Surgery with Dr. Bermant on 04/15/2009 with pics

[ajaxtala]

Hi guys,

Same story as everyone, long time lurker, just stopping by to share my experience.

I'll update with more details of the surgery but wanted to post some pics and get your opinions:

http://yfrog.com/bgimg0153largejx

Pics are from Pre-op, 1 day post op, and 7 days post op.

[ajaxtala]

Dr. Bermant was my surgeon.

I have been 100% satisfied with the entire experience.

Despite some of the comments I read about Dr. Bermant, I found him to be an engaging guy who's very serious about what he does, and is somewhat of a perfectionist. That's exactly why I chose him for my surgery.

Also I found that he genuinely treats you like a patient. Some of the other plastic surgeons that I consulted with, generally treated the issue like they were repairing a car.

Dr. Bermant has a lot of experience with this particular type of surgery and talks about the emotional element of healing which I doubt all PS are aware of.

The entire office staff were incredibly nice and very sensitive to all insecurities that some of us have developed. While waiting in the Pre-Op room, we were all joking around and having a great time!

The operation was just as smooth as I had read. I had the operation in the office, which was extremely convenient!

Dr. Bermant removed about 200 ccs of fat from each side, and a decent amount of gland.

After the operation I was very chatty. I vaguely remember discussing strip clubs with Jim (the anesthesiologist) as he helped me into my car.

As soon as you leave, you feel completely different. I have been able to wear clothes that I've been keeping in my closet for a long time. In my case I had a deep sense of shame because of my chest, and I have been gaining a ton of confidence after the operation.

The operation has given me a new level of motivation to get back into the best shape possible. I had already begun a weight loss program and dropped about 20lbs before the operation.

Over the next 6 months I plan on dropping my BF% to the mid/low teens and maintaining or adding muscle. Hopefully that way I will be able to level out some of the asymmetry as the scars continue to mature.

I'll try to maintain this thread so others can know what kinds of changes can be expected post-surgery.


* Also if this sounds a bit like an endorsement of Dr. Bermant, that's because it is. I would recommend him and his staff to anyone of my friends and family, especially for Gynecomastia surgery.

[ajaxtala]

Here are some updated pictures from today:

http://yfrog.com/07img0159largejx

My stats are:
Age:      25
Height:   6' 00"
Weight:  213 lbs
BF%:     21%

I'll try to post once a week or every other week.

[ajaxtala]

Surgery was on 4/15 so it's been a little over 2 weeks.

I'm still wearing the stage 1 vest (velcro and snaps).

I'll switch to the stage 2 vest over the next couple of weeks, once I feel 100% comfortable with my mobility.

That thing is tight! I had a hard time taking it off pre-op!

[acitalia]

 Looks real good, congrats.

 How was the pain factor after surgery ?
Im having mine done next week.

[ajaxtala]

Pain was really minimal.

Right after I got out my chest was still numb for about 4-6 hours. After that I started taking some Tylenol.

Just like everyone said, it feels like after a heavy chest work out.

I took 2 Tylenol extra strength tablets, around every 4 hours for the first 3 or 4 days.

I tried the lortab's too and they seemed to work better when I had burning sensation around my nipple area but I only took a few of them.

The first few days it's a bit difficult to move your arms around but I'm at week 3 now and can do pretty much everything.

Good luck with the surgery!

[ajaxtala]

Here are some updated pictures from today:

http://yfrog.com/5dimg0263largejx

Weight:  209 lbs (-4 lbs)
BF%:     20% (-1%)

[ozymandias]

Looking good!  What vest are you wearing now?

[trojan213]

Wow dude. Your recovery look like it's going incredibly well. Your chest looks great! Dammit, I wish I hadn't blown my savings in this economy. FML. Need to save so I can do this.

Thanks for keeping us updated and congrats...

[ajaxtala]

Thanks guys.

Ozy I'm wearing the stage 2 compression vest. I also got some under armor compression garments for when I run or play ball.

The recovery is going really well and my friends couldn't see the scars from a foot away when I was trying to show them!

There's definitely some scar tissue still left and I'm continuing daily massages but it is getting smaller.

Just to see if I can clear something up that was a little confusing for me, scar tissue does not refer to the surface scar on your skin. Post surgery there are tender parts of your chest that also feel a bit harder than the rest of the fat on your body. This is internal scar tissue that needs to be massaged and will eventually soften with time.

That may seem a little obvious to some of you folks but it confused me for the longest time!

[guyfrompuebla]

dude you look great!!!!
my surgery is in 3 days, on monday june 1st!! i can't wait!!!!! ill post some pictures too!

[ajaxtala]

Update:

http://img19.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img0131tey.jpg

Been going to the beach/waterpark/pool pretty frequently this summer so you'll notice a little bit of a tan .

There has been virtually no scar to speak of on my areolas but I've been making sure it's covered with sunscreen just in case.

Overall I haven't lost much weight but I've been able to add muscle and add to my strength.

There's still a bit more fat on my body than I would ideally like, so I'm going to start a weight loss program in a couple of weeks.