NHS Surgery on 17th September - All Done Now!

[Boost]

Hi all,

I'm 30 years old, and have had a lump under my right nipple since I was about 13 years old (This is now about 2" diameter). There is some fat surrounding it, although I am not particularly overweight (I'm 5'10" and weigh about 12.5st, and am in reasonable shape). Anyway, the result is a noticeable difference in size when compared to my left side.

I discovered this site a while back, finally plucked up the courage to see my GP at the end of June this year. I got a referral to an NHS surgeon almost straight away and now have an appointment on 17th of September to have surgery on my lump.

I have a consultation tomorrow morning, the letter says that if I have any questions, now is the time to ask them!

I think I have the obvious covered (see below), but can any of you lot add anything else I should be asking?

1) Will my chest be symmetrical post surgery
2) Will the surgeon remove ALL of the tissue (I'm a tad concerned about regrowth)
3) Will I have any loose/saggy skin afterwards
4) I've heard about haematoma - what are the chances of me swapping noticeable breast tissue for a noticeable lump of a different variety

Cheers all!

B

[GynO_DuDe]

Your one lucky chap ...

NHS rejected me and I got left 4k out of pocket getting it done privately. And im 20 years old and suffered from SEVERE gyne.

[zink]

Boost - what department is the surgeon you are going to a consulation with in? I have been referred to the Plastic Surgery department - is this the right one? I don't think of it as being liek plastic surgery but I guess it is. Or should I ask to go to the breast unit or something?

What depertment should I be going to? If anyone can let me know please...

[GynO_DuDe]

Plastic Surgery is the right department ...

The definition Plastic Surgery basically means CAREFUL Surgery.

With Gyne correction a lot of care and skill is needed to get it right as the whole operation is done through feel ...

[zink]

thanks mate, set my mind at ease.

NHS takes ages with everything so I have to wait until mid October for an appointment with a surgeon but damn, I've waited long enough I can wait some more. 

[Boost]

Breast Clinic for me.

TBH Gyno Dude I was surprised that they referred me at all, and I consider myself lucky to be offered surgery.

The appointment today turned out to be more of an anaesthesia assessment than anything else, although the anaesthetist is going to pass on my questions and concerns to the surgeon who is supposedly calling me back.

I'm still extraordinarily nervous about the op though!

[GynO_DuDe]

Check this ...

I was told by my GP that NHS will sort it out no problems. Ok, so I received a letter few week later to a Plastic Surgeon, went to him, he checked me out with a assistant nurse (embarassing to say the least). He explained the procedure, excision under nipple etc etc etc, things that ive read on this forum already. He said he'll put me on the waiting list and then once its my turn they'll give me my date for surgery.

Any way, went home, waited 6 months no reply what so ever, so I wrote a letter to the surgeon, only to be told that the consultation wasn't even noted down, so I have to come in for another one with a totally different bloke. I then went to my GP to complain, and on his computer he had got a letter from the surgeon refusing to do the surgery as the NHS can't fund cosmetic surgery.

I was like wtf? what am I supposed to do then ... my GP said sorry son, carry on losing weight and tone yourself up, I was like its not about toning yourself up, gyno doesnt dissapear like that! I WAS BASICALLY EDUCATING MY DOCTOR ON THIS CONDITION.

Pissed off is an uderstatement, so the next day I rang Mr.Levick had a consultation the following day at 3pm, and then on that day, made my surgery booking for 2 weeks later. So in 3 weeks I was gyne free.

But with the NHS, it took a year nearly to sort everything out and then to be told to fcuk off ...

So all im saying guys, dont get your hopes up.

[abc1235]

Hi all,

Lucky for me i have also been granted surgery on the nhs.  I am 17 and have only got mild gynecomastia but i am concious of them so i expressed my concerns with my local gp and he said for phychological reasons only he would refer me to a specialist. i had my first appointment with the specialist mid-way through august and expained that i was consious of them and that they affected my evryday life and the specialist just said thats fine, ill refer you for surgery if thats what you want. Since then i have recieved my letter and have got my operation on the 28th september, so not a long wait at all.

i didnt find it hard to get my surgery, but maybe i was lucky.

i wish all you guys out there the best of luck, and try playin on the phychooligical health issues to your doctor

[GynO_DuDe]

bro2577 .. their you go, thats what happened to me. Messed around

The NHS is like the lottery.

[abc1235]

although ive been granted surgery on the nhs for the end of the month, i still have big concerns that the results will not be as good as if i was to save up and go private. Hsa anyone had surgery on the nhs, if so was you happy with the outcome?

thx all for the quick reply btw 

[steve21]

although ive been granted surgery on the nhs for the end of the month, i still have big concerns that the results will not be as good as if i was to save up and go private. Hsa anyone had surgery on the nhs, if so was you happy with the outcome?

thx all for the quick reply btw 

I did just that, just over 4 weeks ago and i am very happy with the results. Just because your paying doesnt neccessarily guarantee a great result. Going with a suregeon such as Karidis or Levick however, does give you the assurance of someone with much expereince of the procedure.

My NHS suregon was expereinced with the operation and so far, no complaints

[Boost]

Well that all went pretty smoothly

I went in at 8am Monday morning, had the procedure at 11am (which took just over an hour).

I had to stay in overnight as the surgeon fitted a drain which wasn't to be removed until the following day. In the end they actually left this in until this morning as the site was still weeping, although I was discharged yesterday.

I can honestly say that the only pain I have experienced was when they removed the dressings (they didnt clip my whole chest and somehow managed to trap my armpit hair under the taping (fecking sadists LOL). I didn't even feel the removal of the drain!

Despite the nurses offering me all kinds of pain relief, I've only had to take 2 paracetamol to ease the sore throat I've got from the tube.

Obviously the site is pretty sore, but I'm certainly not in pain and have reasonable mobility in my arms.

I have a small amount of swelling but I'm assured that this will dissipate in the next few days. Certainly, my chest is now MUCH flatter (even with the dressings on). The nipple is a bit upturned, but I've seen that elsewhere on this board so I'm not concerned about that.

I'm up and about and have been walking on the moors today with no issues at all.

The level of care I received from the NHS has been frankly excellent, so don't beleive everything you read on here

Cheers for the advice guys - I have some pictures which I will post once things have settled down a bit

Boost.

[outertrial]

Great stuff, glad it went well for you. To be fair not many people criticise the actual quality of care with the NHS. I think most people find thankfully that the people in the NHS do their best under difficult conditions and that the nurses, in particular, do a brilliant job. However that doesnt mean that the provisioning is adequate, or that you reliably have access to the right surgeon.

[mujb]

Hi boost, congrats on your surgery, wish you a speedy recovery, just had one question for you, where you told anything about scarring?? the reason i am askin is because i had my consultation today and the consultant has said you will be left with major scars under both nipples. 

[Boost]

Yep,

I was told I would either end up with an incision around the lower part of my nipple (which I did), or in extreme cases sometimes an "anchor shaped incision" (i.e. around the nipple and down vertically then out to each side) would be necessary, as seen in some breast reduction jobs.

I told her that I would trade the bigger scar happily if it meant a better job in terms of removal. Mine was one sided and could be seen quite easily through my clothes, and that was what was troubling me. I'm not too bothered about visible scars to be honest - at any rate I'd FAR rather be scarred than have one moob 

I'm just waiting on the swelling going down before I can see the finished result, but by the way the surgeon was talking when I spoke to her afterwards everything went OK.

Cheers

B.