I'm a touring musician that plays guitar, how long before I can play shows after gynecomastia surgery?

Thank you for your question. Gynecomastia recovery is typically six weeks which during that time you will also be wearing your compression garment. You can return to strenuous activity after 3 weeks. I would advise you to follow up with your surgeon with any further questions.

BRUISING AND SWELLING: Bruising and swelling are normal and usually increase slightly after the removal of any tape or foam. The bruising will decrease over 3-4 weeks, but may last as long as 6 weeks. The majority of the swelling will be gone within the first 3-4 weeks. However, it may take 6-9 weeks to disappear completely. The compression garment helps reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn, the more quickly you will heal.NUMBNESS: It is normal to experience numbness around the areola and chest. As your body heals, you may notice random bursts of pain in your chest. This is usually a sign that the numbness is subsiding.LUMPINESS: As you heal, the area may feel “lumpy” and irregular. This, too, decreases with time, and massaging these areas will help soften the scar tissue.ACTIVITIES: If your work keeps you sedentary, you may return whenever you feel up to it. If your work is strenuous, wait until your work activity does not cause pain. Wait at least 4 weeks to begin aerobic exercise.As with all operations, pain and discomfort varies greatly from patient to patient. Generally, one should expect that pain medication will be required for the first several days. Continuing discomfort can last varying amounts of time. The best thing to do if you experience questions or concerns during the healing process is to visit your surgeon for a follow-up to make sure that all is progressing as it should.

Thanks for this question.The recovery depends mostly on what you are having done. If it's just liposuction then recovery is quite fast. You could lay witIt you add gland excision or gland excision with skin surgery ( lift ) then recovery will be longer. It will also depend on whether you are doing heavy lifting of amplifiers etc.The best way to get a handle on this is to discuss it with your Plastic Surgeon after you know exactly what they are planning.

It's going to depend on the extent of your surgery so the best person to answer this is your surgeon. I typically like my patients to avoid strenuous exercise for a couple of weeks and to wear a compression garment for 3 weeks 24/7 and then for 12 hours a day for at least 2 months. Hope this helps.

The recovery from gynecomastia depends on how extensive your surgery is, and also the specific activities you will be engaging in. Many patients can be back working at a desk job after just a few days. As a guitarist, there is white a lot of upper body movement. As a touring musician, there may be the added responsibility of lifting and moving some equipment. The biggest challenge some of my gynecomastia patients experience is being patient through recovery. Often they fel great and they want to participate in activities that may have made them self conscious prior to surgery. Explain in detail to your plastic surgeon what activiities you will be doing and for how lon. Then, follow your doctor's orders. 

As mentioned previously, it does depend on the type of reduction method used, whether you need liposuction alone or excision of tissue, and whether you'll have drains or not. I generally keep my patients in a garment and instruct them to keep their elbows down for  a couple of weeks. Keep in mind that all surgeons have their own technique and your surgeon will have his/her own post operative instructions to maximise your results.

Thank you for your inquiry.  That's a very good question.   Gynecomastia surgery is becoming more popular as more men realize there are good ways of correcting the problem.My experience with this procedure would lean toward taking it easy for the first 4-5 days then you would be able to be back to touring and playing the guitar.   I have my patients wear compression for 3- 4 weeks around the clock then while exercising for another couple of weeks.

It depends upon what type of procedure is performed. If you get liposuction only you are probably ok to go back within a week or so. You should discuss this with your surgeon.

You should be able to play guitar within a few days to a week after gynecomastia surgery (assuming no surgical complications).  We would NOT want you to be carrying heavy equipment or exercising for several weeks after surgery.

Elliot W. Jacobs, MD, FACS

New York City

It should not in my experience be more than a few days until you can comfortably play guitar. I routinely have patients wear a compression vest for one month.