Male Breast Reduction
Shame. Humiliation. Insecurity. These are some of the emotions experienced by men with enlarged breasts, or gynecomastia.
About half of all men today have excess localized fat and/or excess glandular tissue in one or both breasts. Gynecomastia accounts for more than 65 percent of all male breast disorders, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Breast reduction surgery for gynecomastia is most often performed on an outpatient basis, in an office-based or ambulatory surgical facility or in the hospital. Sometimes an overnight hospital stay is recommended. Time in surgery is typically an hour and a half, but a more extensive male breast reduction may take longer.
The Gynecomastia Surgery Procedure
If your enlarged breasts consist primarily of excessive fatty tissue, your surgeon may use liposuction. If excess glandular tissue is the primary cause, the tissue may be cut out with a scalpel. This excision may be performed alone or in conjunction with liposuction.
During an excision procedure, the incision is made either on the edge of the nipple or in the underarm area. The surgeon cuts away the excess glandular tissue, fat and skin from around the pigmented area surrounding the areola and from the sides and bottom of the breast by working through the incision. Major reductions that involve the removal of a significant amount of tissue and skin may require larger incisions and more visible scars.
If liposuction is also used to remove excess fat, a slim, hollow tube, is inserted directly through the existing incisions. The cannula is attached to a vacuum pump to suction out the fat.
For Liposuction-only breast reduction, your surgeon will likely make a small incision of less than a half-inch in length around the edge of the areola. Or he or she may make the incision in the underarm area. You may feel a vibration or some friction during the procedure, but generally no pain.
Sometimes a small drain is inserted through a separate incision to remove excess fluids. Once closed, the incisions are covered with a dressing. The chest may be wrapped to keep the skin firmly in place.
The procedure may be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation.
Causes of Enlarged Breasts in Me
In most cases, the cause is unknown. Sometimes it is an imbalance of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. But heredity conditions, diseases including certain endocrine disorders, tumors, and chronic diseases or certain drugs such as anti-depressants, blood-pressure medicines, marijuana, and steroids may also cause the condition.
Some men or boys have fat on their chests that makes it look as though they have breasts. This is not gynecomastia, but is called pseudogynecomastia and may go away with diet or exercise. Some men or boys will need treatment for this, as these fat pockets can be resistant to the effects of diet and exercise. In contrast, true gynecomastia will not usually improve with diet and exercise.
In older men, gynecomastia often results from decreasing levels of the male sex hormone testosterone, which occurs with advancing age. In addition, men experience an increase in body fat with age and a resultant rise in the ratio of estrogen to the male sex hormones.
Gynecomastia Treatment
Surgery,Liposuction or a combination of the two may be used to treat enlarged breasts. The reasons for surgery are two-fold in men: The first goal is to reconstruct the contour of the chest. The second goal is to determine if a suspicious lesion in the chest is cancerous. Enlargement typically occurs on both sides of the chest. If it is one-sided, firm and hard, see a doctor immediately to rule out male breast cancer.