Hello everyone,
Just a quick thank you first to all those that have previously and continue to contribute to this forum…prior to my surgery I was an avid reader though had little of any value to add to any of the conversations so this is my first post. All the information on this forum enabled me to make an informed choice about my surgery and have an understanding of what was going to happen during and post treatment. It also enabled me to be up to speed with pertinent questions when I had my consultation with the selected surgeon.
So, as this is a story that covers 25+yrs and to save everyone nodding off I will stick to just the salient points though I’m afraid the post is still rather long; any queries or more detail required just ask, ok.
My gyne was IMHO a fair old case (pre and post pics to follow though I would say I was verging on a B cup with definite ‘sagging’ issues) and as I entered my early forties it was really stopping me enjoying life in both a sporting and interpersonal way. Basically it had got to the point were my ‘moobs’ were bigger than most of the ladies I know and even with wearing a tight T shirt under any outer garment the condition was still hyper noticeable. Building muscle and cutting bodyfat just made it even more pronounced so surgery became the only solution.
I was referred by my GP to the ‘Professor and Honorary Consultant Breast Surgeon’, basically what I gather to be the top man for ‘chest related’ conditions at the NHS in my area which was a spot of good fortune (and thanks to a great GP who had worked tirelessly on my behalf!). This was done after the GP trying for the best part of 2 years to gain funding directly from the PCT and getting knocked back at each step. Anyway, the Professor agreed that the case required treatment and that a ‘major improvement’ would be possible, blood tests were undertaken and a scan of the breast tissue was organised all on the NHS. All tests came out fine and surgery was recommended.
Three months later and it was clear PCT funding was just not going to be forthcoming for this ‘cosmetic’ condition and I enquired if the Professor did private work as there is a Nuffield Hospital within the grounds of the NHS hospital. Due to the complex nature of the procedure, and despite having to pay for the operation I choose to give all the usual names quoted on here a miss (though I am sure they are all perfectly capable etc ect) and stuck with the Professor. A private consultation was booked for the following week and surgery booked for the week after. I am now 10 days post surgery.
The surgery involved liposuction and excision with the re-location of both nipples as there was so much spare skin and saggyness. The procedure involves a circle of skin being cut out of both sides of the chest at a larger diameter than the nipple (envisage a polo-mint, the mint itself being the removed skin, the hole being the nipple and the outer diameter of the polo being the area of skin the to be pulled in tight again to the nipple).
From reading other posts, hopefully these little specific snap-shots will give an insight into my procedure for anymore who has really obvious gyne and is concerned about getting treated.
Expectations:
With the condition being so severe my expectations had to be and are realistic though early signs are good. Both nipples are the same height and distance out from the centre of the chest (impressive considering the gyne was more severe on one side with nipples sagging down and outwards). I am still about 25% body fat so I didn’t want concave/hollowness as I intend to commence cardio & weights training once able to do so and when I take into account internal swelling I believe the finished chest will be (to me) perfectly acceptable. I just didn’t want to have t*ts anymore and if I eventually look like any ‘ordinary’ guy in his forties, reasonably toned though with a bit of a tum and a little flab on his chest I will be doing cartwheels in the car park because of how happy I am!
The Surgeon:
An absolute star, but this is of course subjective and he just happens to be the sort of guy I prefer to deal with. Estimate him to be in his forties. A Professor of Surgery. Published 100+ medical papers. Chest surgery specialist/expert. Great manner, makes you feel totally comfortable about the condition. Going private with him means you see him every step of the way and he makes all decisions like in my case one of his surgeons visited me and said drains could be removed and I could leave (this was the second day, my original scheduled day of discharge), he visited 30 minutes later and organised an extra days stay so he could be 100% sure the drains had removed all they could at no extra cost. A gentleman and a scholar, super easy to get along with especially if you have some background knowledge (like that gained from this site) as this enables him to have a more ‘technical’ chat with you regarding the selected procedure.
Procedure:
Was ‘under’ for 3 hours so my surgeon took his time alright that is for sure. He came to see me a couple of hours after the Op and though woosy I think I recall him saying that he had removed 100ml of lipo fat from the right chest and a further 150ml of excised fat (think it was 100+100 for the left chest?). ‘Polo’ of skin cut out of both sides and nipples both relocated accurately to my requested locations (that is the oddest question I have ever been asked, Sir, where would you like your nipples to end up?). Mega compression garment fitted stuffed with further packing. In the hospital for 2 nights and discharged on the 3rd day once the drains had been pulled. Still wearing the compression garment 24/7 with a quick 15mins off for a shower.
