Pre- and Post-op Pics... not quite flat?

[frodo]

Alright... it's been 3 weeks today since I had my surgery (it was on 28th September 2006)... There's a definite improvement, when I look in the mirror, both with and without a t-shirt. The puffy nipples are gone, and the chest is much smaller overall.

But still not completely flat! I used to walk slightly hunched over to hide my gynecomastia (I've sene here that a lot of people do this), so now that i've had my surgery I stand against the mirror absolutely straight with my chest out (like I'm gonna get a medal or something... hahaha) and it still looks like, well, a big chest. I see my friends without their shirts, and compare, and I still have a big chest, even 3 weeks post-op. I just wanna be absolutely flat, completely normal, y'know?

Anyway, here are some pictures, pre and post op. The post op pics were taken 2 weeks ago, that is, one week after the operation, just as soon as the dressing was removed.


PRE-OP:

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/pre-op-front.jpg (note how its bigger on the left side)

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/pre-op-profile-left.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/pre-op-right.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/pre-op-left.jpg



1 WEEK POST-OP:

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/post-7days-front.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/post-7days-profile-left.jpg (named the file wrong, this is actually my right side)

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/post-7days-right.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o4/frodo_gyn/post-7days-left.jpg

If you see the post-op pics, especially the profile, you can see how its rounded out... I dont know why its not just flat... when I stick out my chest it looks really big. I asked the doc about this on the phone, she said it wouldnt look good if it was totally flat, maybe because I have a bit of a belly.... but I've lost the belly many times before, with dieting and cardio, though my gynecomastia has remained... I'm pretty worried and really anxious, because I know I can get rid of the belly but what about my chest?

It is a lot smaller than before, you can see that, but I can still push my arms together and get a small cleavage, and I dont see what that should be, after so much money and so much pain I've had to go through. Sorry if I'm writing too much, its just that this is eating away at me. I just wanna have a completely flat chest.

It's still kinda sore, so I'm hoping it will go down. From the front it looks okay, but say a 3/4th back angle my chest still sticks out.

I would appreciate any comments, from people who've had the surgery, doctors, or anyone. I'm also spending a lot of time at home these days, so wouldnt mind chatting with someone who's been through this, on yahoo messenger or msn...

peace

[Give me Life]

Hi frodo:

Your pictures looks great. But as you say reality is different. Same as mine, I am now 6 weeks post op and in the begining I had a flat chest and then after couple of weeks when I was off from compression west, it seems to be coming back. I talked to my doctor and he told me not to worry as this is normal. Now in next phase, your skin will shrink to the body. So puffyness will be gone by then. that's my doctor's says. And I am also hoping for "this" in this time phase. To get complete result, we have to wait for atleast 8-10 months. So don't lose hope. Will be ok by then.

By the way, who was your PS?

[nonini]

Looks pretty good to me. and 3 weeks is probably still in the healing process so hold on a bit before making final judgments

[frodo]

Give me life: my PS was Dr Neeta Patel in Bombay, india.

You said that post-op, in the beginning you had a flat chest... in my case, even immediately post-op i could tell it was rounded through the compression garment... it's more or less been the same, and I've been wearing my compression garment for 3 weeks now... the doc said I have to for 6 weeks, although I read here that some people wear theirs for 6 months.

During one of the inital consultations, the PS asked me how much I wanted to remove, and whether I wanted it totally flat. I was frankly a little confused at this question, but having read on this site of the dangers of removing too much, I did say I'd rather err on the side of caution...  She said she'd remove enough so that if I'm "sitting around without a shirt I'd look totally normal"...

The day of the surgery though I told her I wanted it all out, to be totally flat... but I told her this with an IV in one wrist and I'm worried she might have just disregarded this as nervous talk.

Just a thought, really... the thing is I'm worried cos immediately after surgery it still looked rounded out, and this has pretty much been the same in the 3 weeks since.... like I said, if i move my arms together inwards I still get a cleavage and that sucks  :-/ I wonder if this is just fat and whether it will go, and why it wasnt removed in the first place. Just wanna have a totally flat chest.

nonini: yeah I am aware that 3 weeks is still in the healing process....I still dont have 100% mobility in my arms (like I can't lift them up over my head yet) though does that mean my chest is still gonna get smaller or is it just soreness?

IHateMyChest: Thanks, I would like to work out... I've never really been in a gym in my life. But I don't wanna work on parts of my body just to "balance out" my chest... I'd rather have a lean frame than be bulked up just so my chest looks normal in comparison, you know? I do wanna work on some definition though. Just want a regular flat chest to start off with...

[flex1appeal]

I can tell one thing in the post op pics. That is that your chest is VERY swollen. Especially your left side. Looks alot more swollen and larger than the right. That happens though. But the swelling took me almost 4 weeks to really completely go away. So 3 weeks into it you still are a little bit swollen more than likely. Be patient. It will flaten out more over the weeks

[frodo]

I do hope so... I'll post more recent pics soon....