A More Masculine Look
Gynecomastia is the presence of excess fat, glandular tissue, or skin in the male breast area. Although gynecomastia is a common condition, men who have enlarged breasts may wish to reduce them in order to achieve a more masculine chest profile.
Gynecomastia Surgery removes breast tissue to contour the appearance of the pectoral region. Dr. Capella brings over twenty years of experience to his surgical practice, specializing in body contouring and plastic surgery after weight loss. Having performed over 10,000 body contouring procedures, he is a leader in his field. His dedication to surgical innovation and safety is reflected in his research, presentations, and publications. In his work, he has also collaborated with his father, Dr. Rafael Capella, a respected bariatric surgeon. Discover how during Gynecomastia Surgery New Jersey plastic surgeon, Dr. Capella, can tailor your physique or show off your weight-loss progress. Read on to learn more, or call Capella Plastic Surgery today to schedule your gynecomastia surgery consultation.
Background on Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is the medical term for abnormal enlargement of the male breast. A fairly common condition affecting almost half of all males during development, it can occur on one or both sides of the chest and is the result of excessive breast tissue, fat, or both.
Excessively large breasts are also a very frequent concern for men following weight loss. Following weight loss, men often have remaining excess skin, fat, and sometimes dense fibrous tissue in the region of the breasts. These excess tissues may not only involve the breast but extend towards the sides and back as well. Dr. Capella has a very large amount of experience in treating male weight loss patients with these concerns and he is regarded among the most experienced New Jersey Gynecomastia Surgery providers. Male weight loss patients may either be candidates for liposuction or a combination of liposuction and excess skin, fat, and breast tissue removal. Most cases of gynecomastia not relating to obesity and weight loss are part of a normal or “physiological” phase of development. It can occur with the onset of puberty but usually regresses by age 20. It can also occur with aging in otherwise healthy males. Although most cases of gynecomastia are part of a normal phase of development, there are pathologic causes.
These causes may be related to decreased production of testosterone (male hormone), increased production of estrogen (female hormone), or certain drugs. The use of anabolic steroids (used by bodybuilders, and other drugs (marijuana, alcohol, cimetidine, spironolactone; some anti-depressants, for example) can be the cause of gynecomastia. Gynecomastia can be a sign of liver disease; however, the majority of cases have no known cause. Certainly, most affected adolescent boys will “grow out of it” if no treatment is rendered. If this does not occur, treatment is available to reduce the size of the soft tissues, either by removal of fatty tissue using liposuction or by open removal of breast gland tissue using a small incision around the areola or pigmented area of the nipple. In more extensive cases where there are large amounts of excess skin, more lengthy skin incisions (and therefore longer scars) may be necessary to remove the redundant skin.
Feel Good in Your Body
Gynecomastia surgery frees many men from the feelings of self-consciousness that can accompany having excess breast tissue. It can be used to treat gynecomastia caused by a range of factors, including weight changes, hormone imbalances, or medication side effects.
In some cases, gynecomastia is temporary and can be resolved without surgery. In others, reducing breast tissue can only be accomplished with a surgical approach. As a specialist in surgical body contouring procedures, including Gynecomastia Surgery New Jersey plastic surgeon, Dr. Capella, carefully designs each treatment around the patient’s anatomy, degree of gynecomastia, and surgical goals. Results can be lifelong, given that any conditions that previously caused breast tissue development are being managed.
Experience Leading Surgical Care
Dr. Capella will take a thorough medical history, including a history of obesity and weight loss and a history of alcohol or marijuana abuse, and a careful drug history.
If there are signs of either liver or endocrine malfunction or if there are any signs of abnormal secondary sexual development, then a referral to a qualified medical specialist, such as an endocrinologist, may be warranted. In most cases involving adult males, there is usually a history of obesity and weight loss or a history of anabolic steroid use or no cause at all. In most cases, gynecomastia surgery is the only effective form of therapy. The approach that Dr. Capella would advise will depend on the degree of breast enlargement, the ratio of fat to breast tissue that exists, and the amount and elastic quality of the skin. He will then determine and discuss with you what approach he feels is necessary to best manage your condition.
Preparing for Surgery
During the gynecomastia surgery pre-operative period, you will need to take certain precautions to ensure a safe procedure.
It is imperative that patients refrain from ingesting any medications or other substances that could potentially be the cause of surgical complications. A list of medications should be reviewed and discontinued at least two weeks prior to operation. Patients are seen just prior to their gynecomastia surgery date for a general physical examination to ensure that no underlying medical problems exist that may interfere with the safety of their surgery.
Understanding Male Breast Reduction
Prophylactic antibiotics are given at the time of surgery and for 24 hours following the procedure to reduce the risk of surgical wound infection. A prescription for pain medication is also written so that you have pain pills when you return home from the operation.
