If you're thinking about surgery, please seriously consider...

[unknown0318]

Okay so I cannot speak on behalf of those with severe gynecomastia, but when it comes to minor cases that are just puffy nipples you seriously do not need surgery. Coming from someone who is 1.5 years post op, I somewhat regret the decision I have made to get the surgery done. If you have gynecomastia, your chest will never be flawless. Period. I basically traded nipples that were only puffy when they weren't hard to nipples that are now asymmetrical, unevenly positioned on my chest, and I have a visible scar on my left side. Trust me, I've been up and down this forum for the past 2 years and I've had the surgery myself. I have come to the conclusion that no matter who you go to or how much you pay, they will never be perfect and the closest thing you have to being perfect is what you're already born with. Bottom line. You have to accept the fact that you have been born with what you got and just carry on. Half of me wishes I understood this before I decided to do it, but I am somewhat happy that I tried and did what I could. However if I could I would take my old chest back because it's more common and acceptable to have puffy nipples than it is to be post op gynecomastia surgery...think about it.

[Bobby - LAgyne]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your first post!

Surgeries have risks. Specially with surgeries like gynecomastia correction, you are trading off one thing for another. The more severe the gyne case is, the more incentives there are for you to pursue. And if you're an adult, nobody should have made the decision of going with surgery for you except yourself.

The surgeon should have made you read and sign that you understood these risks and side effects before doing anything to your body. At least they do it here in US.

[hammer]

As a person who has had gyne all my life I've learn to live with it as I'm one of the older guys and I didn't even know there was a name for big boobs until a few years ago! Health problems have made my breast grow to 46H and yes I do wear a bra to supprt them, but it doesn't make me feel less of a man and my wife, kids and friends could care less.

Truth be told, no one out in public has ever said a word nor have I ever noticed anyone looking at me! I don't go through a lot of trouble to hide them, nor do I try to show them either.

I don't fear the surgery, I've had 7 other surgeries, both knees replaced, 2 back surgeries, a host of minor and I may need another back, hope to find out next Monday. I just don't feel breast removel is needed.

For those of you that go through the surgery I pray that you get what you hope to achieve by having the surgery, I on the other hand find that acceptance works just fine as I try to accept to live with the disabilities that life has giving me to learn to live with as well as breast.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Sorry for your experience and subsequent results.

However, your results do not mirror my experience.  I have done hundreds of "puffy nipples" and have gotten very acceptable results.  It may seem to be a "small" or "simple" operation  -- it is not!!  It is a tricky operation, but in the right hands, the experienced hands, the results can be very rewarding.  The important point here is that you should consult with a real gyne expert if considering this surgery.

Why don't you post some post op photos -- perhaps revision surgery could make a difference for you.

Dr Jacobs

[TickTock]

I completely agree with the OP. Gynecomastia didn't ruin my life, but gynecomastia surgery did. If I had my time again I'd be happy with what God gave me.

[hammer]

I completely agree with the OP. Gynecomastia didn't ruin my life, but gynecomastia surgery did. If I had my time again I'd be happy with what God gave me.

In Gods eyes we are all perfect! The fact is, we are who we are and when we accept that it is easier to accept others as well! Until you learn to love yourself, you are unable to love others and you must first accept yourself to be able to love yourself!

TickTock, I'm pleased to hear you have come to the point in your life that you have! God bless!


Bob

[macman213]

Respect OPs points, but disagree. I've had puffy nipples since I was 15 and they tormented me. I'm 30. Got surgery at the beginning of the summer with non gyne specialist, and results were essentially unchanged. Went to gyne specialist and the results are perfect on one side, I mean just perfect. The other side is MUCH better than before, though there is some loose skin thats definitely effecting the appearance. I had a 4 month f/up and he's going to easily fix it by re-doing the scar underneath and tightening it ever so slightly. Even though its not perfect just yet, I can tell by the perfect side that its POSSIBLE. I would never go back. Ever.


I think, truly, what you need is a specialist in this area that has refined their technique and worked out the kinks a regular PS hasn't.

[hammer]

Respect OPs points, but disagree. I've had puffy nipples since I was 15 and they tormented me. I'm 30. Got surgery at the beginning of the summer with non gyne specialist, and results were essentially unchanged. Went to gyne specialist and the results are perfect on one side, I mean just perfect. The other side is MUCH better than before, though there is some loose skin thats definitely effecting the appearance. I had a 4 month f/up and he's going to easily fix it by re-doing the scar underneath and tightening it ever so slightly. Even though its not perfect just yet, I can tell by the perfect side that its POSSIBLE. I would never go back. Ever.


I think, truly, what you need is a specialist in this area that has refined their technique and worked out the kinks a regular PS hasn't.

I agree, that if you are going to have the surgery you need to go to a specialist! I wouldn't go to a podiatrist for my back surgeries!

