Gynecomastia Repair, commonly known as male breast reduction, is a surgical procedure to reduce enlarged female-like breasts in men. Gynecomastia affects and estimated 40 to 60 percent of men. It may affect only one breast or both. For men who feel self-conscious about their appearance, breast-reduction surgery can help.
Best Candidates for Gynecomastia Correction
Surgery to correct gynecomastia can be performed on healthy, emotionally stable men of any age. The best candidates for surgery have firm, elastic skin that will reshape to the body’s new contours.
Surgery may be discouraged for obese men, or for overweight men who have not first attempted to correct the problem with exercise or weight loss. Also, individuals who drink alcoholic beverages in excess or smoke marijuana are usually not considered good candidates for surgery. These drugs, along with anabolic steroids, may cause gynecomastia. Therefore, patients are first directed to stop the use of these drugs to see if the breast fullness will dimish before surgery is considered an option.
General Procedure
If excess glandular tissue is the primary cause of the breast enlargement, it will be excised, or cut out, with a scalpel. Working through the incision, the surgeon cuts away the excess glandular tissue, fat and skin from around the areola and from the sides and bottom of the breast.
If your gynecomastia consists primarily of excessive fatty tissue, your surgeon will likely use liposuction to remove the excess fat. A small incision, less that a half-inch in length, is made around the edge of the areola–the dark skin that surrounds the nipple. A slim hollow tube called a cannula which is attached to a vacuum pupe, is then inserted into the incision. Using strong, deliberate strokes, the surgeon moves the cannula through the layers beneath the skin, breaking up the fat and suctioning it out.
Recovery Process
You will feel some discomfort for a few days after surgery. You’ll be swollen and bruised for a while — in fact, you may wonder if there’s been any improvement at all. To help reduce swelling, you’ll probably be instructed to wear an elastic pressure garment continuously for a week or two and for a few weeks longer at night. Although the worst of your swelling will dissipate in the first few weeks, it may be three months or more before the final results of your surgery are apparent.
If you think that you may be a candidate for Gynecomastia Repair, contact Dr. Virden and his staff to schedule a consultation by calling 775-348-9798 or schedule a consultation online.