A few questions before I get a consultation

[ReggieLedoux]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and it's encouraging to see such an active community of fellow sufferers. I have a few questions that I'd love some answers for, as I imagine some of you reading this will have had the surgery.

Judging from the UK board it seems Dr Levick is the best and most experienced surgeon around, so chances are I'll go with him. I'm based in London so frustratingly I'll have to travel to Birmingham to see him.

- How much is the overall cost?

My main concern is the embarrassment of telling my house mates, family and work mates that I am taking time out to go get this surgery. As it is so minor I don't even think they will be aware I've got it, it's just for my own comfort and piece of mind. It isn't major like a lot of people on here, but enough to make me avoid wearing half of my wardrobe due to the puffy nipples.

- Any advice on telling people?
- After the surgery, how many days off work is recommended and can you wear the compression vest underneath a tshirt without people noticing?
- If you put on weight post-op would the puffy nipples come back?

I'm seriously considering it now as it is January and so hopefully by the summer it will all be over...

Appreciate any advice!

Cheers

[ha032742]

Hi Reggie, as you're based in London I wouldn't discount Dr. Karidis...he does on average around a hundred male chest reductions per year.

I believe cost of surgery with Mr Levick is just over £4k whilst it's around £4.5k for Dr. Karidis (London inflation ) - both include the surgeon's fees and hospital costs. I had surgery in December with Dr. Karidis and did not tell anyone...no one has noticed/had their suspicions aroused as I was able to do most daily tasks without a problem the same day I returned home from the hospital and the compression garment is virtually invisible under a shirt (I wouldn't recommend a t-shirt).

Dr. Karidis states that you can usually go back to work after 2-3 days especially if you have a desk job. Although I had a week off from work to recover, in hindsight I could've even returned the next day as I had no pain and minimal restriction of my arm movement but each case will vary due to extent of surgery/post-op complications.

Puffy nipples are due to glandular tissue under that area not fat, so once this is removed the puffiness will not return. Some weight gain won't cause gynecomastia to return, as fat will be distributed throughout the body however, if you put on a significant amount especially rapidly, this will affect the contours of the chest negatively.

[ReggieLedoux]

Thanks for the swift reply!

It certainly makes more sense going to see Karidis as I am based in London. I've made an enquiry for an appointment so hopefully I receive I can book one in soon and this will all be over.

I am using pretty much all my life savings to do this though so my parents will not be happy! But like all of us it just has to be done!

[Carpenter1]

how old are you reggie if you dont mind me asking

[jinr0h]

- Any advice on telling people?
- After the surgery, how many days off work is recommended and can you wear the compression vest underneath a tshirt without people noticing?
- If you put on weight post-op would the puffy nipples come back?


1. I told my parent / siblings and thats it. I think you should keep this private from co workers, friends etc. Tell your parents there is some gland in your chest that isnt supposed to be there, keep it a bit vague for a start and if they persist let them google it and take it from there.

2. Depends on the work, if its a desk job you could do within 1-2 days, if its more physical i would say at least 2-3 weeks. As for the compression vest it depends wether you wear a tight white v neck or a loose black shirt. overall mine was visible through the shirt but afterward i bought a compression-tank top which wasnt visible at all.

3. I've seen pics of an overweight man who looked ''normal'' when he was obese, when he lost the weight his gyne became much more prominent.. so for overweight people with gyne its kind of an dillema`[to lose weight]. anyway after saying this im pretty sure the nipple wont change after weight loss/gain.

Also , frustrating to travel? bear with it  . some people fly by plane for about 10 hours to get gyne surgery from a specialist

Good luck

[ReggieLedoux]

how old are you reggie if you dont mind me asking

I'm 22. I'm not actually overweight, 6ft tall and 11.5 stone. I'm just worried that it could come back that's all. I'm intrigued to see what Karidis will say. I've been to Transform in London and that was a horrible experience and I was really nervous. The Dr started shouting at me saying that I shouldn't be there as I don't have it, but I'm convinced I do, it's definitely mild though. I also went for a consultation at The Hospital Group which was much better but needed some more time to think about it. Having read this forum I've decided it is time to get it done!

Will probably start a new thread with pics if all goes to plan. I've got a desk job so it shouldn't be an issue, it's just there is a lot of 'banter' in the office so I imagine mates will be asking/teasing but darn em!

[ha032742]

A quote from Dr. Karidis' website...

Will the Fat or gland come back?

The short answer to this is no. As fat cells have achieved their set number in any given part of the body by puberty, increased caloric intake will not lead to volume gains in the treated site. It is important therefore to maintain your weight afterwards by sensible eating and regular exercise.

However if you do put on excess calories after surgery, you will notice that other areas of your body may be then be affected.  The only exception to this rule is if there is a massive weight gain. In this case new fat cells can be seen in the previously treated area.

As Dr. Karidis removes about 95% of the gland volume very little remains to enlarge and therefore it is exceedingly rare for the condition or gland to reappear.

[j86ui]

A consultation with Mr Levick is not charged until you pay for the surgery, it is then combined in this cost which is £4060 all in. So, if you went to see Mr Levick but decided to not proceed, you would not be charged. It may be worth booking consultations with both Levick and Karadis and then following your gut instinct.

