Had vaser yesterday - London UK

[Vaser123]

Hi guys,

Great forum.  I have read a lot of the stories and can really empathise with pretty much every one.  Rather then tell you a similar story to many others about not being able to wear tshirts, girlfriends making passing
comments, friends making playful remarks, car seatbelts sitting inbetween your chest making the condition more visible, tight White vests worn to play football or cricket, squash and rugby etc - the annoying fact that if u go on a beach holiday you feel you won't be able to hook up with any chicks because ure embarassed and the endless "mental compromises" made over the years to help you pretend the condition isn't there, I thought I'd give you a brief story and then invite individual questions which I can answer.

1). I eventually lost patience with the issue and had vaser lipo yesterday.  I am happy to answer any questions on the procedure, cost, resuts, pain, etc

2). I did manage to reduce the size of my chest through a targeted fitness regime that I'm happy to talk about. However, I think one stage of realizing you need the surgery is going through the stage of getting really fit and seeing if the condition remains.

3). I managed to tell my blissfully unaware friends and parents about how much it has bothered me over the years.  I'm happy to share how I approached this with you.

I didn't want to be one of those guys who suffered, then got the surgery, and then turned his back on those who are still suffering - so I made a promise to myself to write in this forum and to be able to offer advice for other guys out there.

Pls feel free to post questions or replies and I will respond

 

[The Owl]

Hi there, I also had surgery in London, about 4.5 weeks ago, also vaser (no gland).  Did you have gland excision too or just vaser?

I'm very interested in point 3)

What did it feel like to share everything?  Personally, I have tried to not let it get me down over the years, and I am pretty sure this has shaped my character in a very significant way, and so to revisit and recite all the hardships caused by it, when I have always taken the attitude of 'yeah this sucks, too bad, get over it' on myself -  kind of seems very scary.  I don't think i've ever cried over my breasts, but i'm pretty sure telling the story of them to people that are close to me could evoke that kind of reaction!

p.s. can you say which clinic/surgeon you went with?

[Vaser123]

Hi,

nice one on beating me to the surgery by a few weeks!  I just had vaser, no gland removal.  Do u think that was the wrong move? I've read so much about the removal of the gland but I still don't know how important it was to have it removed.  Could u tell me ure thoughts?

I have a really cool family, I've always been extremely sporty and fortunate enough to be talented enough for people to never give me stress about my body.  But obv it was alwyas on my mind.  I think I'm very much like u in my thinking.  Especially since we live in England we can spend the while yr without having to take off our shirt!  I think if I lived in California I'd have got this done yrs ago!

Anyway - I went for dinner w my parents and some friends-this was already scheduled.  We had a bottle of wine, then I took my parents back to my flat and said - "I've had an issue that has bothered me, and I've decided to so something about it" "my chest is a little flabby and I don't deserve it, it's not my fault, it's breast tissue that I can't shift, and I am having non invasive, minor surgery to get rid of it"

I didn't go in to stories etc. I dint see the point in anecdotes, and to be honest everything that's happened over the yrs has been more in my head then in reality. Girlfriends didn't reallly care, people making comments were just trying to get a laugh, the same way u and I prob hit a nerve when we make fun of certain things abt our friends.

Anyway - basically I got drunk. Told them the issue very frankly.  And they were utterly cool.  They said that if it meant a lot to me, then why the he'll shouldn't I!!??  I haven't told all my friends, and over time I might, I might not.

What's ure situation?
How's ure reovery?  I look different, but still not perfect - does the skin tighten more over the weeks?
What's ure view on the gland point?

I went to 111 Harley St.  To the very cool Mr Yannis Alexandrides.  He is a top guy and his staff thus far have been superb

[The Owl]

My healing thread is here - http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=20546.0

My skin is gradually tightening but I still have some hardness as described in that thread ^  As you can see I am not having much luck trying to narrow down what the cause is likely to be..  I am not going to make any judgement about how they look at least until I 'feel' normal - I still have some soreness/uncomfort when I feel around the area, so I must still have some healing to do...

