Correction of Male Breast

Correction of Male Breast

Some men have over-developed breasts which look rather big and sticking out from under their shirts. When a man’s breasts are abnormally enlarged, the condition is called “Gynecomastia”(often referred to as ‘man boobs’). This condition can be very distressing for the individual and can lead to, low levels of confidence, negative body image, poor self esteem and social anxiety, making him very much self conscious of his body. About 30% of men suffer from Gynecomastia. Unlike the female breast reduction – which is carried out to both reduce and reshape the breasts – male breast reductions for Gynecomastia are usually required to flatten the breast area. Large breasts in men are often believed to be a result of obesity, but this is not the only cause. Men, like women, can have an abnormal growth of glandular breast tissue, usually due to a hormonal imbalance. Some studies have shown that male breast growth could be as a result of high levels of the female hormone oestrogen being present in their bodies. This sort of hormonal imbalance can occur during puberty and middle age. Other causes of male breast enlargement include:

• Excessive alcohol intake.
• Use of certain drugs, particularly anabolic steroids (often used by bodybuilders), and Cannabis
• Side effects of medications used for treating heart disease or ulcers
• Liver disease or kidney failure
• Dramatic weight loss, causing skin to sag.

Surgery for Gynecomastia is usually a safe procedure and can provide a permanent solution to enlarged male breasts. This will improve your physical appearance, confidence levels and self esteem. The choice of the surgical technique depends on the likelihood of skin redundancy/shrinkage, after surgery. In general, skin shrinkage is greater in younger individuals than in older individuals. Many incisions have been described for the excision of male breasts. The most common approach is the intra-areolar incision ( made incise the dark circle)

THE OPERATION
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 (areola) 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 (cannula), 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.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 procedure may be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. Your surgeon will discuss your anesthesia options with you once you have decided on surgery.

AFTER THE OPERATION

Have someone drive you after surgery and help you at home for a day or two if needed. Whether you’ve had liposuction, excision with a scalpel or both for your gynecomastia, you will feel discomfort for a few days. The pain can be managed with analgesics . To help reduce swelling, you’ll probably need to wear an elastic pressure garment continuously for a week or two, and for a few weeks longer at night. Although the worst of the swelling will subside in the first few weeks, it may be three months or more before the final results of your surgery are apparent. You’ll be encouraged to begin walking around on the day of surgery, and to return to work when you feel well enough, which could be in a couple of days. Stitches are removed one to two weeks after the procedure. Your surgeon may advise you to avoid sexual activity for a week or two and heavy exercise for about three weeks. You will be told to stay away from any sport or job that risks a blow to the chest area for at least four weeks. Your activities should be back to normal after about a month.