Photographs are taken before your Gynecomastia Surgery so that you can see the improvement from your surgery afterward. We generally take post-operative photographs three to six months after your procedure. You will be asked to sign a surgical consent, which enumerates the risks of the procedure in detail. These risks are explained below but are also discussed at the consultation. You will need to arrange for a friend or family member to drive you to and from the operating suite. Patients cannot operate motor vehicles after surgery, and recently sedated patients will not be discharged to taxis for transport home. We can arrange for medical transportation in the event that you cannot find someone to take you. For your comfort and safety, it is mandatory to have someone stay with you for at least 24 hours after surgery.
The details of the techniques used on the day of gynecomastia surgery (or male breast reduction) are determined by your unique anatomy. Depending on the degree of breast enlargement present in your case, Dr. Capella will review the exact surgical approach he would take to provide you with the best contour using the least invasive operation. In the least invasive approach, and if most of the enlargement is fatty in nature, he may utilize liposuction to contour the breast area. Under a general anesthetic (completely asleep), or sometimes using local anesthesia with an intravenous sedative, he makes very small incisions through which he inserts a small tube. Vacuum suction applied to the tube then extracts the fat, leaving you with a smoother, flatter contour. Gynecomastia surgery usually takes about an hour and is done as an outpatient procedure.
If you have primarily a glandular accumulation causing your abnormal contour, he can usually remove this through a small incision at the lower half of the periphery of your areola (pigmented part of the nipple). The breast gland is then completely removed. Often a small drain tube is placed to assist the skin in conforming back to the underlying muscle. Gynecomastia Surgery procedure takes about sixty to ninety minutes and is done on an outpatient basis. It can be done either under a general or local anesthetic. All stitching is done with self-absorbing type suture material, avoiding the need to remove stitches after surgery. For many men following massive weight loss, there is a combination of excess fat, breast tissue, and skin remaining at the breasts and often extending onto the sides and back. If this is the case, Dr. Capella prefers to remove excess skin, breast tissue, and fat in one procedure that typically involves an incision along the base of the breast. The nipple and areola are then usually moved as a graft to a higher, more aesthetically pleasing position.
Broadcast Confidence
Male breast reduction yields results that can be permanent. Scars are inevitable but can be placed in less conspicuous locations. Men who have undergone male breast reduction for gynecomastia often experience significantly improved confidence and feel more comfortable in many areas of their lives. Breast tissue can return as a consequence of subsequent weight gain, hormonal imbalances, or the use of certain drugs. You can keep your more masculine look in the long term by maintaining a stable weight and addressing any health conditions or medication-related side effects. Gynecomastia Surgery will likely help you feel more confident wearing t-shirts or baring your chest poolside, helping you enjoy a better quality of life.
Getting Your Best Results
At the conclusion of your procedure, sterile dressings and a garment will be placed over your chest.
The breasts become bruised, swollen, and tender for a week or so, but the pain should not be severe and is usually well controlled with the pain medication that is prescribed. It is important to follow all aftercare instructions during your gynecomastia surgery recovery process. After two days, showering is permitted, and the dressings may be removed. If drains have been placed, they most likely will be removed at this time during your follow-up office visit. Some patients feel more comfortable wearing the chest garment for the first two weeks.
Though the skin of the breast may feel numb for a while, usually the feeling returns in six to eight weeks, but it can take up to a year to feel completely normal. Heavy exercise involving the upper body should be avoided for six weeks, and you should stay away from sporting activities or work that risks a blow to the chest for a similar period of time. Avoiding sun exposure to the incision sites for six months or more reduces the risk of dark pigmentation of the scars; you may need to use sunscreen for up to a year for this reason. It normally takes approximately 12 weeks for all of the initial swelling to subside, and it takes one to two years for the scars to mature and fade.
Complications from gynecomastia surgery are infrequent and usually minor, though no surgical procedure is without some risk. These would include bleeding, infection, loss of sensation that may take up to a year to recover and could be permanent, visible irregularities in the skin, asymmetry, and fluid accumulations beneath the skin following the operation that may require drainage.
Possibly. If the skin of your chest has good tone and your excess breast tissue is primarily fat, you may benefit from liposuction alone.
No. Men with sagging breasts following weight loss will most likely benefit from a surgical procedure to remove breast tissue and skin.
Dr. Capella has been performing gynecomastia surgery for nearly 25 years and has a very large amount of experience with men following weight loss.
Schedule your consultation to discuss your body contouring concerns with Dr. Joseph Capella.
Give yourself the gift of expert care and world-class results. Schedule your remote or in-person consultation with Dr. Capella to receive care from the field’s foremost authority in body contouring after weight loss.
545 Island Road, Suite 2A, Ramsey, New Jersey 07446