Mr Matthew Potter 2021-06-01 Person 2 5 0

This is an update following a previous review from 2017 which was written 2 months following surgery for gynaecomastia. Immediately following surgery I had reservations about the result, as the swelling suggested that there may be a significant amount of tissue remaining. However, I was willing to wait several months to see whether it would settle down. I contacted Mr.Potter approx 6 months post op to express concerns that the case had been undercorrected, showing little aesthetic improvement from pre-op. Upon examination, Mr.Potter remarked that I must have put on weight and recommended diet and exercise. However, I am and was, well within the normal weight range for my height. As anyone familiar with the condition knows, diet and exercise will not eliminate this tissue. I was sent the pathology report including tissue analysis which confirmed that a mass of approx dimensions 30 x 40 mm had been excised from both sides. The excision of this tissue did not alter the contour of the chest and therefore did not address the objective of the surgery: to treat a case of gynaecomastia. This condition affects every area of life including relationships and mental health and especially self esteem. I believe it is a deceptively complex procedure as the tissue can be fibrous and diffuse. The literature recommends choosing a surgeon very carefully. Regrettably, I did not ask for sufficient evidence of previous experience. Mr.Potter described a case where he had to revise another surgeons work who had overcorrected a case. I believe this experience biased Mr.Potter and resulted in his overly cautious approach. I can only blame myself for not asking the necessary questions at the outset. Four years on, this condition still has a significant detrimental affect on my well being and I am left considering whether to go through the whole process again. In Mr.Potters defence, he did offer to waive the surgeon's fee for a second surgery. However, I felt at this point the trust had been lost and the experience of raising concerns had been quite confrontational and stressful. I therefore declined. I am not sure if Mr Potter still offers this surgery (I suspect not), however I would strongly advise looking at other surgeons to treat your gynaecomastia.