In terms of telling people, that is up to you, I personally took 2 weeks annual leave and told no one, if this is not possible perhaps you could speak to your HR department or manager and explain it is a sensitive subject which you would prefer to not disclose, you can also self certificate yourself for 1 week or get a doctors note with 'general surgery' as the reason, you don't have to divulge everything.

I understand the banter thing in the office is a concern so I would probably keep it as annual leave and have it as none of works business, just tell them your going away.

Having been operated on by Mr Levick last month I can assure you the experience will be friendly and pleasant during the consultation and there is no chance you will leave anything other than upbeat, that I can assure you.

If you think you have Gyno, then chances are you have gyno as far as I'm concerned, why would you be wasting your time looking for answers otherwise, ignore what your previous consultations have resulted in, I was also told in a previous consultation that I had no gyno in my left breast, Mr Levick removed 65 grams from this during my procedure so shows people can be ignorant to the problem.

[thetodd]

There are a few ways you could play it really in regards to telling people, if you've got the cash to spare book a week off work dont mention it to your housemates and book in at a cheap hotel outside of london for a few days once you have full mobility back in your arms just go back home and spend the next few days in bed. Thats if you truly didn't want anyone to know, if i was in your situation though i would use that excuse, tell my parents the situation and stop there for the week and come home. People dont ask questions you can just be vague.

Its down to whatever you feel comfortable with really, i think its better to have a bit of support post op your a groggy and uncomfortable and its nice to have someone to help you. When i had my op i had a few issues with work not granting be holiday (i had 2/3 weeks off from what i can remember i worked a very physical job back then) so i went to docs and got a sick note that just said "time needed for post op recovery" they shit themselves and granted it and told my line manager changed his tune pretty quick!

There is no getting around it, the vest is uncomfortable and i had my surgery in spring time and i really wish i could have had it in winter where i could have layered up a bit more. Do you have to wear shirt/tie at work if not just stick a jumper on.

Your parents wont be mad about you spending your life savings, they may not understand it at first because once they get their heads around it they will be fine. I just iterated that it was getting me down, and i was doing it. It really laid heavy on me for a week, the idea of surgery just seemed ridiculous, but one day i just something just clicked and i came home and told my mum everything.

Recovery process takes a long time, its not really highlighted going into surgery but expect recovery to take 12 months for all the scar tissue to go down etc. But once its all done youl be much happier it really changed my life at the time.

[Carpenter1]

I'm 22 also and want the nightmare to end. only thing is I work a very physical job (builder) and already have two weeks booked off in July for a holiday so I'm stuck

[AchillesUK]

Wrt costs bear in mind all of Mr Levick's post op care is free.

If you're doing manual work and dont want to tell your work about what you're doing I would change the holiday dates from July to post-op.

Having said that I think I've read somewhere on these forums that people have gotten generic 'surgery' medical notes without specifying what exactly so you could go down that route.

To date I've not told anyone I've had surgery, and personally I'm glad I did it that way.

[ReggieLedoux]

Cheers for the feedback guys. As I'm based in London I've contacted Dr. Karidis and I'm going for an appointment next   week. It's expensive though just for the consultation! I guess that's a way of hooking you in. But to be honest it seems like he is the only choice in London and you get what you pay for.

If all goes to plan I'm going to just get it over and done with and hopefully by summer I've recovered.

I can wear my own clothes at work so it'll be thick jumpers from post-op till recovery!

Out of interest, does anyone know how long you have to wear the main compression vest for before you can switch to the under-armour type vest?

[ha032742]

2 weeks 24/7 then you need to wear it for 12 hours per day for a further 2 weeks (I've been wearing it 24/7 for the past 3 weeks despite Dr. Karidis' post-op instructions but have started wearing a Nike compression t=shirt underneath just in the last week). Also the money for the consultation goes to the hospice at the hospital so I couldn't begrudge it.

[thetodd]

Yeah its a bit of a joke that you have to pay for a consultation, there are a few other bits you can save cash on though. If you decide to go ahead they will try and persuade you to have a blood test there which was £130 5 years ago, you can get this done on the NHS for free if you get a referral by your GP or you could go to a private phlebotomist as an alternative which cost me £20 but being London prob wont be much different than their clinic charges. You will need to have that blood test done before you can go ahead with the op, its upto you if that is too much of a ballache get it done same time as consultation so you dont have to mess around going back there in the future.

I think its a week 24/7 for the vest, then after that just when you go to bed for another week or two i cant remember to be honest they will tell you it all anyway its prob changed since i had surgery. Youl be fine with even a thin jumper its just a black vest with metal fasteners its just like wearing a vest really just a bit constrictive.


Carpenter - Yeah being a builder will be tough post op its hard to explain its kind of like a dull pain in the chest it will be uncomfortable for a month heavy lifting i suppose you could lie and say you have a back injury, and your having to wear a back support belt and go on light duties for a bit. Achilles is right your GP (within reason) will write whatever you specify on the sick note just make sure you make appointments in advance to make it clear your not just looking for a few weeks extra holiday.

[Carpenter1]

Thanks guys, suppose I could try get a week off maybe two but that's  pushing it, do you think that's enough time before going back to work and being physical? Also my holiday is in July and it's in a hot country and if I don't have surgery before the holiday i won't be taking my shirt off. What's the latest I would be able to get surgery and for it to look good?