Gynecomastia is a condition of overdeveloped breast or persistent fat excess in men. It can be the result of genetic factors, hormonal changes, obesity or use of certain drugs. A man with gynecomastia may feel uncomfortable with his appearance and lack self confidence. The surgery that corrects gynecomastia, also known as male breast reduction, aims to reduce the breasts volume and create a well proportioned, beautiful breast.
What’s gynecomastia surgery?
Who’s a good candidate?
Candidates for gynecomastia surgery must be healthy, over 18 years old, non smokers with a stable weight, whose fully developed breasts and wish to improve their appearance. They must also have realistic expectations and know that usually the younger the patient the better the results of a male breast reduction surgery.
Facts I need to know
Depending on the case the doctor choses the best method to treat gynecomastia. In some cases gynecomastia is the result of fat excess and can be treated with liposuction, in others surgery is required because breast gland tissue and skin excess must be removed and in different cases the two methods can be combined. Surgery is performed under general anesthesia, takes 1 to 1 ½ hours and usually requires patients to stay overnight at the hospital. Surgery has the advantage to completely correct the situation and offer permanent results, as long as patients maintain a stable weight.
Recovery Time
After the procedure patients notice mild soreness that can be treated with medication. They also notice swelling and bruising that gradually subside. During the first 15 days following surgery patients are instructed to wear a compression vest that is very comfortable and easily hidden under clothes and reduces recovery time for up to 3 days. Results of male breast reduction surgery are immediately visible but continue to improve as swelling fades. Final results are visible after 3 months approximately.
Doctor’s Remarks
I choose the type of procedure to treat gynecomastia according to the extend of the problem. We can treat gynecomastia of a small to medium degree with a small breast gland tissue with liposuction and a surgical removal of skin excess around the areola area. The advantage of this technique is that there are no incisions. Even if we perform surgery to remove skin excess incisions are hidden in the border of the areola area.
Another plus of liposuction is that we now dispose of several different techniques, like laser, RFAL (radiofrequencies), ultrasounds, to treat a mild laxity in the area. These techniques work to achieve liposuction and skin firmness on the area without extended surgical procedures and tiny incisions.
When we treat extended gynecomastia cases that demand skin excess removal we combine different techniques as well as an advanced fractional laser method to smooth incision scars.
A gynecomastia surgery offers great satisfation and compensates for any discomfort patients may experience during the first days following the operation.