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Sometimes, for various reasons,
the male breast becomes fatty and begins to sag.
Instead of a healthy masculine look, the man is
left with an unhealthy, out of shape, feminine look.
This condition of enlarged male breasts is called
gynecomastia.
The causes of this problem may
be hormonal changes, certain medications, or genetic
predisposition. Healthy teenage boys may have this
problem for 1-2 years and it usually goes away after
puberty.
Today gynecomastia can be effectively
treated so that a man no longer has to be embarrassed
to remove his shirt.
Men with gynecomastia may have
significant medical problems and are urged to visit
a physician to rule out underlying health concerns.
Is this procedure for you?
A man who feels self-conscious about his breasts
may want them reduced.
The benefits of male breast reduction
surgery are both physical and psychological. When
a man is rid of unattractive, sagging breasts, his
more defined pectoralis major muscles, previously
hidden, show through like they should. Shirts fit
much better, and can even be fitted or body-hugging.
This breast reduction is permanent
but its results may be compromised in significantly
overweight men. If you are overweight, you should
try to get within 30-40 lbs. (15-20 kg) of your
ideal body weight.
Procedure
Treatment depends on what is causing the problem.
Cause: excess fat. This
is found in almost every gynecomastia patient. Excess
fat is centered around the nipple/areola but usually
involves the entire chest, and can usually be removed
with liposuction alone. You can expect the skin
to shrink back after the fat is removed and a good
result is obtained.
Cause: excess fat and breast
tissue. All men have breast tissue, the same breast
tissue as women but less of it. In gynecomastia,
the excess breast tissue typically is located right
under the nipple/areola and is enlarged. Liposuction
alone usually will not adequately remove this tissue.
It needs to be surgically cut out.
Cause: excess fat, breast
tissue, and skin. As above, after the fat and breast
tissue are removed, the skin usually will shrink
back and a flat result will be obtained. There are
times when the skin does not shrink back and it
needs to be excised.
Recovery time
You will probably be very sore for the first
week. You may experience some numbness. Bruising
is normal and will subside in 2-4 weeks.
Breast asymmetry is normal for
the first 6 weeks.
Some men with sedentary jobs go
back to work after 3 days. Most return to work in
about one week. If your job requires lifting or
significant arm movements, you may have to wait
up to 2 weeks before returning to work.
It can take 3-12 months for skin
contraction to be complete.
Possible complications
The most common complication after male breast reduction
is asymmetry or incomplete removal of breast tissue.
While all breasts have some asymmetry, in men this
is not as noticeable as it is in women. A male breast
reduction can correct asymmetry but it is unreasonable
to expect both breasts to be identical.
With liposuction alone, loss of
nipple sensation is unusual but possible and returns
in a few months. With a surgical procedure, nipple
sensation rarely returns. Other complications that
must be considered are the risks of infection, wound
healing problems, fluid or blood collection, and
contour irregularities.
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