Gynecomastia - Male Breast Reduction

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The medical term for a male breast reduction is Gynecomastia.

The meaning of this word comes from the Greek term, women like breasts. This condition has been around for as long as people can remember. The main thing to keep in mind is that up to 40% of men have been or will be affected by this. There are two Gynecomastia types: Overly large breasts caused by extra fat tissue and overly large breasts caused by extra breast or glandular tissue.

The men that have �man boobs� because of extra fat cells can correct this condition without surgery! There are two ways to do this, exercise/diet or breast reduction pills designed specifically for a male breast reduction � Click Here.

Men who have extra breast tissue (quite rare) meaning that they actually have mammary glands will need to consult a surgeon and look into liposuction. Certain drugs and medical problems have been linked with male breast over development and there is no known cause in the vast majority of cases.

If you're considering surgery to correct Gynecomastia, this website will give you a basic understanding of the procedure. You'll find out when it can help, how it's performed, and what results you can expect. If you would like to talk with people who have actually had surgery simply contact this website or read the open forum.

The Best Type of Gynecomastia for Surgery

Men of any age can have this low impact surgery. The most important part to understand is that the patient must be emotionally stable and healthy. It is best to have elastic skin that is not stretched. Your doctor will be able to perform small tests to find out how elastic your skin is.

For men that are considered obese or overweight, surgery will most likely be discouraged. They will first have to lose all excess weight to ensure that there is no need for surgery. If you are currently taking drugs like marijuana or excess alcohol you may not be considered for surgery. Some of these drugs and anabolic steroids may cause Gynecomastia and removal of them from your system may help to diminish the breast size.

The Risks of Surgery

Although this is a low impact surgery meaning that there is a short recovery time and very little scarring, there are still some risks. Complications for this procedure are very infrequent and usually minor. Some of the things that can occur are: Infections, skin injury, scarring, excessive bleeding, reactions to anesthesia and excessive fluid loss or accumulation. The procedure may also result in noticeable scars, permanent pigment changes in the breast area, or slightly mismatched breasts or nipples. If asymmetry is significant, a second procedure may be performed to remove additional tissue. The temporary effects of breast reduction include loss of breast sensation or numbness, which may last up to a year.

Another thing to think about:

Are you able to take time off from work in order to have the surgery and recover? Recovery times can vary depending on complications. Although complications are rare it is important to take the idea into consideration.

The Consultation with your Doctor:

This is going to be a very important day for you, you'll be asked about your medical history so make sure to have all the details. You will be asked if you are currently taking any medications that use estrogen or anabolic steroids. Your doctor is going to want to find the cause of the problem such as liver problems or drug use problems. If this is the case you may be referred to a specialist.

Be prepared to have a mammogram or chest x-ray. Breast cancer can in some cases be the cause of the problem. This is also going to tell your doctor how much fat and glandular tissue you have built up. Once they know this, the best type of surgery can be chosen.

Be sure to call your health insurance provider to find out if you can be covered. Many people are receiving full coverage for the surgery. Talk to people on our message board to find out how they went about getting coverage for the surgery.

Getting Ready for Surgery

As with any surgery, your doctor will be giving you specific instructions on what to do depending on the type of surgery that you will be undergoing. Things like eating properly, drinking fluids and taking certain medications and vitamins will be listed for you in detail.

Some doctors will not provide surgery for smokers.

You must quit smoking one to two weeks before the surgery date. Smoking can decrease the circulation of blood and will be a problem for the healing process. Once healed, smoking may resume.

Length of Surgical Time

The surgery for Gynecomastia is usually performed without the need to stay overnight. You will not be able to drive yourself so be prepared to have someone take you home. In some extreme cases the patient may have to remain overnight. At most, the surgery will take from 1.5 to 2 hours to complete and can be as little as one hour.

The Anesthesia Being Used

Almost all surgeries are under general anesthesia, which means you will not be conscious (you will not be awake). In some small procedures you will be able to have a local anesthesia.

The Procedure

In most of the surgeries that require the removal of glandular tissue, a scalpel will be the primary method of removing the excess tissue. The nipples are an ideal entry point because of the fact that the scarring does not show nearly as much if it is around an area that is raised naturally. This means you won't have scars on the side of your chest. If you have quite a bit of tissue to be removed there will be some scarring on the sides of the breast under the armpit. Working outwardly, the surgeon will cut away the excess glandular tissue, skin and fat from around the areola (nipple area) and from the sides and bottom of the chest muscle.

If your tissue to be removed consists primarily of excessive fat tissue it is most likely that liposuction will be used. The incision for this is almost always less than half an inch and made around the edge of the areola (nipple). Sometimes the incision will be made in the armpit. For more information on liposuction - click here .

Only in the most extreme cases for men, some skin around the chest muscle will have to be removed as it has been stretched out too far. In almost all cases of female breast reduction they will remove skin.

Be prepared to see a small drain coming from the incision in your chest when you wake up. This is simply to remove excess fluids that will build up over the next few hours.

Recovering From Surgery

In the next few days you're going to feel some discomfort from the surgery. You will most likely be prescribed some medications by your doctor to control the pain and swelling. You will not be able to drive yourself home and you may need help around the house for a day or two.

It is also going to take a few days for you to notice any difference in your chest size, the swelling will make it look like the doctor didn't remove anything at all, this is completely normal.

For the next couple of weeks you'll have to wear a surgical shirt to keep pressure on your chest. It will take a couple of weeks of just wearing the shirt at night as well for a total of 4 weeks. Expect to wait up to 2 and a half months for the final result.

From the first day of the surgery you should be able to walk around and you should be able to get back to work when you feel well enough. This will also depend on the type of work that you do, strenuous work should be avoided. The stitches will be removed about 2 weeks after the surgery.

Exercise should be avoided for at least three weeks and sexual activity is best avoided for at least two weeks.

It is also said that the sun can cause the scars to turn dark permanently. Avoid being in direct sunlight (on the scar areas) for around 4 to 5 months. You can be out in the sun but make sure to keep your scar area covered.

Please keep in mind that this surgery is permanent. You cannot go back to what you had before and for most people this is a good thing. Be sure that this change is what you want and that you're not doing it for someone else. It is most likely that this change is going to enhance not only your chest but your self esteem as well. Think carefully about what you are undertaking before going through with this surgery.

For Canadians - Check out Gynecomastia.ca - Offers a great online forum for gynecomastia discussion.