It is the excess of breast in men, it is common in men of any age. It can be the result of hormonal changes, conditioned by heredity, by illness or the use of certain medications.
Gynecomastia can cause emotional discomfort and affect your self-esteem. Some men may even avoid certain physical activities and relationships in intimacy, simply to hide their condition.
Gynecomastia is characterized by:
- Localized excess fat, excessive development of glandular tissue, or a combination of both.
- Gynecomastia may be present unilaterally (in one breast) or bilaterally (both breasts)
Male candidates for breast reduction:
Surgery is a good option for you if:
- You are physically well and at a relatively normal weight.
- You have realistic expectations.
- Breast development has stabilized.
- You are upset by the feeling that your breasts are too big.
Male breast reduction surgery is best performed on:
- Non-smoking and non-drug users.
- Men with a positive attitude and specific goals in mind to improve the symptoms of gynecomastia.
- Breast reduction for men is a highly individualized procedure.
Procedure to correct gynecomastia:
Plastic surgery to correct gynecomastia is technically called reduction mammoplasty, and it reduces the size of the breast, flattening and improving the contour of the chest.
Anesthetic options include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia.
Approach: In most cases subcutaneous mastectomy can be performed, meaning the partial removal of the gland without skin excision, through a small incision under the areola.
Sometimes there is an excess of skin and gland which forces to remove skin in addition to remove the excess gland.
There are also cases where the excess breast is due to an excess of fat (these cases are technically called pseudogynecomastia) and can be treated by liposuction. There are several liposuction techniques: Traditional liposuction, ultrasound, hydroliposuction and laser liposuction (the latter is the one we consider most effective in most cases because it improves the retraction of the skin).
Finally quite often we use the two techniques: gland excision and liposuction.
Recovery:
After surgery we apply dressings on the scars and a girdle to minimize swelling and improve skin adaptation.
A small tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain excess blood or fluid that may build up.
The stitches are usually removed in 7 days.
You can resume normal activity and exercise after a month.
Recommendations for after the operation:
It is important to avoid sudden movements and strains during the first three weeks. It is not advisable to exercise until after the first month.
You will need to wear the compression girdle for a month.