Scar tissue blob behind nipple. (~1 yr post revision surgery w. Dr Lista)

[throwaway321]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]If anyone can listen/offer some advice I would greatly appreciate it: [/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]After my gyno surgery with Dr. Lista in early-mid 2015 I developed a 'rubbery' texture blob of what my Dr said was scar tissue behind one of my nipples that just didn't want to go away with time. I was assured this was normal and was advised to massage that area daily multiple times until it went away, I followed my Dr's advice obsessively in hopes of getting rid of this scar tissue, but to no avail. [/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]Because I was unsatisfied with the result, the following year Dr. Lista agreed to conduct a corrective surgery to try and get rid of the remaining tissue,  he warned me there is a possibility he couldn't make it any better. Very quickly, (1-2weeks) after the revision surgery I quickly noticed a similar blob (perhaps the same) but smaller in size behind my nipple once again, and again was told it was normal and to continue massaging my chest. After the 3rd post-op appointment the build up in my chest became slightly worse than it was even before the revision surgery. At this point, Dr. Lista told me there was nothing that could be done to eliminate the scar tissue and that I was likely to live with it for the rest of my life, but he still advised me to continue massaging daily.[/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]It has been close to a year now after my revision surgery, and I'm still continuing to massage my chest daily but with no progress, in fact, it almost feels like maybe it has made the scar tissue grow slightly more.[/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]Is there really nothing that can be done? I mentioned the steroid injection procedure to Dr. Lista, but he said it's a really bad idea and that 'it would only make things look even worse'. [/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]The amount of scar tissue is somewhat minimal, but you can quite clearly pinch and grab and tug on the blob behind my nipple and it is visible. The texture of it feels very similar to the small strawberry shaped gland I had before any of my surgeries, and it is making me moderately worried that maybe the gland wasn't fully removed all along. [/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]I find myself having the same problem as before when I had gyno with the only difference that this time it's only 1 of my nipples that noticeably sticks out from my clothing, and it drives me [/font][/color][font="Open Sans", sans-serif]crazy, [/font][/color][/i][font="Open Sans", sans-serif]to the point where I cannot stop obsessing over my chest in most clothing and feel very uncomfortable in my own skin. It's like I can feel that the left side of my chest is tighter/wrapping around my nipple as its poking out. Ughh...[/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]Is there no other procedure, medication, or anything else that can help me get rid of this scar tissue? Is it possible that massaging daily can make things worse? When I asked Dr. Lista he assured me that massaging daily will not make my scar tissue grow larger. Should I see another doctor and get their opinion? Is it possible that maybe there is still leftover gyno and not actually scar tissue? Is there a test that can be done to see if truly is scar tissue?[/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]If anyone could help me or give me any advice I would be grateful.[/font][/color]

[font="Open Sans", sans-serif]Thank you![/font][/color]

[Geoff88]

Hi there it's a shame you've had a less than perfect result so far, I'm really sorry.  From what I've read injections can be very successful on scar tissue (not on gland of course, but your gland was removed), however because these medications are very potent the amounts need to be extremely small and spaced over many months.

I've had kenacort injections before on a keloid scar on my back many years ago and the result was that the scar over-flattened even with very small quantities.  Many years later however you cannot see a scar!  The medications talked about on this and other forums is different to kenacort I believe.

Perhaps for you it is time to get another opinion or two and try injections, aim to under-correct at first and wait out the full change.  You'd be best to track down a plastic surgeon who has done it previously and is prepared to do the injections slowly, spaced out over a long period of time and not feel compelled to pump an entire viale into you (and therefore they should throw excess away).

The cost to do the above shouldn't be high at all, for my back the second set of injections was done by a GP, but in retrospect, again, too much was injected.  Take your time, consider to treat the scar now without surgery, and I'd probably stop massaging.

[throwaway321]

Hi there it's a shame you've had a less than perfect result so far, I'm really sorry.  From what I've read injections can be very successful on scar tissue (not on gland of course, but your gland was removed), however because these medications are very potent the amounts need to be extremely small and spaced over many months.

I've had kenacort injections before on a keloid scar on my back many years ago and the result was that the scar over-flattened even with very small quantities.  Many years later however you cannot see a scar!  The medications talked about on this and other forums is different to kenacort I believe.

Perhaps for you it is time to get another opinion or two and try injections, aim to under-correct at first and wait out the full change.  You'd be best to track down a plastic surgeon who has done it previously and is prepared to do the injections slowly, spaced out over a long period of time and not feel compelled to pump an entire viale into you (and therefore they should throw excess away).

The cost to do the above shouldn't be high at all, for my back the second set of injections was done by a GP, but in retrospect, again, too much was injected.  Take your time, consider to treat the scar now without surgery, and I'd probably stop massaging.

Thank you for your reply. However, how can I know for certain if the gland's were fully removed? And why do you recommend stopping the massaging? My doctor advised the opposite (to continue), and a Dr on this board recommended I follow that advice.

[Geoff88]

The massaging didn't seem to help the first time around, and doesn't seem to be helping this time around either.  But fair enough if your doc said keep doing it, you can keep doing it - if you get no result, what will you do?  I'm just suggested some alternatives, pressure helped me, wooden rollers have helped others (I haven't done that, but just read it the other day), I usually would try something different if what I've been doing doesn't seem to be working, you said: "I followed my Dr's advice obsessively in hopes of getting rid of this scar tissue, but to no avail".

Maybe it's safer for you to keep doing what you've done and your doc recommends.

[throwaway321]

The massaging didn't seem to help the first time around, and doesn't seem to be helping this time around either.  But fair enough if your doc said keep doing it, you can keep doing it - if you get no result, what will you do?  I'm just suggested some alternatives, pressure helped me, wooden rollers have helped others (I haven't done that, but just read it the other day), I usually would try something different if what I've been doing doesn't seem to be working, you said: "I followed my Dr's advice obsessively in hopes of getting rid of this scar tissue, but to no avail".

Maybe it's safer for you to keep doing what you've done and your doc recommends.

Thanks again for your reply Geoff. Can you elaborate more on what you meant by pressure and wooden rollers? Have you too experienced post gyno surgery scar tissue? Or only on your back? 

[Geoff88]

Hi there, please read my post here and advise if you've tried compression again:

https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=32360.0

I really think your two questions above are "almost" rhetorical. i.e. How do I know all the gland was removed: I doubt that after surgery and then revision surgery a surgeon would be so bad as to still leave a lot of gland, and as to why stop massaging: it didn't help the first time, not helping the second time & so maybe it's time to try something different.  I would have been quick to try something different once you saw hard tissue forming the second time, and encourage others to read my post linked to above and act quickly with the help of their doctor.

Unfortunately you are one year post your second surgery, and so it may not aid a great deal to reapply pressure... but try.  Please re-read my post linked to above as it helped me get rid of the type of areas you refer to and now (after approx 15weeks) my chest and surgery sites are completely soft/normal.

[Jgunzz]

Another way to massage the chest is to get on a foam roller with your chest facing down on it and rolling back and forth. This will definitely cause lots of pressure and may help the break up the scar tissue. 

[anotherbaldguy]

Hey-
any update on your case? I am possibly going for revision but I think it already sounds bleak. I think I'm just going to fly down to Dr. Jacobs and get an injection.

Being cut open again for scar tissue just seems like the 'nuclear' option..