Gynecomastia is a benign condition that causes enlarged male breast tissue. It can be a great cause of embarrassment for men, resulting in them wanting to have the problem treated. As treatment for gynecomastia has improved so has its popularity among men looking to reduce their breast tissue.
Gynecomastia often stems from puberty, where hormonal surges can result in a growth of male breast tissue. In certain cases, the breast tissue will reduce after puberty, but it can also remain enlarged into adulthood.
Common causes of gynecomastia include puberty, use of anabolic steroids, excess weight gain and use of certain illicit drugs. Your plastic surgeon in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or beyond will be able to talk to you further about treatment, but let’s take a further look into gynecomastia to see if you might be the right candidate for treatment.
Do you have gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia typically occurs in both breasts, but patients may have unilateral or asymmetric breasts. Breast self-exams typically demonstrate a tender, firm, mobile and palpable disc-shaped mound of tissue that is located under the nipple-areolar complex.
When palpable tissue mass is hard, fixed, unilateral, associated with nipple discharge, peripheral to the nipple, causes skin changes or enlarged lymph nodes, then perhaps breast cancer should be suspected and require thorough evaluation by a specialist.
Corrective surgery
Patients who are experiencing gynecomastia typically have lumps around their breasts with or without excess fat in the region. Surgery to remove the breast tissue typically includes excess fat liposuction, surgical removal of the excess glandular breast tissue and/or skin excision (when the breasts are very large). It is always important that your surgeon conduct a thorough evaluation of your breasts to confirm gynecomastia and rule out the potential of breast cancer.
In the lead up to your surgery, you must stop smoking, increase your nutrition and stop medications that increase risk of bleeding. Most plastic surgeons will perform the operation under general anesthesia, but it can also be performed under local anesthesia or oral sedation. Many plastic surgeons utilise drains post-surgery to reduce the potential of fluid collections. The use of icing and compression vests is also common to help reduce swelling, control bruising and control pain.
Your recovery period
In patients who only require liposuction, return to exercise and work can typically occur in under a week. For patients who require surgical removal of the excess tissue, it can take two to four weeks to heal enough for you to return to your regular activities. Patients can typically return to activities like weightlifting after a month.
Are there any complications?
Gynecomastia is generally a very safe procedure and most patients experience smooth recoveries. However, as with any corrective procedure, complications can occur. These complications include fluid collections, bleeding, bruising, loss of nipple skin, numbness of the nipples, inverted nipples, loose breast skin, asymmetries and contour irregularities. Your highly qualified surgeon will display meticulous surgical technique to potentially alleviate or reduce the chances of complications.
The bottom line
If you think you are experiencing gynecomastia and would like to enquire about its treatment, contact a highly accredited, experienced plastic surgeon. They will be able to evaluate your breasts and confirm that you do have this condition and that it is treatable. The most important thing is differentiating between having gynecomastia and the potential risk of breast cancer, something that is part of an evaluation regarding gynecomastia diagnosis.
