Should I take the free operation?

[Supersonic123]

Hello
I have been to the doctor that confirmed I had gyne. Living in Sweden, health care is free (we have very high taxes that pays for this...). The hard question I have been asking myself is if to have the operation for free or paying for it. The reason I am considering paying for it in a cosmetic clinic is that the clinic that does it for free does not remove any fat. They only remove the breast tissue and I wonder if this will be enough for me?

If I do it by a plastic surgeon it will cost me about 40.000 kr (about $6000), but they will also do liposuction.

I have hated my chest all my life and I have descided to get it fixed, but I am a student with not so much money so if I do it by plastic surgeon it will hurt my wallet bad. But at the same time- I want this fixed and fixed good!

I am 190 cm (6.2 feet) long and weigh about 78 kg (170 lbs) so I am not overweight.

So finally, my question is: Do you think only removal of the glandular will help my chest look better or is liposuction necessary?

Really appreciate any replies! Thanks


Edit: Thread read 200 times and basically no replies... No purpose of posting pictures of my breast if nobody could help anyway.
 

[jb123]

Looks like you probably just have the glandular tissue so you wouldn't need lipo.

Make sure your surgeon is experienced with this kind of surgery tho. I think plastic surgeons are usually more suited for doing such procedures.

You can check out my story at www.gynecomastia.org/smf/2/surgery-feb-8th-2012-pictures/ to compare and share comments if you want.

Good luck!

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Removing gland without lipo is an invitation to a post op contour irregularity or crater deformity.  I have found that lipo is an absolute essential part of the operation to insure smooth contours and to allow the skin to re-distribute evenly.  Honestly, I do not understand why surgeons would restrict themselves from doing all that is necessary to get the best result possible.

Dr Jacobs

[Supersonic123]

Removing gland without lipo is an invitation to a post op contour irregularity or crater deformity.  I have found that lipo is an absolute essential part of the operation to insure smooth contours and to allow the skin to re-distribute evenly.  Honestly, I do not understand why surgeons would restrict themselves from doing all that is necessary to get the best result possible.

Dr Jacobs

Dr,
The reason why they only do removal of the gland is because they 1. don't do the operation for cosmetic purposes (then they are not free in Sweden), 2. they don't do the operation anaesthetized, they only do a local anesthetic on the breast.

The surgeon has done the operation many times and says it is a pretty simple operation. For some reason they only do one breast at a time, so I have to do two separate operations with 5 weeks between them. Think they said it is for healing purposes...

But you see my dilemma Dr - the removal of gland is free, removal + lipo costs about $6000, a lot of money for a student: do you think removal of gland will at least help my chest look flatter or do yo think I should wait many, many years and save up for plastic surgery?

[Supersonic123]

Looks like you probably just have the glandular tissue so you wouldn't need lipo.

Make sure your surgeon is experienced with this kind of surgery tho. I think plastic surgeons are usually more suited for doing such procedures.

You can check out my story at www.gynecomastia.org/smf/2/surgery-feb-8th-2012-pictures/ to compare and share comments if you want.

Good luck!

Your results looks great man! I really hope only removal of glandular tissue is enough for me, and it seems the surgeon is familiar with this operation.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

I am sorry but I think you are being given the "run-around."

The use of liposuction does not, in itself, classify an operation as cosmetic.  Lipo is used as an instrument, just as one would use a scalpel or a scissor.  In fact, in the US, it is used many times during reconstructive procedures of all sorts.  If you surgeon doesn't use lipo during an excision, then he is just using that as an excuse -- not because it shouldn't be used.

For some reason they only do one breast at a time, so I have to do two separate operations with 5 weeks between them.

This is absolute, total nonsense.  There is not one person -- ever -- on this forum who has had to do only one breast a time.  We all have two breasts -- they should be done simultaneously.  It has absolutely nothing to do with "healing."

Sorry to vent -- but this really angers me.

Dr Jacobs

[Supersonic123]

Doctor, I am really getting cold feet now. I have a date booked for the free operation, but I am concerned the results will be not as good as I want now... I also feel it is strange to do one breast at a time, and would really like lipo as well, so it becomes even.

What are your thoughts of this: I do the free gland removal and see after a couple of months how it looks, if I am not happy with results I also get lipo separately from plastic surgeon? Is this possible and will it affect my results? Thanks for your replies by the way Doc!

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Yes, you can certainly do excision only now -- and let's hope that it works out and that you are satisfied.

On the other hand, if you are not satisfied or are left with irregular contours or a crater deformity -- lipo and/or revision surgery can be done.  However, it is much harder to get a really good result because there is scar tissue present from the first operation.  That is why most gyne surgeons combine the two (excision AND lipo) during one initial (and hopefully the only) operation.

Part of your problem is the socialized medicine in your country.  Doctors are like all other people -- if they can get paid for doing very little work, then why not?  So they state they will only do excision on one breast because it is less work for them.  If they were being paid for their work on an individual, case by case basis (as we do in the US), you can bet you would receive excision and lipo in one procedure -- but then it wouldn't be "free." 

Dr Jacobs

[Supersonic123]

I know, that's what I don't like about our socialist country... Our health care are very slow, lazy and not effective. I would prefer if it was more like in the US, and lower taxes... But this has little to do with Gynecomastia I feel, and more of an ideological question.

I am going to have a long think about the operation. Would surly be nice to get rid of the gyne but of course I want good results as well. 

[Supersonic123]

Anybody else? Someone who has done operation with just removal of gland and are happy with results?

Would really appreciate any input!

[Supersonic123]

If anybody here are interested: I have decided not to take the free surgery. This is because of two reasons: First, The surgeon deciding to do two separate operations, one for each breast. If Dr. Elliot Jacobs says this is nonsense - I believe him. Besides, this means double the post-operation pain, and double inconvenience... The second reason I'm not taking the free operation is the fact that they don't do any lipo, I want the results to be as good as possible, and if I only remove gland I'm not sure I'll be happy enough with results.

So I am deciding to save money for more expensive, but hopefully better, surgery. And one day I'll be free from this awful thing and looking back being happy I did not go for the cheapest way out of this. After all, we only live once and this is the only body I'll ever get. I will not gamble with my body.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

A very smart idea -- good luck.

Dr Jacobs