Gynecomastia: What Is It and Why Should You Have It?

When we have bodies that aren’t the way we want them to be, it can affect our self esteem and our confidence. Some men wind up with enlarged breast tissue usually due to a hormonal imbalance and reduced testosterone, which can cause a lot of discomfort physically and mentally. They may not know what options they have for getting their preferred body shape back. One option that’s helped numerous men is male breast reduction surgery.

What is Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia is a condition that causes men to have excess breast tissue. Symptoms can include breast tissue swelling and tenderness. This condition can be caused by a variety of things, such as:

  • Obesity
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Steroid use
  • Aging
  • Antibiotics
  • Heart medications
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Liver failure/cirrhosis

As some of the causes for this condition can be serious problems, medical professionals will often recommend ruling out any underlying medical conditions before they focus on correcting the other symptoms of gynecomastia.

What is Male Breast Reduction Surgery?

When men suffer from gynecomastia, sometimes not even diet and exercise will help resolve the problem. At that point, they may seek other options, such as surgery. Male breast reduction does have the same goal of female breast reduction, but is often far less invasive.

The excess breast tissue in cases of gynecomastia can be caused by either excess fat or excess glandular tissue. There are two main ways to surgically have your gynecomastia resolved. The surgical option your surgeon chooses will be based on your individual body and makeup.

Male Breast Reduction via Liposuction

If your gynecomastia is caused by excess fat, your surgeon may opt for liposuction. Using liposuction can give effective results and tends to be less invasive. Usually, liposuction can be done via small incisions on each area of the chest to be treated. You may not even require general anesthesia.

Male Breast Reduction via Tissue Excision

In cases where there is excess glandular tissue or skin that is lax and sagging, your surgeon may opt for tissue excision to give you the best result possible. The surgery requires incisions either around the areolas or in the crease of the chest, depending on the shape of your body and chest. While this surgery is a bit more intense than liposuction, it’s still outpatient and quite safe.

Recovery

Some key things to know about recovery are:

  • You will need to wear a compression garment to aid healing
  • You may feel well enough to go back to work in a few days
  • You will have restrictions on strenuous activities and lifting objects of more than 5 lbs for around 3 weeks
  • You will need follow up appointments to check healing/remove sutures

Heeding your surgeon’s advice after surgery is important to safety and healing. You may receive personalized recovery tips depending on your procedure.

Maintaining Results

To maintain the results of your surgery, you should:

  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle
  • Avoid weight fluctuations
  • Avoid steroids or drugs that effect testosterone

Keeping the look you love after gynecomastia surgery is simple with commitment and dedication.

Schedule a Consultation

If you suffer from gynecomastia, you do not have to suffer for long. More men than you expect deal with this on a regular basis, and it is completely normal. If it affects your self-confidence, contact Dr. Mark Prysi and his staff today to schedule a consultation. He will be happy to address your concerns and give you back the confidence you seek.

REQUEST A CONSULTATION