Gynecomastia Support Forum
Surgery => Surgery Preparation => Topic started by: Supersonic123 on July 31, 2012, 01:36:55 PM
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I've had gynecomastia since I was a kid. Always have felt very self conscious without t-shirt on. I have a mild case of the gyne, compared to many I even have a very mild case. My story is no different though, compared to some of you guys with worse gynecomastia, the feelings are the same...
I've been looking for a good surgeon in Sweden for long, and I've finally found one that I trust. I have only spoken to him via telephone because I live in Gothenburg and the clinic he works on is located in Stockholm (3 hour train trip away), so we did consultation with phone call with me sending pictures.
I realize doing surgery comes with a risk. Even though my surgeon seems confident he can help me with my problem, I'm still worried about it looking worse than now (since my case is mild). I still have hard accepting my chest looking this way, and everytime I look in the mirror I feel sad. When I was a kid I was a bit tubby, and now that I'm pretty slim, I still feel "fat" because before finding out what gynecomastia was I just assumed I was fat. Bad self image so to speak...
Do you think I can get good results with surgery, or is the risk of complication not worth it? If I don't do the surgery I will hate my puffy nipples the rest of my life, there is no doubt about that. But reality is it could be worse. I have saved money for surgery, my surgeon sounds like he knows what he's doing, and I really dream of having the choice to put on a tight, white t-shirt and feel proud of my body and not walk like a old man trying to hide my breasts with dark shirts etc...
Please help me, I can't even sleep good anymore because I'm so anxious, don't want to regret this decision for the rest of my life. I know the choice is 100% mine, but input really helps. Risk of bad surgery results vs ashamed of my moobs the rest of my life, it's a hard decision...
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I just showed your post to my wife Debbie, and she said that in her younger days she would have considered you handsome! She also said the she felt your chest looks fine.
I share my post and other with her a lot as we are very close, and I would have to agree with her that you don't need to spend the money for surgery, but that being said, you must do what you need to do!
Yes, there are risk to every and any surgery so you need to weigh the pros and cons, and if there are more cons then pros, then let's work on the self confidence! If the pros out number the cons, then have the surgery.
Good luck with all of this and I am here to talk if you want, and God Bless!
Bob
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I looked back and found your pictures. You do not have nearly enough tissue on your chest to be a member of my family.
I will not be so rude as to say you have no problem, but I will say that I honestly do not see a problem.
I have known many people here who would hope to look that good after surgery.
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Hi Supersonic123,
I was like you and had a mild case of gynecomastia, so I know what you're going through, especially reading about some of the horror stories of guys who got disappointing results from their surgeons.
I had surgery on June 04, 2012, so I'm almost at the 2-month point. I'm very happy with my results as I'm totally flat and my chest looks much more masculine than before. Of course I'm still in the healing stages, but I am amazed at my results.
The one thing that concerned me was getting keloid scars, which are raised scars from cuts etc., that form on the skin. I get those on my chest really easily and when my surgeon saw some old ones, he made the decision to do everything through the aureola to hide the incision and deal with any scarring there. Luckily, that area where he cut hasn't developed any keloids and I can't even see the cut. :)
Here's what help me decide my case:
When I went in for my consultation, I asked my doctor if I were a good candidate for the surgery (excision and liposuction) and he said yes. I also asked if the benefits far outweighed any risk that I was taking and he again said yes.
We discussed what he would do for the procedure, and what would happen if I were unhappy with the results (and how much it would cost me). This is where he really put me at ease because he has a revision policy in place, and it's written down on paper when you sign the surgery consent forms, so if I were unhappy with my results, my revision surgery would only cost me $500 to cover the anesthesiologist's fee and my doctor wouldn't charge me anything.
He also had in place, injections that could be done after surgery for flattening out keloid scars, and/or anything else that might have popped up.
We also discussed some of the common problems that occur with this type of surgery like crater deformity and he told me that was due to the surgeon removing too much tissue from the chest, so his approach was to do it modestly because it's easier to go back in (if needed) to remove more tissue, than it is to correct a crater deformity.
