Top Surgery Recovery Updates (a place for all members to update after surgery)

[lost.cowboy]

Thanks Brett!

I really could not be more impressed with Dr G, Kelli and Jodi.

I had a bit of a nightmare trip - my suitcase didn't get picked up by Delta on the inbound transfer, had accommodation trouble which they went out of their way to solve - and it wasn't an easy fix. And then when my bank back home put a block on my card for "suspicious activity" they created a guest wifi just for me so that I could skype the bank and sort it out so I could pay for my prescriptions.

Already going above and beyond - and this is all of course an aside from the result itself which I'm really pleased with.

This was actually a 4th surgery for me - I had my original done in 2012 and then two subsequent revisions by the same surgeon. Dr G was able to point out exactly what had been done wrong and why I was so unhappy with it. And then he fixed it! Apparently a good 20% of his work is revisions from other surgeons.

On another note - if anyone is doing this on their own and considering staying at NBR please PM me. I know there are mixed reviews on this subject and I don't want to bad mouth the whole thing I'm just concerned for any potential lone travellers like myself.

[Bimmer Guy]

Thanks Brett!

I really could not be more impressed with Dr G, Kelli and Jodi.

I had a bit of a nightmare trip - my suitcase didn't get picked up by Delta on the inbound transfer, had accommodation trouble which they went out of their way to solve - and it wasn't an easy fix. And then when my bank back home put a block on my card for "suspicious activity" they created a guest wifi just for me so that I could skype the bank and sort it out so I could pay for my prescriptions.

Already going above and beyond - and this is all of course an aside from the result itself which I'm really pleased with.

This was actually a 4th surgery for me - I had my original done in 2012 and then two subsequent revisions by the same surgeon. Dr G was able to point out exactly what had been done wrong and why I was so unhappy with it. And then he fixed it! Apparently a good 20% of his work is revisions from other surgeons.

On another note - if anyone is doing this on their own and considering staying at NBR please PM me. I know there are mixed reviews on this subject and I don't want to bad mouth the whole thing I'm just concerned for any potential lone travellers like myself.

Interesting background.  I bet Garramone enjoys the challenge of fixing surgery mistakes.  It changes up from the usual.  Thanks for sharing your story.

[lost.cowboy]

Me again!

2 weeks post op today, and I just wanted to share a before/after pic - the before pic is from my original surgery plus TWO revisions.

I'm really pleased, I think Dr G has done a great job of fixing it up - just wish I went to him first.

[aleon515]

Yes, I think it is a profound difference. I'd be very happy.

--Jay

Me again!

2 weeks post op today, and I just wanted to share a before/after pic - the before pic is from my original surgery plus TWO revisions.

I'm really pleased, I think Dr G has done a great job of fixing it up - just wish I went to him first.

[Bimmer Guy]

Me again!

2 weeks post op today, and I just wanted to share a before/after pic - the before pic is from my original surgery plus TWO revisions.

I'm really pleased, I think Dr G has done a great job of fixing it up - just wish I went to him first.

Looking great, lost.cowboy.  Glad you are happy with your outcome.  So the first picture is after 3 surgeries?  Wow.  Was it the same surgeon?  Would you mind telling us who that was?

It didn't look bad, just a lot of tissue left.

[lost.cowboy]

Thanks Jay and Brett.

Brett - it was Miles Berry in London. Both revisions were done under local anaesthetic, and after the second one had a year to heal I went back to speak with him about still not being happy. His response was that there was no more he could do, and this was the best result I could hope for with my body.

Well, Dr Garramone sure proved him wrong!

[AleksiJason]

Me again!

2 weeks post op today, and I just wanted to share a before/after pic - the before pic is from my original surgery plus TWO revisions.

I'm really pleased, I think Dr G has done a great job of fixing it up - just wish I went to him first.

Hey dude you are looking great.....i was in a similar situation when i went to garramone....i had not had top surgery but did have a breast reduction prior to seeing garramone.....i expressed my concerns about having rounded scars .....he showed me in the mirror where he would cut......he said it had to be below the line of my previous scars from the reduction in order to remove all the scar tissue from that surgery......did he do the same with you?   he said if he didnt cut below the prior surgery lines i would have a huge lump of scar tissue on both sides of my chest.....how did he explain how he would approach "fixing" your chest?  anyways i am also very pleased with my results.....i wound up with fairly straight scars, a little angular but nowhere near rounded

[AleksiJason]

and to add quickly my scar lines look very similar to yours....and also meet in the middle.....but i am over a year post op now and the scars have faded significantly

[aleon515]

Mine nearly meets in the center, it has to do with reducing the likelihood of puckering. I didnt' care for it, but now it looks very natural.