Pain:
I would much rather have physical pain than emotional pain any day. And this had got to the point were it was the focus of my life ruining everything I wished to do, sapping my confidence n making me feel rotten. Every time I trimmed down with a little weights and cardio the condition would become so obvious I’d put the weight back on just to try and hide it a little. So I was prepared to accept any reasonable degree of pain or risk to deal with it. As it happened the pain has not been any real issue, the best I can say is it hurts in a constantly nagging way (but so do all my joints after a serious accident years ago so it just melds in with the normal background level of pain I endure every day) though it has to be said there is the occasional sharp jolt to remind I moved a little too quickly. I took paracetamols 4 times per day as recommended and after 10 days I’ve stopped those. Drains out after 2 days was a non-issue as my chest was so numb, couldn’t feel a thing apart from a slight dragging. Infact the most ouchy thing was the removal of the 12” x 6” sticky bandage at the one week check-up, now that smarted as I have (had!?) a hairy chest.
Standard of Care:
Private care rocks! No other way to describe it, treated like a valued customer from arrival to departure (an honoured guest…a name, not a number). En-suite room, sky sports on the TV, restaurant quality food from an extensive menu, fully electrical adjustment on the bed, nothing too much trouble, staff communicating with my family on my behalf, high staffing levels, great atmosphere (because the staff enjoy working there). My one week check-up was conducted by the Professor (change of dressings) as will be my three week check-up (removal of stitches). They even gave me DVT socks when I went in and when I came around they’d also fitted lower leg massaging gear similar to a pilots G-suit to ensure good circulation. To put it simply, the next time I need surgery, if I can afford it (and that is a big maybe), I would love to not even have to consider the NHS with its dirty hospitals and surly staff (the bad attitude of the woman that did my chest scan had to be seen and heard to be believed).
Cost:
Mines a mixed bag as some work was done under the NHS, also it was decided to alter my procedure from a basic lipo & excise to something a whole magnitude more interesting at my request as IMHO the results of the simpler procedure would have been disappointing. My understanding is basic stuff starts at £2.8k (lipo & excise) which for a UK treatment, with a Professor of chest surgery handling you from start to finish, in a clean and professional hospital has to be absolute, total and utter bargain of the decade. Though do bear in mind I’d already seen him once on the NHS plus had a lot of tests done FOC within the NHS. He may require these doing privately for people outside the Yorkshire area? An interested party would have to ask.
I will post pictures soon and welcome any Q’s form other forum members who perhaps have more pronounced gyne and are concerned about getting it treated.
FYI, I was treated at the Nuffield Hospital (Hull) and the surgeon was Professor Philip J Drew (not the same guy as a Dr Drew who comes up in web searches). I gather as well as been an expert in chest surgery, he is also well regarded in the fields of tissue engineering and repair which to me was important considering the internal scarring this type of surgery tends to leave behind. Details of all this easy enough to find on the ‘interweb’ should anyone be interested. I was also keen that should anything ‘unpleasant’ happen during the surgery then the full facilities of the NHS should be close at hand, which they are with this facility as the Nuffield is located on the site of the huge Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, East Yorkshire. For anyone visiting the site, they have their own carpark which is free with a pass or if you prefer train then use the Brough or Hessle stations and take a £10 to £15 each way cab journey.
The above contact info is purely for forum members to have another option as there seem to be limited numbers of surgeons mentioned on here and as always, just because I think he is a top bloke, the price to be a bargain and am delighted with the results to date, another person may not be, so just select the surgeon you are most comfortable to have working on you. Best of luck to everyone who takes the plunge to rid themselves of this truly awful condition with whichever surgeon they entrust to do the job!
Photos should be viewable at
http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll150/bob_atkins321/gyne/ i was never promised 'perfection', just a major improvement and when I look at the before's and the three weeks the difference is incredible
Cheers
Topic: Gyne operation with nipple relocation (photo link now added) (Read 6301 times)
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