Some questions for Mr Levick's patients...

[NorthernPhysique]

Hi,

I've been a long term reader of the UK section of this forum. I've been through I think every single story of Mr Levick's patients and their pictures.

Without doubt, he seems to be the number one surgeon in the UK, quite possibly in Western Europe, and he has produced many satisfied clients.

Having seen all the pictures and threads, I do have a couple of questions (concerns?) thought, which I hope some of his patients can perhaps share their thoughts about. I've intentionally made this new thread as I know this is a sensitive topic, and I didn't want to talk about any one individual or their pictures.

1. Chest shape post surgery - to state the obvious, the gynae is gone, which is brilliant. But in some of the pictures, it seems the chest is absolutely flat throughout, or even 'caving in' if that makes sense. Did any of you used to work out at all prior to surgery? Did you feel 'small' after surgery? I've been training for over 10 years now (natural) and I'd love to get rid of my gynae in my goal to get a great looking chest. But I also have a lot of muscle mass, which I dont want to lose. Is there any risk of that in surgery, or is it purely fat/breast gland that is removed?

2. The nipple. Again, like the rest of the chest, they obviously look better after surgery, with all the perkiness gone. But from my observations, it seems the nipples sometimes are completely shriveled up post surgery, almost lifeless, or even looking 'inverted'. It could just be the pictures, but that's what it looks like to me. Does this eventually fix itself i.e. do the nipples look normal after a while?

3. It would also be nice to see some pictures, or even some thoughts/stories, on those who have had surgery and, after recovery, built their chests up via weight training. What is training like after surgery? Have you been able to fill out your middle/lower chest with muscle?

Anyway, as mentioned, I hope this topic doesn't offend anyone, my observations are not directed at anyone in particular. If you are happy with your results then that's all that matters, and there certainly have been some amazing results from Mr Levick. But as someone who has been trying to train and obtain a good physique for many years, I just wanted to share some of my concerns/questions before I go ahead with the surgery.

Thanks for any replies.

[gj94x]

Hi NP, you won't lose any muscle, he only removes gland and fat, so if you're already in good shape there obviously won't be much fat to take out. I've noticed my nipples look worse in pictures than when I look at them in the mirror, I'm only a week and a half post op so I can't answer the last question. Although I'm looking forward to getting back in they gym and back to lifting as I used to be in pretty good shape before I got PH induced gyno.

[Donut]

Hi NP

Like you, I spent a huge amount of time doing research on which surgeon to use, and eventually chose Mr Levick because I thought he had the best and most consistent results, and also I liked his unique technique of not making any cuts or lipo-stabs wounds at all to the chest / nipples.

I've said before that it is in a way gratifying that almost all guys never post on here again from 3 or 4 weeks post surgery, which one has to presume is because they get a great result and a "normal" life, and they just forget all about the dark days of moobs!

However, it is also quite frustrating to anyone (like you now) trying to do their homework before deciding on surgery. That is why I committed myself to posting weekly photographic updates to my thread until there really is nothing left to report and/or I am 100% satisfied that nothing more can be achieved in my case. It is my "payback" to the community of guys who have posted before me, and as a resoource to all those who are yet to come along.

I don't have much in the way of muscle, I do intend to make some effort over the coming months to try and tone up a bit... at the moment I am just so busy with everything else going on in my life I literally have no time left to devote to any kind of fitness regime. I'm aware that sounds like a pathetic excuse, but I'm working 90-100 hours a week - and that doesn't leave a lot of time for sleep, never mind anything else!

So to answer your questions - no, he only removes fat and gland - the better shape you are in underneath that, the more dramatic result you will get.  As for nipples - mine change almost daily.  Recovery is a year+ process, all the "connections" to the nips like nerves and ducts etc. get severed during surgery, and it takes a while for them to all reconnect again - which is what leads to the "sleepy nips" for a few months.  I notice that if I'm cold and goose-pimples (like when out of shower) my chest is goose-pimply apart from around nips which remains all smooth - this obviously being where the gland was removed and the nerves have yet to reconnect. It is improving though slowly.

My aim from surgery was to look "normal" in a T-shirt - and that has just about been achieved (and I'm 100% confident I will look 100% normal in a T in a couple of months time) ...  I'm *hoping* I will look 100% "normal" topless too, so can enjoy swimming / beach etc. for first time as an adult!

[NorthernPhysique]

Thanks for your replies both.

It's good to hear that the 'sleepy nips' are only a temporary feature.

My stats: 5'9, 12.10, 17% bf (according to my electronic scale anyway). I'm not a megabodybuilder or anything, but I'd like to think there's some muscle under the gynae.

I've attached a pic if it helps.

Btw Donut, very much appreciate all your updates and you look good enough to go to the beach already.

[Donut]

Well that pic just looks like you have a very muscular chest with no sign of gyne at all! - but I'm sure you must have some concern otherwise you wouldn't be on this forum... perhaps you could try taking another pic that gives us a better idea of your issues?

[NorthernPhysique]

Thanks for your comments, but I definitely have gynae. That's probably a 'better day picture'. I've had an initial consultation with Mr Levick who confirmed there is gynae and I will most likely go ahead with surgery. I just didnt want my nipples to shrivel away forever! And also a bit curious what shape my chest will be post surgery, as I havent seen many pictures on here of people who train (there might be some, and I may have just missed them).

But it seems from your comments that hopefully the nipples do recover by around the one year mark. And I guess you are right, if most people disappear from here then they probably have made a full and satisfactory recovery.

