Forced not to lift for a month, what to do before/after

[800-pound lemur]

Just to be clear: the incision is

A) a small incision on the areolar border OR
B) a large incision under the breast and around the sides with nipple re positioning?

And finally, will you have drains?

Areolar border incision, there will be normal stitches outside the skin (as opposed to kind of inside the future scar tissue) with 0.1-0.2'' space between them, and the wounds are going to drain freely through them. The stitches are going to be removed after 2 weeks.

[Scaldrew]

If I had gyno to the extent that anybody at anytime could see it, I'd want it out. I agree with the OP that it should be done. My other points stand.

My comrade nation of socialist(/communist) Belgium doesn't cover the surgery under its health care service as it's a cosmetic operation and not as invasive as, say, having your appendix removed. I'll only be able to start saving up enough money to pay for it in maybe 3 years from now. So, in the meantime being unable to alter my appearance to the point where I become "aesthetically pleasing" (not in the face, though; that's never going to change), I might as well do the programme and get strong. In this way, the decision was made for me, so I can be at peace in adding weight on the bar and "being a freak show", as the OP puts it.

If I was OP and I had the chance to get rid of it (which I really, really want to do)-to the point where the dates had been made and everything-I'd still consider doing weight training up to a certain point, first. It's hard to get a momentum going and then (voluntarily, in a way) interrupt your own progress on a process that's hard enough (physically) already. Moreover, life circumstances change and what would have been "easier" before may prove nearly impossible later on. Right before exam periods or vacations is when I'd have cosmetic surgery of this sort cos I'd need to focus on perhaps more pressing matters than lifting, alone.

However, I want it out, too, so I understand if the OP says "fuck it" and gets it done immediately.

[Dr.T]

And believe me if you had gyno you wouldn't be saying that. Scars are also not visible if the surgery is done properly. Some time off sucks, but it's not worse than being a freak show. Delaying the instant gratification, ya know.

This is perceptive for your age. Nobody should discourage somebody from correcting a problem like this, especially if they haven't lived with the problem. Would Frankie go over to the Emily story and tell her what he would do about those problems as well? Not the same diagnoses, but it would be equally presumptuous.

The main concern for lifting after this procedure would be that there is a large space, after removal of the breast tissue, between pec major and the subcutaneous layer. Even after the initial healing and drainage, a hard pec contraction could cause shear and the space could fill with blood (a hematoma) or fluid (a seroma). With a small periareolar incision, I would not be concerned about skin dehiscence if I were doing a similar procedure. Typically, once the drainage has stopped, those two tissue planes have healed, but may not have much wound strength. Studies have shown that it take about 6 weeks for new wound collagen to reach its maximum tensile strength, so there is a scientific basis for the 4-6 week recommendation, at least in this case.

We all decide our own risk level. But for sure, read both books/ watch the vids and do novice progression up to the surgery. I would certainly not resume while you are still draining fluid. The lipo will cause more drainage than the mastectomy alone. While you are draining fluid, RE READ the books and re watch the videos. Resume when you want to, using your doctor's advice, the advice here, how you feel, and your new knowledge gained. The books describe how to return from a short layoff. Before the collagen is mature, press should be safer than bench because of much less (almost none?) pec major activation.

It sounds like you have done your homework on the surgery part and are approaching it sensibly. I wish you the best and speaking for myself I would like to hear a report after you resume training and how it goes.

[Brahms]

That's cool! Maybe you could share your experience how did the recovery go? I.e. you started squatting light, and when did you get back to your pre-surgery levels? Did it affect your progression afterwards in any way? What about the upper body lifts, when did you get back to those?

My experience with doctors is anomalous. I have never had a doctor ever tell me to stop squatting/deadlifting/etc.
-Tweaked back--should I stop lifting, Dr. Spine Doc? "No, stopping will probably make things worse. Find a way around it, preferably with a qualified coach."
-FYI, Primary Care Doc, I spend a lot of time squatting, deadlifting, powercleaning. "Great, I thought people didn't even do that stuff anymore. Get a form coach, just to be safe."
You get the idea. And these are doctors in Seattle, circa 2006. SEATTLE.