--Jay

[lost.cowboy]

Thanks Aleksi,

Yes Dr G did explain in the mirror at the pre-op what he was going to do. He explained as you say about cutting under the original incisions, and removing scar tissue (post op he said there was a lot to remove!)

He did also say at the post op that he'd probably have to join the incisions, otherwise there would be puckering and/or tissue remaining in the middle which was my problem area.

Glad you were pleased with your results, it's definitely worth the revision isn't it!

Aleon - I saw pics you posted, your chest looks great.

[Bimmer Guy]

Mine nearly meets in the center, it has to do with reducing the likelihood of puckering. I didnt' care for it, but now it looks very natural.

--Jay

I guess it depends on the person.  There is a space between mine.  Garramone seems to be the only one who individualizes this (at least as far as I have personally seen).

It seems like some surgeons (for example, McGinn), always has the incision meet, regardless of body type.  So, if I had gone to her, for example, I would have had a longer scar.

It is interesting to see how surgeons do things differently.

[AleksiJason]

from what i understood from my pre op the dudes who have scars that meet either prior to surgery had extremely large breasts or had prior surgery......i know other guys who either had revisions or reductions before surgeries and all their scars meet too

[Alexthecat]

My scars don't meet in the middle but for months after surgery there was a big indent there where he sucked it out to make it flat. It seems to have fixed itself but it was weird at the time.

[aleon515]

Mine don't quite meet, it's close though.

--Jay

[makipu]

From what I can tell, everyone's nipples look normal. Mine are mixed dark brown and bright pink on both nipples. I first thought that the dark brown areas were going to peel like how other areas peeled off on their own but this wasn't the case. Basically each nipples look like a puzzle piece with them not even being the close shade colors. I checked Transbucket too and I only saw a couple of guys have this but I don't know what caused this as I was and still am taking care of them carefully.

I am applying Neosporin and using non stick pads.

[Bimmer Guy]

From what I can tell, everyone's nipples look normal. Mine are mixed dark brown and bright pink on both nipples. I first thought that the dark brown areas were going to peel like how other areas peeled off on their own but this wasn't the case. Basically each nipples look like a puzzle piece with them not even being the close shade colors. I checked Transbucket too and I only saw a couple of guys have this but I don't know what caused this as I was and still am taking care of them carefully.

I am applying Neosporin and using non stick pads.

It will get better.  unfortunately, some part of mine stayed pink in color.

[Elijah3291]

My nipples had discoloration too. Dr G said that it was hyper pigmentation. Pre Op they were pink in color, now one of them is mostly pink and the other is half pink, half brownish pink in color. I first noticed this about 1-2 months in, and Its still there, unfortunately time has not changed it. It kinda bums me out but I'm still just grateful to have had surgery.

[makipu]

I was searching for hyper pigmentation and found Meladerm, anyone uses this?

Also for scars, I was told to use Scarguard. Which kind is better;the liquid or the sheets?

[Daft]

I've been post-op as of Monday morning at 9:30am--I get my drains removed next week. Hope to post a picture some time soon.

I'm eager to see how my chest turned out, same with starting scar treatment (I already bought BioOil, Vitamin E, and Silicone Scar Sheets) though I know I have to wait a couple months beforehand when the scars have pretty much healed over.

[makipu]

So I got ScarGuard (what I was told to get) and the smell is just unbearable. Not only do I need to put on a mask but I need to protect my eyes too because I get this burning sensation.
And it peels off within minutes of application so how do I even know if it's doing its thing?  I noticed it being more expensive than all the other products available at the stores too but it's so inconvenient.

By the way, I was told to start scar therapy after 1 month (I am not sure why the wait time was because isn't starting sooner the better?)

Anyways before I even started scar care, I noticed what seems like hyper tropic scars ONLY on the edge areas (where the arms are) of the incisions and not anywhere else.  I am just worried that it will take over the entire incisions because I don't even know what caused it in the first place. 

Do you guys think using hypertropic scar specific product like Kelocote as soon as possible not just on those areas but the normal looking parts would help more in terms of preventing it from occurring more?