My Account of Revision with L (Irish_dude its me)

[Jacob-Rb]

Hi Guys

Long time no post, i just wanted to give you all an update on my revision with Levick
(in particular Irish_dude).

SOME BACKGROUND

Just to give you some background, around 1 year after the initial op my LHS was bigger
than my RHS, presumably fat left in, although levick said he would have removed it and
that it probably came back? the nipple on the RHS was also "tethered" so when the peck
was tensed it folded in on itself, no symmetry whatsoever, i was very dissappointed.
Someone actually mentioned it to me while i was wearing a t-shirt, that was my realistic
goal, to be able to wear a t-shirt without anyone noticing anything unusual. I started
to get very concious again so rang for an appointment with L.

CONSULT

the consult was very quick, L said that he would lippo the larger side and that the
"tethered" side would "sort itself out" in time. Now im no expert but i would have taught
that after a year with no improvement it would never correct itself, specially when
there was to much fat taken out of that side. So i piped up about it and he said that
he could place some fat in there to fill it out and also perform what he called a
"russian rope trick" (all i could think was russian roulette?) anyway, this involves
threading some wire throw the skin behind the nipple and then pullind it up along the
chest to release the skin from muscle (sounds quick and easy eh)

SURGERY

The op was under local which i wouldnt recommend to anyone (horrible) i could
hear the crunchin/squelchin whatever it was, loud and clear while the larger side was
lippo'd and then it felt like the skin was being pulled off my body when L was doing
the russian rope trick, and it took a lot of pullin to get it done. There was actually
alot of pain aswell during the op and i had to get more local.

THE RESULTS

its a few weeks now and its a little better, the LHS still has some fat in it and the
RHS is still a little tethered but not as much. I felt like L tried to do as little as
possible by disregarding the fact that my RHS was tethered, it was pretty bad aswell
as 1 of my nips was higher up my chest than the other. I also felt he was a bit brutal
with the surgery, i know its a pretty serious op but i didnt think he would be that
brutal, particularly because this is the vital bit of surgery where he has an
opportunity to correct his fcuk up from the first op. There is some serious scared
tissue on the larger side also, you can actually feel the lines of scaring under the
skin

I plan to give it another year, probably get more exercise in and lift some weights
(havent even looked at a gym since after the first op) and then decide if any further
lipo is needed to the LHS.

SOME ADVICE

My advice to you guys if your planning on getting revision surgery is to know what you
want before you go in there and dont let L talk you into anything else,  also dont
expect a miracle. Wear/bring some comfortable and light trousers and footwear since
you will be wearing those during the op.

A QUESTION

My question to you guys: will fat that was injected into the side where he took too
much out, dissipate over time? what can i do for the heavily scared LHS? should i have
a cortisone injection perhaps?

Jake

[orrible]

"The op was under local which i wouldnt recommend to anyone (horrible)"

really put my mind at ease for my op tommorow!!!(which is revision under local)

Do you have any pics before and after? I was at ease but am now getting nervous.

Thanks for the update though, its good to read different perspectives.  I hope that this surgery puts you closer to where you need to be.

Also can you tell me if you had to be rebandaged after the op, or did you need compression vest again etc, what were the post op instructions this time aorund?

[phantom]

Hello Jacob-Rb

I've tracked back on your story.  It seems you have made significant progress compared to where you were before surgery.  You even say you are 70% happier in one post.  I too would put my happiness at the same as you!

Plastic/cosmetic or corrective surgery is about improving a pre-existing situation, not perfecting or curing it.  I generally read that for male chest procedures for gynaecomastia, no patient should expect more than 50% improvement.  Any more than that and your expectations could be too high and you are all set for disappointment.

It's difficult to empathise by reading your description alone.  Is there any chance you could show us some pics?  I think this is important, for example, I have seen pictures where guys have been very happy with their surgery, but looking at their pictures I think to myself "That's one surgeon I would not let near me!"  On th other hand I see pictures from guys who have, in my opinion, fantastic results, but they are really, really unhappy and depressed about it!

It's a very, very subjective situation where plastics is concerned.  It all comes down to personal expectation of the patient and the surgeon as well as the surgeon's skill and experience.

I think it's particularly important to show what you are unhappy with in a public forum because it allows individuals that are considering surgery to make up their own minds about which surgeon to use.  I don't like having my pics up on here, but I feel I owe it to the guys before me that let me see theirs.

Hope it all works out for you.

[limaecho]

Hmm that's worrying abit about the local incase I need a revision! I'm happy with my progression so far, I can't wait to start doing some excercise to see how the results progress.

Phantom, do you have any "inbetween pics" you could email me, to see how you gradually progressed? Just interested to compare with how I'm progressing!

[jones357]

Hello Jacob-Rb

I've tracked back on your story.  It seems you have made significant progress compared to where you were before surgery.  You even say you are 70% happier in one post.  I too would put my happiness at the same as you!

Plastic/cosmetic or corrective surgery is about improving a pre-existing situation, not perfecting or curing it.  I generally read that for male chest procedures for gynaecomastia, no patient should expect more than 50% improvement.  Any more than that and your expectations could be too high and you are all set for disappointment.