So I got the gynecomastia surgery done, and like every other doctor I've been to this doc was keen to minimize my downtime. I am a skinny punk who has never been obese, but I think he understood that lifting is a priority to me (and a lot of his other clients). He doesn't lift himself, but he seemed to be familiar with a lot of the lifts. I had two drains (one on each side) and had to wear a tight compression vest for two weeks and I followed the doctor's post-op instructions obsessively. There is a very real potential for hematomas, as another commenter noted--so you do have to be careful and err on the side of caution.

Squats were the first lift I resumed, with very light weight (135? 185? Something like that.) and just a few reps to see how it felt. My chest was still pretty painful on the inside, but I worked through it carefully. I'd estimate I got back to pre-surgery levels within six weeks of the surgery. I reset my workouts and did a linear progression very conservatively, making sure not to start too heavy. I maintained a caloric surplus and ate a lot of produce. Not sure how much of a difference that made, but it probably didn't hurt.

Some advice, if you're considering the operation: Do your research, and don't go with the cheapest option. It is possible for an inexperienced surgeon to mess up, and having another surgeon do corrective work is expensive, painful, and less likely to produce the results you want. My gynecomastia was not bad, but having a small disc of tissue on each side in my chest was just annoying so I got rid of them. I don't regret it.

[800-pound lemur]

This is perceptive for your age. Nobody should discourage somebody from correcting a problem like this, especially if they haven't lived with the problem. Would Frankie go over to the Emily story and tell her what he would do about those problems as well? Not the same diagnoses, but it would be equally presumptuous.

The main concern for lifting after this procedure would be that there is a large space, after removal of the breast tissue, between pec major and the subcutaneous layer. Even after the initial healing and drainage, a hard pec contraction could cause shear and the space could fill with blood (a hematoma) or fluid (a seroma). With a small periareolar incision, I would not be concerned about skin dehiscence if I were doing a similar procedure. Typically, once the drainage has stopped, those two tissue planes have healed, but may not have much wound strength. Studies have shown that it take about 6 weeks for new wound collagen to reach its maximum tensile strength, so there is a scientific basis for the 4-6 week recommendation, at least in this case.

We all decide our own risk level. But for sure, read both books/ watch the vids and do novice progression up to the surgery. I would certainly not resume while you are still draining fluid. The lipo will cause more drainage than the mastectomy alone. While you are draining fluid, RE READ the books and re watch the videos. Resume when you want to, using your doctor's advice, the advice here, how you feel, and your new knowledge gained. The books describe how to return from a short layoff. Before the collagen is mature, press should be safer than bench because of much less (almost none?) pec major activation.

It sounds like you have done your homework on the surgery part and are approaching it sensibly. I wish you the best and speaking for myself I would like to hear a report after you resume training and how it goes.

Thanks a lot! I will post re my experience, sure.

The part about what to do after layoff is something I actually tried to find in the books but couldn't. My reading skills are probably rather poor . Could you point me to it?

I've found some info on this in the closing part that deals with soreness after a layoff. It says that if I miss fewer than 5-6 workouts, then I can simply re-do my last workout. But if I've missed "couple months or more" then "care should be taken". Also the practical programming says that if an athlete stops for a few months then he should go back one level.

My layoff is going to be ~1 month long, which is definitely more than 5-6 workouts, but less than "a few months". I couldn't find specific recommendations on how much to deload in my case, also taking into account the need to take care to avoid hematomas.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Newbie suggestion to other Newbies

[800-pound lemur]

Newbie suggestion to other Newbies

Sorry if this comes off as arrogant, but that means reading through 11k forum topics. While undoubtedly valuable, not everyone has that kind of time. It would take me a ~year at a pace of 30 per day. Not every one of your followers is in college/retired/working a relaxed job that would let him do that.

Maybe some high-frequency uber-repetitive inquiries deserve an FAQ or something like that? If the answers are not in the books that is.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Coaching | Starting Strength

[800-pound lemur]

Coaching | Starting Strength

Kazakhstan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Mark Rippetoe]

You seem to be unclear on the purpose of this board.