was like 2 weeks out and swollen and thought I had fluid in my right side. He tried to aspirate it and nothing came out. He said it was probably fluid laying within the tissue itself which will absorb eventually over time. But because of my impatience I developed even more swelling and bruising on the right side because I insisted he aspirate. Now I wish I would have just been patient. I still have a bit of swelling but over the last week it has finally started to settle. Just be patient my friend and wear your vest. I know it is annoying as heck to wear but it will help. I promise.

[DrBermant]

I had my surgery 2 weeks ago.  It seems to be healing well, but its like in several parts on my chest there is swelling.  As if the muscle is REALLY contracted 100% 24/7. 

Is that normal?  How long will it take for it to go away?

2 weeks can be very eary in tissue evolution with some techniques. 

Posting Standardized Before and After Pictures can help others better understand your concerns.

How tissues evolve after surgery depends on the problem treated, surgical technique, skill of the surgeon, after care, scar care, and how a patient heals.  I prefer my Dynamic Technique in which there is minimal bruising and swelling.  The biggest change happens on the operating table.  That is how I am able to post images the day after surgery.  However, further refinement happens over time as sculpted tissues evolves as they soften with scar care, compression, and healing.  As with any cut, tissues need to heal and soften.

You can see other examples of early resuts:

in this competition body builder here.

This one sided (unilateral) gynecomastia shows the swelling after surgery typical swelling after my gynecomastia surgery compaired to the side that had No Surgery. 

Here is another example of early healing after unilateral surgery typically seen with my techniques. 

Here is another example of typical minimal swelling and bruising in a 14 year old patient with more images images of tissue evolution and swelling here.. 

You can find many more examples on my website of primary gynecomastia tissue evoluation.

I perform many Revision Gynecomastia Male Chest Sculpture Operations on patients done by other doctors around the world. Each patient has told me how different their tissues were after my Dynamic Technique compaired to their previous surgery.  They all have commented how the swelling was much less, comfort better, and their expectation met, even at their first view of the tissues after surgery.  You can see typical tissue evolution after Revision Gynecomastia Surgery here.

However, even with these techniques, the tissue continue to evolve over time.  Here is another example of a patient revised after initial surgery done in Australia, early and 2 years after his operation.

This is real surgery and tissues do need to heal just like any other cut or injury.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

[MonarchX]

Yes, but all of those were excisions, not liposuctions.  I asked my doctor and he said its just the fluid in the lower part of the chest.  

[flex1appeal]

Yes, but all of those were excisions, not liposuctions.  I asked my doctor and he said its just the fluid in the lower part of the chest.  

I believe it too also be fluid not absorbed by the tissue yet. It will absorb eventually and disappear.

[billybob2]

one piece of advice I have is don't get your doctor to aspirate. For me it pretty much reset the swelling. It's flatter for like a week then its all swollen again and will probably be lik ethat for 6 weeks. I got aspirated like 2 weeks ago at like the 4 week mark. I'm hoping that the swelling will all be gone within the next 4 weeks.

[DrBermant]

Yes, but all of those were excisions, not liposuctions.  I asked my doctor and he said its just the fluid in the lower part of the chest.  

Actually they were all my Dynamic Technique which involved both excision, liposuction or microliposuction. Other elements might include fat flaps, fat sculpture, skin sculpture, or internal lift among others.  Sculpture of tissue is an art form that depends on many factors.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

[MonarchX]

So, how many weeks should I give before seeing the result that is likely to stay?

I'm just concerned that right after the surgery my nipples were flat for a few days.  Then, it started to swell and they puffed out big time.  They used to be soft-puffy and now they are like... resistant-puffy on touch.  I can't feel anything bead-like or hard (just muscle that I can feel when I contract it) underneath them, but they are sticking out.

I hope its just the swelling.  

[cantchooseaname]

If all the gland truely is gone, then wait at least 3 months and you should definately have major improvements.  After my lipo only surgery, my nipples were still puffy after the surgery; however, as time passed, they slowly kept going down and is now nearly flat.  Best of luck to you!

[MonarchX]

I think its because the skin is really different/soft/thin in the nipple area and thats why swelling makes it puffy.  

[daddynubbie]

Monarch,

Hows the swelling now?