Anyway, my point is that my doctor made me feel that he was willing to stand by his work and that he was going to be a willing and helpful partner in this endeavor. He explained everything to me fully, so that I understood what was going to happen, and he also made me feel comfortable that -- if anything went wrong or if I was unhappy with the results -- he would fix it, at minimal cost to me. I think that was the key.
Remember, there is no plastic surgeon out there who can guarantee what your outcome will be because there are so many variables going on like how you heal, how much was done, etc., etc. that they can only do the best job they can do (with what they know) and then your body takes over and does the rest. The only thing you and the doctor can do is hope for the best outcome, but make sure there's a plan B for corrections just in case. :D
Even if you went to a surgeon with a long list of fabulous clients with great results, doesn't mean that you'll get the same results, since every person is different, and a good doctor will tell you the same thing.
Just make sure you know where your doctor stands on revisions and how much it'll cost you if you need additional work from being unhappy with your results. Once you find that out, and it's something that you find agreeable, and you feel like the doctor will stand by his work, then go for it! ;D
I didn't think that the results would be as dramatic as they would be, but they are. Now when I look down, I don't see the two mounds on my chest and I don't miss them at all!
Good luck, Supersonic :) . None of us can tell you what to do, but we're all here to lend a hand of support so keep us posted.
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Hi_Top_Guy, thank you for your long and kind reply. I actually talked to my surgeon two days ago, and asked for corrections, and he said that it is free! He does hundreads of surgerys every year (not gynecomastia but all kind of surgery), and only does about 2 or 3 corrections a year, because of good results. But he said that if I was not happy after the healing period, it would cost me nothing to fix the problems I would have after that, and that really felt great.
My surgeon also talked about leaving some fat and tissue, he said it would heal nicer. And the picture I saw, (only got to see one picture via "web conferance" were I would see his screen live, he didn't want to mail pictures of patiens, which I actually thought was very professional) and the results looked nice on that patient.
I do trust my doctor because he sounded down to earth, and even though he only does about 20 gynecomastia surgeries a year I think he can do the job, espessialy because I don't have big case of gyne and hopefully that wont lead to saggy skin etc.
Is there anyone out there reading this and have done surgery with mild case like mine, please give me your honest opinion on surgery, it is one of the biggest choices I have to do in my life and I really feel it's now or never.
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Also, it's helpful if you can email/talk with your doctor's previous patients who went through the same surgery.
I don't know if there's a website in your country, but here we can check on the internet if the doctor is board certified and if there are any complaints or infractions against the doctor and his/her practice. That also helps so you know the doctor you choose doesn't have any problems against them.
If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask. ;)
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Im now thinking I should loose some weight before doing surgery. Im so afraid it will look worse than now. So many in here are dissapointed with results. Maybe I should save money and go to uk or USA to see gynecomastia specialist surgeon to be sure. My surgeon only does about 20 a year, is this very little? =/
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Im to scared, ill skip surgery and try to work on cardio excersise and building self esteem instead. In the end, nobodys perfect and bad results would really break me down since i only have mild gyne now.
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Im to scared, ill skip surgery and try to work on cardio excersise and building self esteem instead. In the end, nobodys perfect and bad results would really break me down since i only have mild gyne now.
Supersonic, this is part of what some of us have been trying to help you understand! I am willing to try and help with building self esteem!
Bob
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Hey man. Haven't seen your pictures, but I think you're in the same boat I was in 4.5 months ago. Some on these forums would've considered my case to be mild with surgery being unnecessary. Like you, I had the same fear: "What if I get butchered and end up ALWAYS feeling self conscience about my chest? Then I'd always dwell upon the money and pain I went through only to look worse that I did before!!!" I was tired of wearing dark shirts, or having to pinch my nipples before I stood up! So, I did my best to squash those fears and jump in head first. I had my surgery on March 22nd, 2012 and 4.5 months later, I'm thrilled.
I lost a good amount of weight leading up to (and after!) surgery which honestly made my goofytitties appear more profound, to me at least. Cardio does nothing for gyne, and lifting chest only seems to make them stick out more.
I thought about surgery many times in years past, only to psyche myself out - like you're doing now - and still be unhappy, and eventually end up getting it done years later; I wish I would've done it sooner. Could you get a bad result? Yes. Could you also get a great result?! YES! You have to weigh it out for YOURSELF. Personally, it's the best thing I've ever done.
