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Can removing the compression garment too soon after gynecomastia surgery permanently effect results?

I am 4 months post-op with unsatisfactory results after a "moderate" case of gynecomastia which required lipo and direct incision. My PS cleared me of ALL physical activity and told me I could stop wearing the garment after only 10 days. He insists now that enough gland was removed and that the extreme puffiness/pointiness of the areola is due to sagging skin. If he is correct, is it possible that this sag could be from the premature removal of the garment and could this be permanent?

Doctor Answers 7

October 20th, 2016

Use of a Compression Garment After a Gynecomastia Procedure

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Our patients are required to wear a compression garment for the a few weeks following their #Gynecomastia surgery. The #compression garment helps to reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn, the more quickly you will heal.We recommend it not be removed, at all, until the second or third day after the surgery. After that, we suggest they feel free to temporarily remove the #garment for showering or laundering only. We encourage our patients to maintain circumferential pressure for 4-6 weeks, but they may switch to an exercise compression garment when advised.

Learn more: http://www.pacificcenterplasticsurgery.com/for-men-procedures-newport-beach/gynecomastia/

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS


Orange County Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 116 reviews

April 16th, 2016

Compression garment

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I recommend my patients wear their garments for a minimum of 3 weeks if not a lot of redundant skin following liposuction male breast reduction to a maximum of 6 weeks. To be effective the garment needs to fit snug but not too tight as to cause pressure problems (inspect your skin if discomfort and when skin is exposed), or prevent you from sleeping. As the edema resolves it is common for patients to switch to a smaller garment that fits - A Spanx type garment would work rather than ordering one or paying more at your doctor;'s office.
Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia Reduction) by liposuction requires compression garments for three main reasons:
  1. it restricts the amount of edema that forms and hastens its resolution by mechanical pressure
  2. It decreases the amount of bruising
  3. It assists the loose skin in retracting or shrinking
Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS
March 27th, 2015

Gynecomastia

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4 months is enough time to get skin contraction.  while I generally have my patients wear garmets for a month, I do sometimes ask them to continue with night time compression if I still think there is room for contraction.  Removing a garmet at 10 days is early for my protocol, but every doc has their own formula and it's tough to say what's right or wriong.  You may just have skin laxity that didn't contract.

Learn more: http://www.artisanofbeauty.com/before-after-gallery-beverly-hills/gynecomastia-breast-procedures/

Tim Neavin, MD

Tim Neavin, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 53 reviews

March 19th, 2015

No evidence compressive garments have any effect on the final outcome after gynecomastia.

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Like many plastic surgeons I prescribed a compressive garment aftertreatment of gynecomastia. Nevertheless, there's no evidence that they have any benefit long-term.

Learn more: http://www.zubowicz.com/procedures/gynecomastia/#2147

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
March 18th, 2015

Gyencomastia

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Unlikely that premature removal of the garment would cause the problem. If you have saggy skin that likely means that the skin either did not bounce back or you had a large amount of tissue removed that initially caused the skin to stretch prior to removal. Perhaps you need skin excision now?

Learn more: http://www.stevenwallachmd.com/breast-procedures/gynecomastia-new-york/

Steven Wallach, MD

Steven Wallach, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
4.2 out of 5 stars 30 reviews

March 18th, 2015

Gynecomastia

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I would doubt it.  How much your skin retracts is based on things like age, genetics, and how large your breasts were before surgery.   If you had a large amount of excess skin before surgery, you may need a skin reducing second stage surgery for optimal results.   I would give it some time as you may still get some skin retraction over the next few months. Without being able to examine you, it is difficult to give you a solid answer.   Best of luck.

Michael McClure, MD
Altamonte Springs Plastic Surgeon

March 17th, 2015

Wearing compression garment

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No, I do not think that wearing the garment any longer would have changed anything. Without seeing pre-op and current photos I can't really comment on anything more.

Learn more: http://www.cosmeticsurgerybaltimore.com/

Ronald Schuster, MD

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.