5 weeks post op gynecomastia surgery. Why is my chest not quite as flat as I'd hoped? Hard lump around bottom of nipple (Photo)

Question

I'm a little concerned that my chest isn't as flat as I had hoped. It's significantly better (I don't have pre-op pictures, but I can tell you that my chest looks 100x better than it did before). Still, it's not completely flat and there is a hard lump I can feel right underneath my nipple (pretty much near where the surgery was done). The surgery was an excision + lipo. The doctor told me that the entire gland would not be taken out in order to avoid cratering,but he assured that most was gone.

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

It's still very early into your healing. After your #Gynecomastia #surgery, the #incisions will go through a maturation #process. For the first few months they will be red and possibly raised and/or firm. As the scar matures, after 6-12 months, it becomes soft, pale, flat, and much less noticeable. You may experience numbness, tingling, burning, “crawling”, or other peculiar sensations around the surgical area. This is a result of the #healing of tiny fibers which are trapped in the incision site. These symptoms will disappear. Some people are prone to keloids, which is an abnormal scar that becomes prominent. If you or a blood relative has a tendency to keloid formation, please inform the doctor.

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. Also, 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. The #compression garment helps reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn, the more quickly you will #heal. It can also assist in the retraction of the skin. In the future, if you are concerned with scars, with your surgeon's approval you may be able to use scar management treatments such as Biocornuem,  Scar Guard, Scar Fade,  IPL Laser,  Yag Laser,   5fu/Kenalog for thick scars, or silicone sheeting. If you have any concerns about #healing, its best to ask questions of your surgeon or their nursing staff.

Joseph B. Eby, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello Omgitsme, Only 5 weeks post op it is still very early after your surgery, much of the fullness is likely swelling. The hard tissue around the areola may be a blood collection from surgery, early scar tissue or may be residual breast bud (tissue) if indeed the surgeon did not remove the majority of the breast tissue. It is true you can get some indentation of the nipples if you perform too aggressive of a resection but you may not correct the problem and may have continued protrusion or regrowth of breast tissue if you leave too much glandular tissue behind. Best to discuss with your surgeon and follow up to discuss your concerns. If the breast is not flattened/improved by ~3 months post-op it may not get much flatter without additional tissue removal.

Frederic H. Corbin, MD (license restricted) · Answer

Thank you for the photos and you are still early post op so it may just be swelling or scar but if your surgeon did not attempt to remove all the gland it maybe residual tissueDr Corbin

5 weeks post op gynecomastia surgery. Why is my chest not quite as flat as I'd hoped? Hard lump around bottom of nipple (Photo)

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Everything you need to know about Gynecomastia Surgery

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5 weeks post op gynecomastia surgery. Why is my chest not quite as flat as I'd hoped? Hard lump around bottom of nipple (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Gynecomastia Surgery

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