Gland removal is something I left to the surgeon to decide (I went to the same clinic as you but not Dr. Yannis).  When he examined me during the consultation he was of the opinion that an excision wasn't necessary and vaser would suffice.  My understanding is that gland only needs to be removed if it is significantly enlarged/swelling - and if your surgeon decided an excision wasn't necessary its probably because he thought gland wasn't the cause of the issue

I think I might reveal to people that I had the surgery after i'm all properly healed, which I am going to give half a year at least...

I really want to get out of this garment and into a stage 2 vest - I will probably do this on week 6 - I don't suppose you know yet where to get something like this on our side of the world?

[Vaser123]

Hey - cool how we went to the same place

my understanding of the vest thing is that I wear it for 2 weeks 24/7 and then just for sleeping in after the first 2 weeks for about another month or so

I'm not aware of "stage 2" vests etc?!

My understanding is that ure pretty much in fighting shape by week 6 and then small improvements from then forward

[The Owl]

Hey - cool how we went to the same place

my understanding of the vest thing is that I wear it for 2 weeks 24/7 and then just for sleeping in after the first 2 weeks for about another month or so

I'm not aware of "stage 2" vests etc?!

My understanding is that ure pretty much in fighting shape by week 6 and then small improvements from then forward

I actually still have the information sheet from the clinic given to me as I left the surgery (Has Yannis Alexandrides' phone info on it), Did you get one of these? It says to wear it at night only after 2 weeks (not wear it only at night).  But my Surgeon himself always stressed to me that the longer I wear the vest, the better, no matter what all these suggested time frames say.  He says if you can, try and keep it on for 6 weeks 24hrs.  The taking it off after 2/4 is really for those dying to get out of it.

Also as I have come to learn through researching after my surgery, the healing proccess is different for every person, and will take a different amount of time.  On the info sheet it actually says 'After about 3 months, any persistent mild swelling will usually have dissapeared and the final contour will be visible'.  It does say that most of the swelling will have subsided after 6 weeks, but this doesn't mean you're all healed after 6, just that the worst is over.

Stage 2 vest is like a more discreet, more comfortable (and looser) compression vest.  Obviously it would be better to wear the Stage 1 vest the whole time, but after about 6 weeks its okay to loosen up a bit if you don't want the discomfort/appearance any more.  It looks like you could pass it off as a normal vest if anyone saw it http://www.thesurgerystore.com/compression_garment/compression_vest_stage2.html

[Vaser123]

Hey bro,

I didn't get a sheet.  I'm actually ok w the vest. I fall asleep at the drop of a hat any way! And it doesn't bother me a lot (so far)

so I'm 3 days out. From the front there is a massive difference.  But from the side it's less different.  Does the contour change dramatically from week 1 to 6 ? I'm worried that this is it as far as change goes?!

[The Owl]

Hey bro,

I didn't get a sheet.  I'm actually ok w the vest. I fall asleep at the drop of a hat any way! And it doesn't bother me a lot (so far)

so I'm 3 days out. From the front there is a massive difference.  But from the side it's less different.  Does the contour change dramatically from week 1 to 6 ? I'm worried that this is it as far as change goes?!

Mine is much better at 4.5 than at 3 days, there is literally no point in making any form contour judgement until at least 6 weeks I reckon.   At day 3 I was too afraid to feel my chest so I don't know if I had any hardness at that point - maybe you are the same?  I only started feeling my chest about 3 weeks in when I felt comfortable about not disturbing anything

[Vaser123]

Excellent - that's great to know.  As far as end results go, I def need it to contour on the side.  But the front already is nice.  Very good to know that it gets better over time! Thank you!

I have been pretty tactile - take off my vest for abt 30mins a day to shower and have a poke around.  I haven't bruised a whole lot (took lots of arnica!) and cldnt resist looking by day 2!!

I'm excited to see week 6 and how it finally looks!

Cheers for the advice - was a little concerned!!