Gynecomastia

What is gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia is a condition of overdeveloped or enlarged breasts in men that can occur at any age. The condition can be the result of hormonal changes, heredity, obesity or the use of certain drugs.

why have a male breast reduction?

While losing weight can help reduce the appearance of male breasts for some men, often times there is excess glandular tissue as well, causing even very lean patients to notice enlarged breasts. Currently, male breast reduction is the only consistently effective treatment for gynecomastia that has long lasting, if not permanent, results. Following this surgery, patients commonly say they feel comfortable going shirtless for the first time in years, and report an enhanced sense of self-confidence.

If you are uncomfortable or self-conscious about the appearance of your chest, or if you find yourself avoiding certain activities because you are afraid to show your chest, male breast reduction is an option to consider. With the help of a qualified cosmetic surgeon, the procedure offers dramatic, near immediate improvements with minimal scarring.

Treating Gynecomastia with Liposuction

The procedure for treating gynecomastia with liposuction is typically performed using local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia, and involves a small incision on each side of the chest. Depending on your needs and your cosmetic surgeon’s preferred technique, incisions may be located along a portion of the edge of the areola or within the armpit. Through these incisions, your cosmetic surgeon will remove excess fat and/or glandular tissue, at the same time sculpting a new chest contour that looks natural to your body.

The recovery process following liposuction is typically quite tolerable. Patients are often given a compression garment to wear for the first few weeks after surgery; this helps to minimize swelling and offers support to the healing tissues. While vigorous exercise is typically off-limits for about 3 weeks, many men return to work or school within several days after their procedures. However, it is important to understand that everyone heals at a unique pace; your cosmetic surgeon will give you individualized instructions for recovery.

Male Breast Reduction with Tissue Excision

More severe cases of gynecomastia may require surgical tissue excision to achieve optimal results. Additionally, patients who have stretched, sagging skin around the breasts will usually require this approach. Tissue excisions allows a cosmetic surgeon to remove a greater amount of glandular tissue and/or skin that cannot be successfully treated with liposuction alone.

The location and length of the incisions depends on the extent of surgery needed, but are typically located around the edge of the areola (peri-areolar incision) or within the natural creases of the chest. A trained, qualified cosmetic surgeon will take care to place incisions so that the resulting scars are as inconspicuous as possible.

Male breast reduction with tissue excision is typically performed as an outpatient procedure using general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. The recovery process is similar to that for liposuction; however, it is common for patients to experience soreness and some swelling. Typically, patients feel ready to return to work within 1 week of surgery, and a gradual return to exercise is usually permitted after the first couple of weeks.