FAQ’S For the Potential Gynecomastia Patient, Part Two
August 23rd, 2010MORE TO CONSIDER PRIOR MALE BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY
Below is a continuation of the last blog that addresses frequent asked questions to Dr. Delgado by his patients.
Question #6: Is it painful?
Answer: Gynecomastia reduction surgery is not particularly painful. Most men find they need pain pills for only two or three days. Drain removal can be a little uncomfortable, but recent, improved techniques have made it less so.
Question #7: Will the nipple sensation be lost?
Answer: With surgery, it is always possible to have a change in nipple sensation. Some patients have reported changes in sensation, but most do not mention it. Merle Yost of gynecomastia.org has surveyed men who had gynecomastia surgery and a change in nipple sensation is one of the subjects addressed in his survey. If you sign onto the site, gynecomastia.org, you can read comments by post-surgical patients regarding the changes they have experienced with nipple sensation.
Of patients who underwent the combination of liposuction and surgical excision of gynecomastia, the approach most often used by Dr. Delgado, 21 reported no change in nipple sensation and 29 reported there was a change in nipple sensation. Two of the patients who reported a change said that they had an improvement in nipple sensation. Twenty-seven patients reported a loss of sensation ranging from 0.5% to 100%, with the average loss being 37%.
Remember, this is a survey and not a scientific controlled study. It does, however, offer interesting information.
Question #8: How much does it cost?
Dr. Gaynor, anesthesiologist
Answer: Costs depends on the complexity of the surgery. Gynecomastia reduction surgery at Marin Cosmetic Surgery Center is always done with a board-certified physician anesthesiologist, never under local anesthesia. Our facility has national and state accreditation as an outpatient surgery center. These are important facts to consider when comparing costs with various providers. Cost usually falls between six and eight thousand dollars.
Question #9: What could go wrong?
Answer: This is real surgery and the risks associated with that cannot be overstated. Bleeding under the skin is one of the most common complications. It used to occur in about 8-9% of patients, but over the past three years we have been able to reduce that figure to approximately 5-6%. We now require blood clotting tests and prescribe a regimen of Vitamin K to boost the body’s clotting mechanism. We advise patients to stay at a local hotel if they live over an hour away.
Complications do occur. This is a fact in the practice of medicine. It is how the complications are managed and handled that determines the outcome. Dr. Delgado has vast experience with gynecomastia surgery and is very comfortable in treating any complications that might occur.
Over or under resection of tissue can occur. Under resection can be handled with re-excision, but over resection requires fat injections to the involved area.
Question #10: When can I go back to work?
Answer: After gynecomastia surgery a person can drive a car within a few days and can return to school or work within a week. (If a person’s work is physically demanding, two weeks of recovery will be needed.) Formal exercise regimens should not be resumed until six weeks after surgery.
Question #11: What is the policy if I am not happy?
Answer: Dr. Delgado’s goal is to have you be extremely satisfied with your results. If a revision is needed, and it can be performed in the office, he will do it at no charge. If general anesthesia is required, Dr. Delgado does not charge the patient for his services, but there may be a fee for the surgery center and the anesthesiologist’s services.
