Competitive bodybuilder, personal trainer and online coach, Tom Hemming, undergoes Gynecomastia surgery to help boost his confidence and benefit his career.
Tom Hemming has competed in professional bodybuilding competitions for over 5 years now, spending hours a day honing his muscular physique in the gym. Tom is also a self-employed online coach and personal trainer, helping numerous clients to achieve their dream body. Recently, Tom felt like something has been holding his career back, preventing him from taking home the top titles in bodybuilding competitions. Tom began to notice that the leaner his body got over the years, the more prominent his Gynecomastia became. This began to have a great effect on Tom’s confidence, especially when training or taking part in high-level bodybuilding competitions.
Gynecomastia, meaning enlarged glandular tissues in the breast area, is a condition that affects the majority of men, no matter how fit they are. It is said that up to 50% of men are estimated to experience some degree of Gynecomastia, or enlarged breasts, at some point throughout their lives. Gynecomastia can be caused by a number of reasons, but there are several lifestyle and genetic factors that are thought to contribute to the condition.
While his Gynecomastia affected his competitive career, Tom also found that it affected his confidence greatly and decided it was time to do something about it. After doing extensive research online and speaking to a number of his friends in the bodybuilding community, Tom became aware of the Gynecomastia surgery at Signature Clinic. Signature Clinic is well known within the community, with many other professional bodybuilders receiving treatments from the clinic. Tom read all of the positive reviews that Signature Clinic had received and believed that the Gynecomastia procedure would help him to move forward with his career and regain his confidence.
In a great number of cases, Gynecomastia can be successfully treated using Vaser liposuction. This procedure involves using a tiny cannula, or liposuction tube, to remove the enlarged glands from the chest area. Our surgeons use vaser liposuction to obliterate and drain the fat cells in order to sculpt a flatter, more natural looking male chest. The Gynecomastia procedure is a relatively simple outpatient surgery, with quick patient recovery. Chest liposuction requires only one or two small scars, which are typically located in the armpit or another inconspicuous location in the chest area.
Once Tom knew that this Gynecomastia treatment was the one for him, he visited our clinic in London to have an initial face-to-face consultation with Dr Ahmed. During this consultation, Tom voiced his reasonings for wanting a Gynecomastia procedure and explained how he had wanted to get this procedure done for a long time. He also had the chance to speak to Dr. Ahmed about the few concerns that he had regarding his procedure. Dr Ahmed talked through the stage of the procedure and the aftercare he would receive thoroughly, while clearing up the few concerns that Tom had. Tom left his first consultation feeling confident with no worries or concerns about his upcoming procedure. He was very excited to get the surgery done.
When the day of the surgery arrived, Tom travelled to the Glasgow clinic where he was met by Dr Ahmed and his team. To begin the procedure Tom was asked a couple of pre-surgery questions, while Dr Ahmed talked him through the procedure once again. Before he began the surgery, Dr Ahmed explained that Tom had Grade 1 Gynecomastia. This meant that although Tom had enlarged chest glands, he actually had very little fat in the chest area. Before Dr Ahmed began the surgery, Tom was given local anaesthetic to numb his chest area. Receiving local anaesthetic meant that Tom would not feel any pain while his procedure was being performed.
Dr Ahmed successfully performed the surgery within an hour. After the surgery, Tom explained:
“I didn’t feel anything with the anaesthetic. It was quite a novel experience, not painful in the slightest. There are nurses checking in on you throughout the procedure, constantly speaking to you, checking you’re okay, checking your pain levels. It was probably one of the most enjoyable procedures that I’ve had. Can’t fault them, made me feel completely at ease.”
After the surgery, Tom was given a special aftercare treatment plan. This included a compression vest, which he was advised to wear for 4 weeks after the procedure to minimise post-surgery swelling and bruising. This compression vest also helps to speed up the healing process and ensures that the patient is as comfortable as possible while they are recovering. The aftercare plan also included regular check-ups with the team to keep an eye on Tom’s recovery process, allowing Tom to provide the team with post-surgery updates. One of Tom’s biggest concerns following his surgery was when he could return to the gym and begin training again. The aftercare team confirmed that he should avoid heavy lifting and cardio for one week but it would be okay for Tom to resume his normal body building training after his 6-week recovery period. The team explained that he would be able to resume physical activity during his recovery period, as long as he eased himself into it and didn’t partake in any strenuous training. The team also explained to Tom how resuming gentle physical activity during his recovery period would help to build up his pectoralis muscles and actually maximise his results.
Tom was over the moon with his results and said he is feeling even more positive now in regard to the future of his fitness career, claiming that the procedure was life changing. Throughout the whole process, Tom explained:
“I had a really positive experience. I can’t thank the guys at Signature Clinic and Dr. Ahmed enough. Super positive experience, completely made everything as comfortable as they could possibly be.“
Signature Clinic takes great pride in all of the procedures that they perform, from the first initial consultation right through to the end of the aftercare treatment plan. Gynecomastia is one of the most popular procedures that is performed in the clinic, with our talented surgeons performing between 140 and 170 Gynecomastia correction surgeries a month.
