Sunken Chest After Male Breast Reduction

I agree with prior post.  Too early to draw conclusions. A photo would help.  However, don't sweat it because even if a depression develops it can be filled in.  Follow up with your doc and express your concerns.

It is way too early to assess the final result of this surgery.  Give it 6 months and address any concerns with your surgeon.  Good luck and be safe.John T.
Nguyen, MD, FACS, FICSDouble Board
Certified Plastic Surgeon

It’s not unusual to have minor contour irregularities
following male breast reduction surgery. These changes are related to
post-operative swelling and scarring and tend to improve with time. They often
present as lumps, bumps and contour irregularities. Minor deformities of this
type, often respond to compression and massage.

                  In
some cases these deformities may be severe and require secondary surgical
intervention. The majority of these cases require fat grafting and liposuction
of the surrounding areas to improve contour.

                  It’s
very difficult to know what treatment will be necessary to correct your
particular problem. In most patients who are three weeks post-op, wound healing
is a very dynamic phenomena and significant improvement can be anticipated.

                  It
usually takes six to twelve months before a decision can be made regarding
revisional surgery. It takes at least this long for swelling and scarring to
completely resolve. It’s important to discuss these issues with your surgeon
who can reassure you regarding your clinical course. 

If the skin look caved in and stuck to your muscle, too much tissue may have been removed. Even if this is the case, there's still no need to worry yet. Proper massage should be able to loosen the skin off the muscle. Continue to see your surgeon and follow instructions.

Three weeks is too early . Wait over 6 weeks for a more realistic result. If you have a depression, correct it with a filler or fat. It is simple and you will like the results

At 3 weeks, you have significant swelling after your operation.  The depression can easily be explained by this swelling.  It won't necessarily go away, but probably will as the swelling subsides.

During the gynecomastia surgery your surgeon removed some of the breast tissue that sits behind the areola. Now that you are missing some tissue it is not unexpected that you have the depression you are describing. It is unlikely to improve on it's own. In a situation such as yours I would consider fat grafting to prop up the skin and separate it from the underlying muscle. If the wounds are relatively new you can also try vigorous massage to break up the scarring but suspect by now it will not be very effective

Patients can sometimes have an irregular contour on their chest after male breast reduction for gynecomastia.  This can result from aggressive liposuction or tissue removal in the area beneath the nipple/areola complex.  If this condition does not improve after 6-9 months, you may need a fat transfer to that area which involves harvesting fat from another area, such as your abdomen, and injecting it into the depressed/sunken area beneath your nipple/areola.

Since your surgery was only 3 weeks ago, I would be patient at this time and allow for the swelling to resolve and for the scar tissue to soften. Follow up closely with your plastic surgeon for now.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno

This is not at all unlikely after gynecomastia surgery and may be temporarily aggravated by stitches which are placed to hold the sagging nipple in place. These can cause dimpling of the nipple, especially when raising the arm. As these stitches absorb the dimpling tends to resolve. However, this is only based on my estimate of what was done and not on your specific procedure. It may also be worsened by swelling as discussed by Dr. Kasden.
Discuss your copncerns with your surgeon who is best equipped to know what was done during the procedure. You are still early in the healing process.

3 weeks is a little too early to start assessing the results of your surgery. Wait a couple of months at least to see if contour irregularities even out. Then return to your surgeon if they don't.