Gynecomastia Surgery Compression Garment. How Tight Should it Be?

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.

Recovery after Man Boob Reduction (aka Chest Contouring Surgery) is typically fairly light. Patients have about a week of bruising and another week of swelling. The surgery itself leads to a masculine and flat chest surface that won't show through sweaters or shirts which is usually the main complaint I hear from patients with gynecomastia.
The use of a compression garment is definitely a surgeon-to-surgeon dependent practice and each of us tend to have our own preference. It should be snug but not painful or uncomfortable. If there is too much compression, this can compress small blood vessels and lead to tissue damage and potentially  poor healing.
The garment should be snug, but not tight. Too much pressure can reduce blood flow in the tiny blood vessels in the skin which may lead to poor healing.
Typically, there will be an initial period of continuous abdominal compression garment around the clock for the 2 weeks then just at night for the second and third weeks.  It may be helpful to have some form of compression for the first 2-3 months to reduce overall chances of swelling and expedite your healing.  
The reason for the compression is to aid in allowing the new flat chest skin to sculpt and fit to your torso without excess swelling, fluid accumulation and to offer some support as your repaired chest wall become well adjusted. Keeping swelling to a minimum helps expedite your recovery and enhance your healing. 
Thanks,
Dr. Karan Chopra
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Johns Hopkins Trained 
Body & Face Expert

The vest should be snug but not to tight to cause discomfort. Each surgeon has their own instructions for the length of time to wear the vest. For my patients, I want them to wear it for 6 weeks, and then they can resume all normal activities. Good luck.