[Myers]

Hey mate, i'd say your main issue will be with the swelling and that's dependent on the individual. Once the swelling goes down you'll be able to see the shape of your chest and your skin will snap back. For me that's taken a fair while and I'm 7 months post op now. It's just a case of time. Check out stems thread a couple of pages back and see what his chest looks like from the 3 month post op shot to the 6 month one.

[turbouk]

I am also worried about the same thing. Some of the pictures of very flat looking chests and even indented chests really put me off. If anything I only want a little taking out and not everything as I have been seeing on the pics.

[Donut]

the "very flat" look is usually the immediately post surgery, or after 1 week of the compression binder coming off... problem is a lot of guys don't post pics after the first few days, and so we never get to see the results in 6 months - 1 year's time - which is how long recovery takes... but the chest does srping back to a more natural shape after a few weeks, especially once the compression garments come off (though it is good to leave them on as long as you can bear them for the best results!)

[turbouk]

Cheers for the reply Donut, problem is I've seen a few on here who still look like too much has been taken out, leaving a very unnatural chest. I don't want to give links without offending anyone.

[Donut]

But how soon after surgery were the pics you were looking at? - and who was the surgeon?  Also guys who have a fair bit of fat (sorry there's no point beating about the bush!) can have a bit of "cratering" as if the fat is lipo-sucked out of that area and not the whole of the rest of their chest, there is obviously going to be an issue.

At the end of the day, we all have the same layers : essentially muscle, then fat, then skin. In a "normal" guy, the gland is a small flat disk about like a 2p coin apparently, which is why it doesn't show at all. If gland was removed from a "normal" guy, it is so small and flat that it would not be noticeable that it had gone.

So for us gyne guys, the following seems to be true:

A gym-fit guy will have defined muscles, little fat, so the skin conforms to the muscle giving a defined chest.

A skinny / unmuscular guy will have a very flat chest.

A guy with a higher body fat, but good amount of muscle too - your traditional "beefy rugger player" will probably get away with looking ok and achieve a decent profile.

From all I've seen, it is the higher body fat / low muscle guys that have the problem, as the surgery procedure makes a "crater" in that later of fat and there is no muscle behind it to fill it in and push it out to create a nice "manly" profile.

It is not the nipple area that is cratered, it is the rest of the chest that is fatty. Neither muscle or skin is touched with the surgery. Gland is removed and fat sculpted as best as possible in each case.

Strip away the fat, and we are all left with just skin over muscle, so no reason for any of us (including me!!) not to get a decent result if we're prepared to get rid of the fat and preferably build a bit of muscle too (I need to do the latter!)

[Squidge]

Hi Turbouk- I know exactly what you mean and was also really worried about it, even before I saw my surgery photo and especially after!  Mr Levick reassured me that it will all even out in time.  As Donut said, it's really an issue for guys like me who have too much body fat - of course once fat has been sucked out of one area it's going to look weird next to a podgy area that hasn't been lypo'd!  So as far as I see it, Mr Levick has done his part, so once I've healed and my body is ready it's up to me to do the rest to make sure it looks even: e.g. diet, lose weight, and tone up.  I'll post photos of my progress as I go, but I would say if it's a worry you should speak to Mr Levick about it directly. 

[turbouk]

Good replies, although you have to wonder if its just the gland causing the problem, why any lipo at all?

The very best photos I've seen online have been from a surgeon Dr Mordcai "removed doctor" (USA)

In the bodybuilder category he says lipo is very rarely needed, and I'm really struggling to see any cratering on any of his patients.

"The natural blend technique is implemented during surgery, beginning with an incision of about one inch. Dr "removed doctor"'s initial incision cuts through the skin and subcutaneous layer, into the glandular tissue. It is at this point that Dr "removed doctor"'s earlier observations manifest themselves into surgery. Informed by the natural blend technique, Dr "removed doctor" has calculated the proper amount of glandular tissue to remove so that after surgery the chest will appear proportional and not sunken." -

After a consultation with Levick, it seems the approach is just to remove everything leaving you as flat as a pancake? Surely a level of fat (or even gland) needs to manintained - its not ideal to have to maintain low body fat for the rest of your life, while building muscle mass? Easy when your in your 20's - 40's but after that?

I also only saw one before and after photo at the consultation which left me less than impressed. Some of the recent ones posted on this forum would leave me feeling 4k would be better spent elsewhere? I really want to get this problem sorted but I'm struggling to see anything thats inspiring me to choose Dr Levick.

[Myers]

That's fair enough. You should be confident in the doctor you go with. What do you mean by cratering though, like around the nipple or the whole chest area being sunken in? Because cratering is usually in regards to a crater around the nipple where the gland has been removed and the fat surrounding it remains. I don't understand what the problem with the lypo is, Just because fat gets removed during surgery doesn't mean that area stops the ability to store fat, everything evens out again after a certain amount of time. Like Donut said, it depends on the person and how much lean body mass and bf they have, obviously if they are fatter it will look like their chest is sunken. All we can do is offer our opinions and mine is that I'm very happy with the results from Dr Levick so far.

[Squidge]

I agree with Myers, if you prefer another surgeon's technique just go with that. For me, it was between Levick and Karidis, but I was slightly put off my Karidis' technique of cutting the nipple (also had some other reservations), but there are lots of guys who rave about him and say what a brilliant surgeon he is. The surgeon you choose is a personal decision, based on good research and instinct. If your gut feel is to go with someone else, listen to that. My gut feel (after extensive research) was to go with Levick and so far that feels like absolutely the right decision (for me).

In terms of cratering, I'm confident it will even out after scar tissue has healed because it's not like he's taken out any muscle or a rib or anything, just the gland and fat!