Hi-Top gave good advice - Check out the doctor's history for complaints and whatnot. See his before and after photos. Talk to him as much as you need to feel confident. If he is a general plastic surgeon that does 20 gyne surgeries a year, I think that's sufficient; think about it, that's one just about every other week. Through these message boards, I've found that often the doctors would proclaim themselves to be the 'gyne-expert' or the 'gyne-removal-master' etc. are often crummy doctors who just remove glands, don't contour the chest, and don't follow up with much, if any, post-op care. Do your homework and you'll feel more confident.
"What a shame it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." - Socrates
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Supersonic123, I saw your pics that you posted and you're already very thin. You can try to lose more weight, but it won't make your chest look any smaller. Even at my thinnest, weighing 150-pounds at 5 foot 9 inches, and a 30 waist, with low body fat and muscle definition, my nipples were still puffy and the whole area around my pecs looked off.
But self-esteem is VERY IMPORTANT, too, and if you feel like that is something you need to work on first, than you should do that.
Showtime, you and me were all in the same boat with the mild/moderate gynecomastia. He got his surgery before mine and was very encouraging to me, but it all came down to my own decision. I was ready mentally and physically to do it, but it took me years to come to that choice. So we totally get what you're going through.
It is a scary choice to have to make, and I think that a lot of people take plastic surgery too lightly. They only see the end results (especially on shows like "Extreme Makeover") and think that it is some kind of miracle and that you can be perfect, when in reality, any type of surgery carries risks, and in some cases the results are worse than if they left things alone.
No matter what you decide to do, always remember this: correcting the gynecomastia will not make you popular, happy, content, perfect, at peace, make people love you or anything else because all these things are related to the inside and how you feel about yourself. Sure, having the surgery will boost your self-confidence and make you feel lighter, and like Showtime wrote 'why didn't I do this sooner' -- to which I second that -- but it won't give you those things if you don't already have them.
In any case, keep us posted on your progress. :D
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Thanks so much for the replies... I will work hard at the gym and try to loose some kilos, now I weigh 80 kg and will try to go down to maybe 75, and if my gyne is no better then, well, I'll have to do the surgery. I'll definitely keep you updated. Thinking about doing a training diary on this site and posting pictures and measurements and see if cardio training will do ANY thing to help my chest look a little bit more masculine. Seeing some results on surgery on this site really freaks me out, for example: www.gynecomastia.org/smf/14/my-healing-journal-(with-pics)/ (looks terrible imo)
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I would have to agree with you! Your chest as it is looks better then poor mister bob!
Good luck supersonic!
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Please stop writing in my threads hammer. Feel free to post in other threads but after your religious mumbo jumbo in the other thread I can't take anything you say seriously and everytime YOU write "don't do surgery" it actually makes me want to do it even more. So respect this is my thread and I do not want your opinion.
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That's great advice from Hi Top!
Just looked at that link. Don't think the results are great - yet. But also don't know what his case was like pre-op. Like hi top said, alot of us think that we'll get immediate gratification, when in fact the healing process takes a while - at least three months at the earliest. Scars and nipple creases are common and take a little while to works themselves out. He might be looking better than those pics showed at this point. Private message me your email address. And I'll send you some pics throughout my healing if you're interested.
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Hey man, I also had a minor case and had my surgery done in Canada. There was no lipo so it was covered for me through OHIP (you only need to pay for lipo). So seeing as all I needed was an excision it is pretty obvious my case was minor. Seemed to me a lot smaller than any other picture I have seen, but like you as well, I felt the same emotions. Being a slim male with puffy nipples looks so noticable and off to me so I hated it. only 19 now and had gyne for about 4 years. Had my surgery in February and am about 6 months post op now. I am not yet pleased with my results yet, but I am still healing. I've come to realize I am one of those slow healers.
My chest seemed flat at first, and then boom... puffy again due to a bunch of scar tissue which is healing oh so slowly. I noticed these last couple months the scar tissue has been deplenishing quicker, so I ham hoping to have my wanted results within the next couple months. Right now it is still noticeable to me but definitely looks better then b4 and is constantly getting better now. I hear that it even takes a full year for some. But if I don't have my wanted results I will go back to my surgeon and get a revision for the tiny bit thats left (hard to tell now if it is extra gland or healing scar tissue).