I know that lots of the guys feel that they need the surgery to help them emotionally, and with self confidence, and that is fine! Enjoy your youth do what you need to do, but in 20-30 years you need to also understand that Mother Nature will also start making changes to you that unless you are as rich as some basket ball star you will need to accept!

I'm a guy who has had to accept many things in my life, from a accidental death of a child to becoming disabled. (My story after all these years, in stories) It is said, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, well gentlemen, I'm here to tell you it does!

So, do what you must do, make mistakes, but always learn from them.


Bob

[Alchemist]

Okay so I cannot speak on behalf of those with severe gynecomastia, but when it comes to minor cases that are just puffy nipples you seriously do not need surgery. Coming from someone who is 1.5 years post op, I somewhat regret the decision I have made to get the surgery done. If you have gynecomastia, your chest will never be flawless. Period. I basically traded nipples that were only puffy when they weren't hard to nipples that are now asymmetrical, unevenly positioned on my chest, and I have a visible scar on my left side. Trust me, I've been up and down this forum for the past 2 years and I've had the surgery myself. I have come to the conclusion that no matter who you go to or how much you pay, they will never be perfect and the closest thing you have to being perfect is what you're already born with. Bottom line. You have to accept the fact that you have been born with what you got and just carry on. Half of me wishes I understood this before I decided to do it, but I am somewhat happy that I tried and did what I could. However if I could I would take my old chest back because it's more common and acceptable to have puffy nipples than it is to be post op gynecomastia surgery...think about it.

I see hundreds of people nude all (when possible) summer.  About half the men have gyne to one degree or another.  I've never yet seen any guy in the flesh with breasts as large as mine.  Men who have had gyne surgery, and I see a few, but mostly not at nudist locations until recently, are obvious across the pool.  They were not any that had surgical disasters but all were clearly visible at a distance.  Now an occasional post surgical guy shows up, always younger ones.  The older guys like me and Hammer already have far more scarring than they really want.

[maxk26]

I had surgery for puffy nipples, and they simply puffed back out again afterwards. My surgeon failed to mention anything about possible scar tissue build up, or the fact that my nipples may just be stretched from years of puffiness - so they wouldn't simply flatten out.

I think my surgery may have caused a 10 -20% decrease in puffiness, which was extremely disappointing.

[George Pope, M.D.]

Surgical results are sometimes unpredictable, unfortunately.  A big part of the surgical consultation is centered around educating patients about the procedure they are contemplating.  In plastic surgery, as in other surgical specialties, some procedures are more difficult to perform, with more potential for unpredictable outcomes, than others.  That's why I think, as the other plastic surgeons on this forum have reiterated, it's imperative to find a plastic surgeon who performs a lot of gynecomastia surgery and consistently gets good results.  I agree with Dr. Jacobs - I have also operated on hundreds of men with puffy nipples or mild gynecomastia, and they've gotten good results and have been happy.  Some have gone on to develop scar tissue, but that is pretty easily treated. 

The decision to undergo surgery for this is a personal one; puffy nipples may bother one guy a lot and not bother the next guy at all. 

Dr. Pope, MD

[Sven]

I see hundreds of people nude all (when possible) summer...Men who have had gyne surgery, and I see a few, but mostly not at nudist locations until recently, are obvious across the pool.  They were not any that had surgical disasters but all were clearly visible at a distance.  Now an occasional post surgical guy shows up, always younger ones.  The older guys like me and Hammer already have far more scarring than they really want.

I had surgery, and even my friends who know I had the surgery ask "Did your doctor make an incision?"  When I answer yes, they ask "where".  I have to show them where the incision was made and direct their eye to the faint scar line - to which they respond "Wow, you can't even tell".  Maybe they are just being nice, but I really don't think so.  If you have a good surgeon, there is a great chance they will have the skill to conceal the scar along the edge of the areolae and no one will ever notice.  Unless someone is actively looking for people who had surgery and has trained their eye to see it, I don't think anyone would be able to spot the fact that I had surgery from across the pool.  And if they do notice it and decide to say something, it's a good chance to bring awareness to a much too infrequently discussed condition that many men struggle with.

[ken979]

Surgery is the best thing to happen to me. I don't need to cover up any more and best of all, I get to wear all my old clothes from 6 years ago.

[Alchemist]

Whether to have surgery or not is purely up to the person.  If we had enough statistics on it I could tell you what percentage are not satisfied, what percentage had a disaster, what percentage had one or more redoes and even what percentage had severe consequences that can happen with any surgery, such as infection and even death.

As Sven said, perhaps he is fortunate and the fact of surgery isn't visible across the pool.  Certainly nobody would ever mention a scar or even an obvious disaster.  There would be empathy if anything. It's not that a person has to be watching for scars, they are all over the place.  They are just another characteristic, not something that matters.  There are people there in wheelchairs who were badly messed up, plenty of veterans.  None of it matters in the nudist environment. Of course having breasts as a man in the first place doesn't matter either as they are very common.  So be happy with your body.  It's what we each have.  If you are healthy you are having good luck. Others of us just have to limp along as best we can.