Gynecomastia FAQ

1. Is the surgery really that painful?
Judging pain following surgery is very difficult since everyone's threshold for pain is different. Most patients comment that the surgery was no where near as painful or uncomfortable as they thought it would be. Most patients do not have severe pain following liposuction and surgical excision. The pain is most often described as minor or moderate in nature and severity. Yes you'll have a prescription for a pain medication strong enough to relieve your postoperative discomforts.

2. What will my chest look like when the dressings are removed?
When the dressing is removed you'll be in for a surprise. There is often bruising, swelling, molding from the dressing and perhaps your incision may leak a few drops of blood. I'm sure you'll look in the mirror and might be dismayed to find them not quite the same for some reason.

Please do not be concerned. Healing is never quite the same when surgery is performed on both breasts. Healing takes time and patience. Just follow the instructions regarding what you're allowed to do and when, and you'll see them evolve over the postoperative period into the desired shape and size.

3. Does it really take 4 to 6 months to see the final result?
Yes. In fact, the healing period after surgery and accidents actually takes about 2 years to complete! This means that although we'll reassess your healing at 4-6 months to decide if any revisions may be required, you'll still see improvements in the appearance of the scar and the softness of the breast tissue for many months.

4. When I return to normal sports, exercise or driving a car?
If your healing is proceeding as expected you can return to your normal exercise and sporting activities by 4 weeks following your surgery. Always remember that a slow, progressive return to normal to optimal for proper healing and pain control. Most patients can resume driving within a few days following their procedure.

5. If my nipples feel differently after the surgery, what can be done?
Most cases of altered nipple sensation gradually return to normal. Some go back to normal within a few weeks and other cases may take a few months. Other than waiting, there is no surgery or medication that can improve the sensation in the nipple-areola region.

6. When can I plan a vacation?
I want to see you for your 1 month postoperative visit. This is best to ensure you are healing as expected. We don't want to get into troubles when you're away from Montreal. After this visit, if your healing is proceeding as expected, you can leave on a vacation. To be safe however, we recommend you do not plan a vacation until 2 to 3 months following the date of your surgery.

7. Is this always a "one procedure" job or are revisions required?
Imagine a surgeon that could get it 100% right every time, his clientele would be flying in from every corner of the earth! Surgery simply doesn't work this way. When tissue is altered to achieve a different form or shape, especially when two areas are intended to look the same, it is unrealistic to believe both breasts will always heal identically. There are many factors involved with proper healing, not just the skill of the surgeon. The quality of the patient's tissue, pre-existing factors effecting wound healing and the patient's adherence to postoperative protocols are only a few parameters that will affect outcome.

The philosophy in cosmetic surgery is to be conservative. Always try to get things just right but err on the conservative side. Why? The answer is very simple. If a little breast tissue or asymmetry remains, then a minor revision under local anesthesia is usually all that is required to get the final ideal result desired by both you and me.

If however, too much tissue is either suctioned or excised and there are contouring irregularities, tethering of scars or deformities, then the solution to these issues becomes more complicated. Sometimes contour irregularities on the skin from overly aggressive suctioning cannot be completely corrected. Correction sometime involves putting fat back into these irregularities using fat injection techniques.

So you see, we both want your result to be ideal, perfect, symmetric and natural with scars that are so well healed you can barely see them. This is what we will both strive to achieve. But getting there may require a minor revision in some cases.

Any other questions can be addressed when you contact us to set up a consultation.