So main point here, the other guys here are right about your nipples not magically looking great over a night. It will take time, more time for some than others. But the sooner its done the sooner it will look good. Working out most definately won't get rid of the gland, it will only help deplete some fat on your body. The decision comes down to you, but I would recommend going for the surgery. I know I will be miserable without my nipples back, so I was willing to take the risk. Good luck with everything, and feel free to ask me anything.
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Hey buddy, to put my answer simply - I wouldn't worry about it.
I'm going for surgery this Saturday for what I would consider to be a pretty minor case of Gyno (relative to what I've seen here!).
My biggest problem is with puffy nipples which poke through any lightweight tshirt. Every day I go outside I consciously worry about what I'm going to wear because of it. I hunch over to try and hide them and roll my shoulders forward as well. I'm 24 years old and have had this for over a decade, now the way I see it is:
1. I don't wear clothes that I want to.
2. I don't stand up straight.
3. I certainly don't take my top off for anyone other than my GF.
So of all the main complications from surgery - uneven chest, inverted nipples, scarring - both 1 and 2 are still fixed anyway. #3 isn't fixed but who gives a crap, that wasn't going to get fixed by not having surgery either!
For me, the risk of something going tragically wrong is so slim that it's not worth thinking about. If it was, then I should also worry every time I step in a car or walk to the shops.
Anyway, good luck with your decision whatever it is! Some people come to terms with gyno and can just move on with things, unfortunately for me it's not happened for 10 years so I figure it never will without an op.
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Thanks for replies, really helps. Rasputin, whats worse for me is the fact I live in Sweden and we dont have great gynecomastia surgeons like karidis here so its more of a gamble with surgery here :(
I think about my gyne everyday and I guess I will do surgery sooner or later.
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Totally agree with you there, I've heard so many people on this forum talk about 'cheap' options for surgery. It's about getting the right surgeon not the right price!
If that's the case in Sweden, I would definitely look at saving up to travel to London. You only need 1 or 2 nights in a hotel and can probably travel relatively cheaply (relatively compared to the surgery!). I've also seen a couple of people looking at taking out interest free loans for their surgery, I would look into that too.
You're thinking about gyno every day so it's worth doing something it. Speak with your family, if you're fortunate enough you may be able to borrow some money - people are surprisingly supportive once you come out and explain how much trouble this has caused you.
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Rasputin is spot on - you want to right SURGEON. If you choose one surgeon over another to save $500bucks and he does a subpar job, you will have wished that you paid the extra money. Be sure to spend a good bit of time researching and finding the right man (or woman) for the job.
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I'll chime in as well, and both Rasputin and Showtime have got it right. You really do want to see a specialist who deals with cosmetic/plastic surgery and gynecomastia, so that you can get the best results possible.
I looked at the link you provided above and yeah, I wouldn't be happy with those results either. I put my before and after pics up on my other thread:
www.gynecomastia.org/smf/12/surgery-in-2-weeks!/
I'm not sure if you saw them but my results are very different than Misterbob and I'm past the six week point. In fact, last Saturday (08/04/12) was my two month mark ;D
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Yeah saw your pictures man, been really buissy forgot to say thanks, so thanks alot! Results looks great imo! Congratulation!
Whats my best option if I have to travel abroad for surgery? USA definitely too expensive with flight costs etc. Maybe karidis? Whos the best surgeon in the uk?
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The UK is probably your best bet - you should check out the UK forum here, it's full of success stories. There are two surgeons that are popular on this forum - Dr. Karidis and Mr Levick, in London and Birmingham respectively. Karidis is costing me (including blood tests) about £4,200.
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Wow, thats about 46000 swedish kronor vs 26000 kronor to do it here :/
(and the 26000 is at the higher level price range here)
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The surgeon in Stockholm does something called smartlipo (+ removal of gland). Anyone know if its good with smartlipo for gynecomastia surgeries? Also he only does local anastethia, will it hurt much?
