swelling after surgery?

[russ306]

I'm a little over 2 months post op and my left side is looking good. I can see my ribs through my nipple and skin. The right side on the other hand is a little bigger. It looks good but just not as good as my left side. My doc said that at the time of surgery my chest was perfectly symmetrical and that that is what they go by. I'm not sure what that means but anyway he said it could be swelling. Can swelling really las over 2 months after surgery. Is there any hope that my right side will look as good as my left?
I'm about 6'2, 143lbs, 5% bodyfat.

[russ306]

does anyone have any input on this

[DrBermant]

I'm a little over 2 months post op and my left side is looking good. I can see my ribs through my nipple and skin. The right side on the other hand is a little bigger. It looks good but just not as good as my left side. My doc said that at the time of surgery my chest was perfectly symmetrical and that that is what they go by. I'm not sure what that means but anyway he said it could be swelling. Can swelling really las over 2 months after surgery. Is there any hope that my right side will look as good as my left?
I'm about 6'2, 143lbs, 5% bodyfat.

Some techniques can have swelling for many months after surgery.  The Swelling After Gynecomastia Surgery shown on my site is typical for my patients who have very little swelling as they come out of the operating room.  More extensive surgery can take longer for the swelling to go down as can be seen on examples such as my Male Breast Lift Healing Pictures

Swelling from injury that is due to extra water in the tissues may resolve over time.  "Swelling" from thickened scar or residual tissue not removed can be revealed as the swelling from injury resolves. 

Everyone is asymmetrical to a degree.  Realistic expectations are the key to a happy patient.

Such issues are best discussed during an evaluation with your doctor or someone you see for a second opinion.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Revision Gynecomastia and Chest Surgery

[russ306]

Can anyone else help me with this please?

[Pacifico]

Russ your body may change it may not.  I have the same issue with a little larger chest in my left, but when I run my finger down my chest on the left I can feel a hard lump where the chest sticks out a little more than the other side.  This makes me think it will go away, as scar tissue.  Do I really care!  Hell no!  My chest looks great compared to how it was before surgery!  My chest was not perfect before the surgery and neither was yours (equal on both sides).  Only I knew it was not totally symetrical before and after the surgery.  People on the street will never know my chest is slightly imperfect they will just look and think it is normal.  Have you ever put a mirror up to one side of your face and looked in a mirror to create a "new face" using the "half" for both sides of the image?  If you did you would see you look like a different person because each side of our faces our not equal.  One off your ears may be offset like most people.

Bottom line.  It is not your chest that is the problem, it is your brain.  You need to break out of the HABBIT of being obsessed with your chest like I was and everybody else here was before they had surgery.  Relax and enjoy life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[siphon]

well said, i think the biggest thing to overcome with surgery is the psychological burdens, and mindset we'd all developed while trying to deal with it. we've become so damn insecure, and the littlest things will get us thinking.   this is normal! the only thing we can do is acknowledge that we are insecure beings, and everyone else is so no one really cares whether your left is bigger than your right or vice versa. i have the same prb, my right sticks out more, but on the whole its way better.

the fact that you can see your ribs, and seeing your height/weight ratio, you are very very underweight. putting on some muscle over time, will help balance you out, and if you feel the need once you've put on about 20 -30 pounds of muscle, and its still unbalanced, than just work one side more than the other.

youre now in a position where youve taken a huge step to overcome something, yet your mind is not ready to let go of its comfortable mindset. challenge your thoughts, your body, and sit back and enjoy life

[Pacifico]

Ditto!  Another point to consider.  How many of you have ever stared at another mans chest in public (like on the streets of any city) and tried to figure out if one side of his chest looked different from the other?  Did you peer, study, look at angles trying to map out his chest.  NO you never did and neither will anybody do it to you!