It's difficult to empathise by reading your description alone.  Is there any chance you could show us some pics?  I think this is important, for example, I have seen pictures where guys have been very happy with their surgery, but looking at their pictures I think to myself "That's one surgeon I would not let near me!"  On th other hand I see pictures from guys who have, in my opinion, fantastic results, but they are really, really unhappy and depressed about it!

It's a very, very subjective situation where plastics is concerned.  It all comes down to personal expectation of the patient and the surgeon as well as the surgeon's skill and experience.

I think it's particularly important to show what you are unhappy with in a public forum because it allows individuals that are considering surgery to make up their own minds about which surgeon to use.  I don't like having my pics up on here, but I feel I owe it to the guys before me that let me see theirs.

Hope it all works out for you.

I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE!  I think you have to be realistic.  I have seen some guys here that I think wasted their money, because their before pics look better than what I expect after.  But, it is thier money and body, so they have to be happy.  I do hope for better than 50% improvment, but what I consider to be 50% may be different than what the doctor thinks.  I personaly don't care too much about a scar on my body as long as it doesn't make it obvious that I had surgery.  I can deal with a little lose skin, because it is better than a breast.  So, 50% to me is just reduction.  Anyway, I am rambling again. I just wanted to say that I agree with you.

[phantom]

Hello Limaecho

No, I don't have any 'in between' pics.  All I can say is that what I had at two weeks post-op is what I have now, four months on.  There is no significant difference really.

But that is just me.  I an vary so, so much from one guy to the next, how much change there is over several months.

On the outside I don't things will change much more.  But on the inside, there is probably significant scope for scar tissue to soften, but this is something we will never see.  It's easy to obsess about any changes.  But the thing is, any changes are so slight, you can't really notice any difference from day to day, let alone week on week.

[Jacob-Rb]

Ok stonecold, didnt mean to put the shits up anybody, im quiet a squeemish sort of a guy
and to be honest levick had to put in quiet a bit of work. Ive read posts where the guys
were under local for revision and had no problem with it whatsoever, see:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/cgi-bin/gyne_yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=8;action=display;num=1146770118

I presume it depends on how big a job it is so just be prepared i suppose! I asked levick
for some bandages afterwards, they were some light bandages and not the sticky painful ones
from the first op and i wore the compression vest aswell afterward (dont forget to bring it).
The post op instructions were more focused on bleeding and such, and no alcohol for at least
2/3 days (hardest instruction to follow)

I will have to find the pics to show you guys, i wouldnt dare leave them on my laptop in
the office.

One thing i forgot to mention, levick made the incision on the nipple to do the russian rope
trick and made a tiny incision on the side of my pec for the lippo, to be honest i wouldnt
care if there were long scars, they were tiny, you wouldnt even notice them now.

[orrible]

hey thats ok, i wasnt looking forward to it anyway.

i will be taking my copression vest although its my old one. Bought some compressin t-shorts today as well.

How long do you have to wear compression for this time? Also Mr Levick didnt go back in through your old incision points at all?

[geg100]

i also think expectations have to be realistic.he can only do soo much to improve things.if you have extremely large gyno it would be impossible for any surgeon to make you have a flat chest.especially if you dont make the effort and lose weight and to do some training afterwards.if you put on fat after the op its obviously also going to go back to the chest and the rest of the body.just cos you have lipo there doesnt mean you wont get fat back there again.either way i hope everyone going for the revision good luck and hope you get there in the end especially jacob r after the sounds of it.

[irish_dude]

Thanks for the update Jacob – I thought you’d fallen off the face of the planet there.

I’d say it wasn’t pleasant getting revision under local. I’ve seen liposuction/liposculpture being done on TV and it does look pretty brutal. Most people I’ve heard about getting lipo under local would be given some type of sedative too.

I’m getting out (no excuse not to in the current weather!) and slowly getting back into an exercise regime.

How do you feel about your appearance now?

[jones357]

Thanks for the update Jacob – I thought you’d fallen off the face of the planet there.

I’d say it wasn’t pleasant getting revision under local. I’ve seen liposuction/liposculpture being done on TV and it does look pretty brutal. Most people I’ve heard about getting lipo under local would be given some type of sedative too.

I’m getting out (no excuse not to in the current weather!) and slowly getting back into an exercise regime.

How do you feel about your appearance now?

This is the first time I looked at your pictures.  You seem to be a bigger guy (like me) It is hard to tell how it turned out from the shots you show.  Did you have puffy nips before? Sorry if you have already posted an answer to that question.  How is it now?  I never wanted a hairy chest before, but i sure must come in handy when it comes to hiding scars.

[irish_dude]

This is the first time I looked at your pictures.  You seem to be a bigger guy (like me) It is hard to tell how it turned out from the shots you show.  Did you have puffy nips before? Sorry if you have already posted an answer to that question.  How is it now?  I never wanted a hairy chest before, but i sure must come in handy when it comes to hiding scars.

Hi,

I didn't exactly have puffy nips before.

As for the hairy chest, well some chics dig it! It's the hairy back I could do without!

Seriously, Mr. Levick enters via your armpits so there's no scarring around your chest area at all.

Regarding how it all turned out, read my recent post here about seeing Mr. L. last Monday to discuss revision.