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The surgeon in Stockholm does something called smartlipo (+ removal of gland). Anyone know if its good with smartlipo for gynecomastia surgeries? Also he only does local anastethia, will it hurt much?
I'm not sure exactly what 'smartlipo' is, but lipo is generally recommended even if you've got a low body fat just to make sure the contouring is all OK. Also Karidis' logic is that by doing the lipo first he is able to get a clearer look at the gland.
In terms of pain - you won't feel a thing. You will just get pushed around the table as they go in and out with the lipo! That also explains the cheaper price, local is cheaper than general (but can't say how much).
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Here's pictures. Please help with comments. Is it just TOO MILD to risk surgery complications?
When I was younger it was more that I hated the size of the nipple, not as much the contour like I do now. Now I feel I have developed larger breasts since I gained some weight 1.5 years ago (from around 76kg to 85kg, then back to 78-82kg where I've been since). The left side is notibly worse.
Should I do surgery or talk to psychiatrist? My girlfriend for example thinks it's ALL in my head and see absolutely NO PROBLEM. Every day for a year since I found out there are something called gynecomastia I have squeezed my breast looking for gland, looking in the mirror hating my breasts. Beeing very self consious wearing tight t-shirt. I've always been self consious and hating wearing no shirt at all in public, now I even hate wearing just t-shirt.
Pic taken with flash.
(http://oi46.tinypic.com/351trf8.jpg)
Left side.
(http://oi48.tinypic.com/4kcu2d.jpg)
Close up.
(http://oi47.tinypic.com/2j5j4w6.jpg)
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your case is probably a little bit more mild than my minor case and I still got the surgery done. But almost 6 months post op I am still healing and hoping these results aren't final because now my puffyness is probably at your level when pre op it was just a little bit worse than yours. Im hoping he didn't leave too much gland behind and that this is all scar tissue still healing. But yea if you can save up and get your surgery done with an experienced surgeon, I would suggest you do that, like what the rest have said. And not to put you down or anything but I read another dr on a post say that just because a patient has a minor case of gynecomastia, it doesn't make the procedure easier, so to speak. Things can still go wrong. And I only had gland removal, no lipo at all. So theres most likely issues with any case and different healing times depending on procedure and patients, but if you feel you will never be happy with your chest, you should get it done.
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your case is probably a little bit more mild than my minor case and I still got the surgery done. But almost 6 months post op I am still healing and hoping these results aren't final because now my puffyness is probably at your level when pre op it was just a little bit worse than yours. Im hoping he didn't leave too much gland behind and that this is all scar tissue still healing. But yea if you can save up and get your surgery done with an experienced surgeon, I would suggest you do that, like what the rest have said. And not to put you down or anything but I read another dr on a post say that just because a patient has a minor case of gynecomastia, it doesn't make the procedure easier, so to speak. Things can still go wrong. And I only had gland removal, no lipo at all. So theres most likely issues with any case and different healing times depending on procedure and patients, but if you feel you will never be happy with your chest, you should get it done.
Thanks for reply. But only gland removal = bad results. Lipo nessesary for shaping of the breast and skin to be tighter...
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You're welcome, Supersonic, and thanks for the comment.
Definitely look at the UK board to get advice and it sounds like Rasputin is going to Karidis, so he should be good for letting you know how it goes (good luck Rasputin :)). And the price sounds about right; here in the US mine was $6500, but prices vary and can go up to about $8000 depending on how much work is needed.
I'm not sure what "smart lipo" is but maybe it's not as invasive as regular lipo.
I had general anesthesia but I did read that some other members only had local and they were fine with it.
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I have heard that before but I don't think lipo is necessary for me. Im not an expert but I feel my body type wouldn't result good in lipsuction. I barely have much fat to begin with but Im not sure, maybe you are right since I still have slightly puffy nipples. I still feel either gland/scar under my nipples so maybe he didn't take enough gland out or the scars are still healing. But if worse comes to worse I will go back in september and mention that to my doctor. Im hoping your wrong tho lol because I dont want to have to pay for lipo and i really dont feel like doing surgery again. Hate going to doctors as it is, so the least the better aha.
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How is it going for you? Im in pretty much the same situation and also live in Sweden! Take care